Project A.I.R. Asthma
A sthma
I mprovement
R esources
For children and teens with Asthma
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes cough, wheeze (whistling sound during breathing out), shortness of breath, and/or chest pain. The airways become swollen, tight, and filled with mucus.
These problems can keep a child from playing outside, from joining in sports or gym class, or from attending school. Asthma can also upset sleep and even make climbing a flight of stairs difficult.
Childhood asthma hurts the entire family. It causes lost time from work, lost sleep, financial losses, and grief over the child's chronic sickness and asthma attacks.
Asthma usually runs in the family. It often occurs with other allergy diseases, such as hay fever or eczema (an itchy skin rash).
Asthma is the most common reason that children are hospitalized.
Death rates due to asthma are increasing.
How Can We Help Children with Asthma?
Despite these grim facts, pediatricians can now manage most cases of asthma so that your child can live a normal and active life. Successful treatment of chronic asthma is due in large part to the daily use of preventive medications, which reduce the ongoing airway swelling and tightness. These are called "controller" medications, and come in the form of inhalers (puffers or pumps) and pills. They have been shown to work very well and safely in children.
Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center now offers a complete treatment and education program for children with asthma and their families.
The goals are to improve asthma care services, increase patient self-control of the disease, and enhance the quality of life of our patients with asthma and their caregivers.
Project A.I.R. includes:
-
In-depth diagnosis of disease severity.
- "Controller" medication for all children with persistent asthma.
- "Asthma Action Plans" for home and school.
- Education on using asthma tools and home management at asthma visits.
- Follow-up visits to check on improvement or problems.
- Follow-up phone calls by a health worker or nurse.
- Asthma education groups for children, adolescents and their caregivers.
- Referral to specialists when needed.
- Help with reducing triggers in the home environment.
- Visiting nurses for home care.
- Connection with local resources, such as the American Lung Association for summer asthma camp.
Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center
Pediatric Satellite Clinics
| CS-HHC Ansonia | (203) 503-3570 |
| Dixwell Health Center | (203) 503-3420 |
| West Haven Health Center | (203) 503-3400 |
| Davis Street School-Based Health Center | (203) 946-7537 |
| Jackie Robinson School-Based Health Center | (203) 946-5811 |
| Roberto Clemente School-Based Health Center | (203) 946-8961 |
| Truman School-Based Health Center | (203) 946-6650 |
| Hill Central Music Academy | (203) 785-0878 |
Medicines alone, however, cannot successfully manage asthma. Good control comes from self-help.
The patient (and family) needs to:
- understand and watch for symptoms.
- know which medications to take and when to take them.
- know how to avoid asthma triggers (such as smoke, dust, or pets).
This kind of self-help makes the child and family the asthma experts, and comes from a good partnership between the patient and the health care provider.
Project A.I.R. is open to all children with asthma at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. Most benefits of this program are covered by health insurance or are free of cost to patients.
For more information, contact:
Meredith Williams, MD
Pediatrician
Chief of Pediatrics
(203) 503-3177
Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center
Department of Pediatrics
428 Columbus Avenue
New Haven, CT 06519
(203) 503-3030