Asthma is a common, chronic condition in kids that affects breathing

Asthma makes the airways in the lungs extra sensitive to triggers. During an asthma attack, these airways:

• Swell and get smaller.
• Produce extra mucus.
• Tighten as the surrounding muscles squeeze.

This makes it hard to breathe and can disrupt daily life, like sleeping or playing. While asthma is a lifelong condition with no cure, it can be controlled with the right care.

Children's Wisconsin uses a unique, comprehensive approach to asthma management. Our specialized teams (in the Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and Pulmonary programs) provide treatment, training, and support across many settings—at home, in schools, clinics, and the hospital—to help children lead healthy, active lives.

Signs of poorly controlled asthma include:

• Cough (often dry, worse at night).
• Wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound).
• Chest tightness.
• Shortness of breath during activity.

Keeping asthma controlled protects the lungs and makes breathing easier.

Allergies
Allergens like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold and cockroaches can make asthma worse. Allergy tests can help confirm asthma triggers.

Smoke
Smoke from cigarettes, fires, candles and incense is bad for people with asthma. If you or your child can smell the smoke, then it’s hurting your lungs. Avoid smoky areas and refrain from smoking in your home or car.

Colds and Viruses
Getting sick with a cold or virus can make asthma worse. Washing hands often and getting an annual flu shot can help avoid getting sick.

Weather Changes
Asthma can worsen when the weather is really cold or hot and humid. Cover the nose and mouth with a scarf on cold days. Stay indoors in air conditioning on hot and humid days.

Exercise
It’s good to be active, even with asthma, but this can trigger symptoms. Warming up and taking asthma medicine as instructed before exercise can help.

Strong Smells and Sprays
Strong odors from products like cleaning sprays, perfumes or hair spray can trigger asthma. Avoid them or open a window if you need to use them.

Air Pollution
Dirty air can make asthma worse. Check the air quality daily and stay indoors when the quality is poor.

We provide many different treatments and support for kids with asthma.

Asthma Management Plan

An asthma management plan is a special plan that the care team will make with you and your child. This plan outlines what to do when your child’s breathing is under control and what to do when asthma symptoms flare up.

Asthma Medicines

When taken the right way, medicines help control and treat asthma with few side effects.

There are two types of asthma medicines:

Daily controller medicines: These help prevent symptoms by reducing swelling in the airways and keeping them open. Kids need to take these every day, even when they feel well.

Quick-relief (rescue) medicines: These work fast to relax the muscles around the airways. They help during an asthma attack or before exercise. They last a few hours.

There are a few ways to take asthma medicines to help them reach the lungs, including:

• Inhaler or pump
• Nebulizer devices, which turn liquid medicine into a mist
• Pills or liquids taken by mouth
• Injection or shot

Pulmonary Function Testing

Our Pulmonary Function Lab offers many different breathing tests for infants, kids and adults to assess lung function. Our experts may perform these tests if the patient has shortness of breath, trouble breathing or coughs often.

The test results may help diagnose and treat breathing problems. We make special efforts to make these tests fun for kids.

Asthma Plus Program

Kids with hard-to-control asthma may receive special care through the Asthma Plus Program. This includes education, help to set health goals and help to get the care they need (medicines, clinic visits, asthma trigger avoidance, testing and referral to other providers if needed). They focus on child whole health needs including medical, social and behavioral. The Asthma Plus team helps families coordinate care between clinic visits.

Community Health Asthma Management Program (CHAMP)

The Community Health Asthma Management Program (CHAMP) provides in-home asthma self-management education and a home environmental assessment of potential asthma triggers at no cost to persons with poorly controlled asthma residing in Milwaukee County. The goal of this program is to reduce missed school or work days, urgent care visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations due to asthma related illness or complications.

Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin (CHAW)

The Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin works to improve kids’ health across the state. It connects leaders, spreads the word about health issues and supports public health efforts. It also runs programs that help kids.

Children's Wisconsin is the main home and manages the funds for the alliance. One of the top focus areas is improving kids’ asthma.

Our asthma experts help kids and adults get the care and treatment they need to breathe better and live healthier lives.

Award-winning care: U.S. News & World Report ranked pulmonary care at Children's Wisconsin among the best in the nation. Care for asthma is in the category of pulmonary care.

Family-centered care: Our Children’s Wisconsin board-certified Asthma Allergy & Immunology doctors are trained to care for kids and adults, which can be helpful for families. We offer care closer to home, in Appleton and across Southeastern Wisconsin.

Specialized services: We provide unique programs and treatments for patients with complex conditions.

Before

Before your child’s visit:

• We may ask you to fill out health forms.
• Prepare a list of symptoms, triggers and any recent asthma attacks.
• Bring any asthma medicines your child uses, including inhalers, spacers or nebulizers.

During

When we meet with you and your child:

• The care team will ask about symptoms and review your child’s health history.
• Your child may take breathing tests to check how well their lungs are working.
• We’ll create or update an asthma action plan, discuss medicines, triggers and ways to manage asthma.
• You’ll learn how to manage symptoms at home.

After

To keep asthma under control:

• Follow the asthma action plan and take medicines as directed.
• Watch for symptoms and note if anything changes.
• Schedule follow-up visits to review progress.
• If symptoms get worse or your child has trouble breathing, call their doctor or go to urgent care right away.

Asthma is a long-term condition, but with the help of an asthma team, asthma can be controlled.

When asthma is in control:

• Has few or no symptoms during the day or night
• Can play and go to school or work without limits
• Has fewer attacks or flares
• Has a decreased need for quick-relief medicine
• Has no emergency department or hospital visits for asthma

Asthma is in control when your child does not need quick-relief medicines:

• More than two times a week during the day
• More than two times a month during the night
• To be refilled more than two times a year

Your child may need quick-relief medicine more during an illness or before exercise.