The following describes asthma and methods for treating asthma in children. For specific information regarding your child’s health and treatment options, please contact your child's Hurley physician or a medical professional.

The best children's asthma care in the region 

A leader in the state of Michigan for asthma care, Hurley Medical Center has the best physicians, nurses and staff to support you and your child in the diagnosis, care and treatment of asthma. Hurley also has the only home-based Asthma Disease Management Program in the mid-Michigan region to help you and your child learn how to control your child's asthma. To contact Hurley Asthma Disease Managers, call (810) 262-9591 or (810) 262-6125.

We’ve created a website just for kids with asthma. Click here to:

• learn how to control your asthma
• recognize asthma attack warning signs
• learn how to use your inhaler the right way
• learn how to get rid of asthma triggers
• learn about Hurley Asthma Camp
• find games, books, puzzles, and ideas for school projects
• watch 2 videos starring real kids

Watch our asthma videos

1. To watch a video showing you how to get rid of asthma triggers in your house, click here.
2. To watch a video about kids learning how to use their inhalers correctly, click here.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a serious disease of the lungs that is caused by swelling (inflammation) in the airways. Certain triggers like smoke, mold, or dust can cause an asthma flare up. There is no cure for asthma but it can be controlled with proper care. At Hurley, we want to help you and your child learn how to prevent, treat, and control your child’s asthma. This will mean fewer hospital visits and fewer missed school days.

Asthma facts

• Anyone can get asthma, at any age
• Asthma is the #1 reason children go to the hospital
• Asthma accounts for 13 million absences from school each year 
• Over 230, 000 children in Michigan have asthma

What are the symptoms of asthma?

• coughing, sneezing 
• wheezing (whistling sound)
• shortness of breath when   exercising
• chest pain or tightness 
• feeling tired
• nighttime cough
• noisy breathing
• stomach ache
• poor appetite

What things can trigger an asthma attack?

Common asthma triggers include:

• mold
• pollen
• dust
• smoking and secondhand smoke
• dogs, cats, birds
• dust mites
• cockroaches
• cold, dry air
• some kinds of strenuous exercise
• colds and viruses
• strong odors or fumes: paint, perfume, cleaning supplies

How is asthma diagnosed?

Doctors rely on your child’s medical history, a physical examination, and laboratory tests to diagnose asthma.
Tests may include:

• spirometer: measures lung function
• peak flow monitoring (PFM): measures the amount of air you can blow out of your lungs
• chest x-rays
• blood tests
• allergy test

How does smoking affect asthma?

If you have a child with asthma, smoking is not only very bad for you, it will make your child’s asthma worse. Breathing in second-hand smoke irritates your child’s airways and makes asthma attacks happen more often. Smoking also lines a person's lungs with tar, which damages them for the rest of that person's life. At Hurley Medical Center, we can help you stop smoking. For more information about our smoking cessation classes, contact the Hurley Respiratory Therapy Department at (810) 262-9218 or click here.

How is asthma treated?

There are two kinds of medicines that treat asthma:

• Quick-relief or ‘rescue’ medications that give temporary relief of asthma symptoms
• Long-term controller medications that need to be taken all the time

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

To learn about all the asthma programs Hurley offers, click here.

For a list of helpful asthma websites and resources, click here.

To learn about the many awards won by Hurley's asthma programs, click here.

For more information about pediatric asthma classes or to make an appointment at the Hurley Asthma Clinic, click here or call the Hurley Asthma Clinic at (810) 262-2130.

To learn more about Hurley Pediatric Asthma Support Groups (various topics/locations), call (810) 262-9120. (Genesee County Asthma Network)

To contact Hurley Asthma Disease Managers, call (810) 262-9591 or (810) 262-6125.