TAKING ON ASTHMA
Asthma is a long-term health problem that affects hundreds of thousands of children in Illinois. Kids with asthma have trouble breathing. They are likely to miss school, go to the emergency room and even end up in the hospital. In serious cases, they can die from an asthma attack. Even those whose asthma isn't severe may miss out on sports and other activities because of their condition.
While childhood asthma can be controlled, it can't be cured. The more you learn about asthma, the better you and your family can manage living with the disease, so that your child can make the most of each day.
Learn more about childhood asthma and our efforts to combat it:
Asthma Stories
When someone in the family has asthma, it affects the whole family. Some days are a win and other days can be tough. Read these stories to learn more about how we are helping kids with asthma in the communities we serve.
For Young Asthma Patients, Relief Arrives on Four Wheels
Opening Doors for Children Living with Asthma
Innovative Way of Treating Asthma Also Proves Effective for Other Illnesses
Share Your Asthma Story
What stories do you have to share about your successes and your challenges? A swim meet victory, or a cancelled picnic? Share your story with us to help other families.
Our Asthma Initiatives
Health Care Service Corporation is taking on childhood asthma in an aggressive way to help patients with asthma better manage their conditions and improve their quality of life.
Under our signature community investment program, the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® initiative, we work with the American Lung Association in Illinois 
to fight childhood asthma. Our "Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma" project delivers training and resources to health care clinics serving large numbers of kids with asthma.
Learn about our Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma project
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Learning About Asthma
Managing childhood asthma takes a team approach. It takes a parent or concerned caregiver, medical professionals, a pharmacist and other important people in a child’s life to help give them the tools needed to manage asthma successfully.
Asthma is a chronic condition that must be controlled, and it can be managed with help and a good support team. The more you know about reducing the risk of attacks, avoiding triggers, and managing medications, the more likely your child will have an active life by day and better sleep at night.
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For Parents
Learning that a child has asthma can be scary for a parent. The good news is that you can take control by making sure your child is getting the right treatment, and that you know what to do if your child's asthma gets worse. Asthma can't be cured, but it can be controlled so that your child can lead a normal, active life.
If you are a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois member and don't have a regular pediatrician, visit our Provider Finder® to find one near you.
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For Schools
Nearly 1 in every 10 school-age children in the U.S. has asthma. Severe asthma is associated with poor performance and missed school days. Schools can help by providing an environment that helps to minimize asthma triggers and by educating staff on how to assist students with childhood asthma.
Back to School with Asthma Toolkit
Almost 7 million school-age children in the U.S. have asthma. Addressing asthma management in school can help ensure the health and safety of children with asthma, and reduce the amount of missed school days due to asthma.
The American Lung Association’s Back to School with Asthma toolkit identifies the top ways schools can create an asthma-friendly school environment.
Open Airways for Schools Program
Elementary school children ages 8 to 11 can learn how to better manage their own asthma when they participate in the American Lung Association's Open Airways for Schools program. The program teaches children with asthma how to detect the warning signs of asthma, avoid their triggers and make decisions about their health.
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For Health Professionals
Asthma affects 1 out of every 10 school-age children in the U.S. every year. With the right care, these children can lead full and active lives.
Effective Care for Children with Asthma
There are four components to effectively caring for patients with childhood asthma.
- Assessment and Monitoring: Assessing the severity of asthma to initiate therapy to assessing level of control for adjusting therapy
- Education: Teaching children and parents how to self-manage symptoms and prevent flare-ups. This encompasses developing a written Asthma Action Plan in partnership with the patient, parent or other caregiver
- Control Environmental Factors and Comorbid Conditions: Recommending measures to control exposures to allergens and pollutants or irritants that make asthma worse, and treat comorbid conditions
- Select Medications and Delivery Devices: Meeting patient’s needs and circumstances
Guiding Principles
Guiding principles for providers are:
- Preventing chronic and troublesome symptoms
- Reducing impairment (Prevent chronic symptoms, achieve infrequent use of short-acting rescue inhalers, maintain [near] normal lung function, and gain normal activity levels)
- Reduce risk (Prevent exacerbations, minimize need for emergency care or hospitalization, prevent reduced lung growth, have minimal or no adverse effects of therapy)
- Step-down therapy: minimum medication necessary to maintain control
Six Clinical Practice Recommendations
The Guidelines Implementation Panel (GIP) Report: Partners Putting Guidelines into Action prioritized six clinical practice recommendations that could reduce both the individual and societal burden of asthma if implemented broadly. You can make a difference now by weaving these six GIP strategies into your own practice.
- Use inhaled corticosteroids to control asthma
- Use written Asthma Action Plans to guide patient self-management
- Assess asthma severity at the first visit to determine initial treatment
- Assess and monitor asthma control at each follow-up visit and adjust treatment if needed
- Schedule follow-up visits at periodic intervals
- Control exposure to allergens and irritants that worsen the patient's asthma
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Asthma in the News
Is It Asthma? Many Diagnosed With Condition Receive Unnecessary or Incorrect Treatment
Children With Asthma May Be at Higher Obesity Risk
Video Exams May Help Expand Kids' Access to Asthma Care
Smog from Oil, Gas to Cause Over 750,000 Asthma Attacks in Children
Acetaminophen Does Not Aggravate Children's Asthma
High Quality Evidence Suggests Vitamin D Can Reduce Asthma Attacks
Barnyard Dust Offers a Clue to Stopping Asthma in Children
Health Tip: Control Asthma
Asthma-Free with No Hay Fever? Thank Your Older Sibling
How One Health Payer Partnership Reduced Hospitalizations
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