01Growing up
Asthma and allergy care
Spirometry in clinic, written asthma action plans that school nurses accept, epinephrine training for the whole family, and food allergy management.
- Ages1 to 21 years
- Visit length40 minutes for the first plan visit
- ClinicsAll three
- Book byOnline request or phone
02
What this actually involves
Central Iowa is hard on small airways. Ragweed runs August into October, the corn dust and grain handling season overlaps it, and every winter brings a viral wave that turns mild asthma into a week of nights nobody sleeps. Most of that is preventable with a controller medication taken correctly and a written plan everyone follows.
We do spirometry in clinic from around age 5 or 6, because how a child looks in the room is a poor guide to how their lungs are working. We teach inhaler technique with a spacer every single visit, since studies consistently show most children use their inhalers wrong.
If this is a medical emergency, or your child is struggling to breathe, unresponsive, having a seizure, or badly injured, call 911 now. Call 911.
03
What is included
Six things we do every time, not a list of aspirations.
Spirometry
Pre and post bronchodilator testing in clinic, with the results explained to you and the child in plain language.
Written asthma action plan
Green, yellow and red zones with actual doses and actual triggers, in the format Des Moines Public Schools nurses accept, signed and faxed on the day.
Inhaler technique
Spacer technique checked at every visit. We keep demo devices in the room and we watch your child do it, not just describe it.
Allergy testing
Skin prick testing for common central Iowa aeroallergens and specific IgE when the history points at food, with clear guidance on why we do not do broad untargeted panels.
Epinephrine training
Trainer devices for parents, siblings, grandparents and the child, plus school authorization and a self-carry plan for older children.
Environmental review
A practical trigger review for Iowa homes: dust mite covers, pets in bedrooms, secondhand smoke and vaping, mold after basement flooding, and HVAC filter grade.
General information, not medical advice. It is not tailored to your child and it does not replace a visit.
04
How it runs
- 01Assessment visit
Full history, symptom frequency scoring, spirometry if old enough, and a decision about whether this is asthma or something that looks like it.
- 02Plan built
Controller and rescue medication chosen, technique taught, and the written plan produced in the room.
- 03School copy
We fax the action plan and medication authorization to the school nurse once you sign the release.
- 04Review
Six to twelve weekly reviews at first, then at least twice a year, always before ragweed season and before school starts.
05
Why families choose us for this
- Spirometry on site, no referral for basic lung function
- Action plans written in the format Iowa school nurses use
- Epinephrine training for the whole family, not a leaflet
- Pre-season review appointments in July and August
06
Questions parents ask about this
Not answered here? Call the front desk or send a portal message. Neither is a silly question.
All FAQsIt might be viral-induced wheeze rather than persistent asthma, which is a real and different thing in preschoolers. The distinction changes whether a daily controller helps, so it is worth a proper assessment rather than repeated rescue inhalers.
Without a spacer, most of the dose lands on the back of the throat instead of in the lungs. A spacer with a mask under about age 4, and a mouthpiece after, roughly doubles what actually gets delivered.
Not usually for seasonal allergy or straightforward asthma. We refer for severe or poorly controlled asthma, multiple food allergies, suspected eosinophilic esophagitis, or when immunotherapy is on the table.
Two at home, two at school, and two wherever your child spends regular time. They come in twin packs for a reason. Check the expiry every August when you do the school forms.
07
Related services
Same-day sick visits
Phones open at 7:30am and we hold sick slots at all three clinics every day, including Saturday mornings at Ingersoll.
School and sports physicals
Iowa school entry certificates, IHSAA and IGHSAU sports forms, camp paperwork and medication authorizations, all handled at one visit.
Well-child visits
The full Bright Futures periodicity schedule from the first week to age 21, with the screening, plotting and anticipatory guidance each age actually needs.
Bring your child to people who have the time
Request an appointment online and we call you back within one business day. Newborn requests are called back the same morning.