Skip to Main Content
Contrast
a a a

Asthma

Being told you or your child have asthma can be scary.  We have an Asthma Management Program for people with asthma.  Please call our Asthma Care Manager at 1-866-433-6041 (TTY: 711) if you or your child have asthma. 

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways and makes it hard to breathe. People with asthma have symptoms that may include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound during breathing)
  • Chest tightness
  • Coughing, especially at night


The goal of the Absolute Total Care Asthma Management Program is to offer a better understanding of the condition. While asthma cannot be cured, it can be controlled.  If you or your child has asthma, our program will help you:

  • Identify things that cause an asthma attack (triggers).
  • Know when an asthma attack is occurring soon enough to prevent serious complications.
  • Get the right medicine and devices to prevent an attack.
  • See the doctor for treatment.


Be sure to call Absolute Total Care if you or your child:

  • Has been in the hospital for asthma during the past year
  • Has been in the emergency room two or more times in the past six months for asthma
  • Has been in the doctor’s office three or more times in the past six months for asthma
  • Takes medication for asthma


Symptoms can vary in severity; they can be mild or moderate and affect activity levels, or they can be severe and life threatening. Asthma triggers and symptoms vary from one person to another. Some children have asthma symptoms only occasionally, while others have symptoms almost all the time. With proper control of asthma, children should have minimal or no asthma symptoms.

People with asthma have airways that are inflamed. Inflamed airways are very sensitive, so they tend to react strongly to things called “triggers.”  Triggers are either allergy-causing substances, such as dust mites, mold, and pollen; or irritants, such as cigarette smoke and fumes from paint and cleaning fluid. When the airways react to a trigger, they become narrower due to swelling and squeezing of the airways by the small muscles around them.

Common Asthma Triggers

Although some triggers cause an asthma episode to vary among individuals, there are several common triggers:

  • Allergens such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and molds
  • Irritants such as cold air, perfume, pesticides, strong odors, weather changes, cigarette smoke, and chalk dust
  • Respiratory infections such as a cold or the flu
  • Physical exercise, especially in cold weather


Asthma can be controlled with a proper medical diagnosis and management. Asthma cannot be cured. With appropriate asthma care, children with asthma should have minimal or no asthma symptoms. When their asthma is managed effectively, they can safely participate in most or all physical and school activities. Treatment methods stress preventing episodes by using medication appropriately and by protecting the airways from exposure to the triggers that cause inflammation.

In addition, your child may say to you:

  • “My chest is tight.”
  • “My chest hurts.”
  •  “I cannot catch my breath.”
  • “My mouth is dry.”
  • “My neck feels funny.”          
  •  “I don’t feel well.”
  • “I feel tired.”


Your child may also use “clipped” speech – very short, choppy sentences

For more information on asthma, click here

For more information and support, please call Project Breathe Easy:

Phone: 1-800-578-8750
Email: pbe@familyconnections.org
Website: http://www.familyconnectionsc.org/project-breathe-easy/