Adult Asthma: Managing Your Asthma
While there is not yet a cure for asthma, you can take certain steps that can help you manage your asthma.
Recognize Your Asthma Triggers
Work with your physician to determine what is triggering your asthma attacks. Learn more about
common asthma triggers.
Take Your Medications
Take medication as instructed by your physician. If your symptoms worsen, do not increase or decrease your medication
without discussing your symptoms with your doctor. You may have to contact your physician, allergist or immunologist to form a new
treatment plan.
Monitor Your Asthma
The key to managing your asthma is to take your medications at the first sign of symptoms. Early symptoms
could include coughing, tiredness and chest tightening.
Additionally, many physicians choose to use a peak flow meter in
monitoring asthma patients. A peak flow meter is a small, hand-held device used to measure how quickly air flows from your lungs.
It can detect the narrowing of your airways, sometimes even before you begin to feel symptoms. This could signal the need for you
to take your asthma medication and prevent an episode. Peak flow meters will determine if you fall within the green zone (doing well),
yellow zone (getting worse) or red zone (medical alert). For more information and instructions on how to use your peak flow meter,
please consult your physician.
Create an Asthma Action Plan with Your Physician
Your asthma action plan should include emergency contact information, details on your condition, and instructions on what to do if
you fall within the green zone (doing well), yellow zone (getting worse) or red zone (medical alert) based on your peak flow meter
readings. The American Lung Association provides a sample
asthma action plan.
