Adult Asthma: Judging the Severity of Your Asthma
If you have asthma, it is important to work with your doctor to determine the severity of your asthma, as medications and treatment
options may vary.
The following guidelines were developed by the
National Asthma Education
and Prevention Program of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute:
| Asthma Severity |
Symptom Severity |
Nighttime Symptoms |
| Severe Persistent |
- Continual Symptoms
- Limited Physical Activity
- Frequent exacerbations interfere with normal activities
|
Frequent |
| Moderate Persistent |
- Daily Symptoms
- Exacerbations two or more times per week that may last for days and may interfere with activities
|
More than once a week |
| Mild Persistent |
- Symptoms occur more than two times a week, but less than once a day
- Exacerbations may affect activities
|
More than two times per month |
| Mild Intermittent |
- Symptoms occur two or fewer times per week
- Exacerbations are brief (a few hours to a few days) and the intensity varies
|
Two or fewer times per month |
