Asthma
is a chronic disease. Although there is no cure for asthma,
it can be controlled with proper, long-term treatment. |
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>People with asthma have: |
- Airways that react to irritants called triggers —things
like smoke or dust
- Airways that sometimes become blocked, causing wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathingAirways
that become inflamed and swollen
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| Each of these can be prevented or treated by: |
- Staying away from your triggers or controlling them
- Taking medicines that open your airways
- Getting treatment for the inflammation
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Three
Actions to Help You Gain Control of Your Asthma
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Learn what starts or prompts your
asthma symptoms.
 Then avoid or control asthma
triggers.
Respond quickly to warning signs of an asthma episode.
Make two
treatment action plans with
your doctor : one
for daily treatment and one for emergencies.
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|
 What
You Need to Do - Your Action Plan
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Your health
care team works with you to make an action
plan.
Your plan tells what to do to prevent a flare-up and what to
do if a flare-up occurs.
With
your plan in place, you will: |
- Know
how to spot the early warning
signs of
a flare-up.
- Understand
the appropriate medications and
their uses.
- Know
what makes the asthma worse, and learn to help control asthma
triggers.
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With
a Child, You Also Need to: |
- Teach
him or her to speak
up when
he or she needs to avoid a trigger.
- Teach
your child how to get
help when
a flare-up occurs.
- Let
daycare providers, teachers, the school nurse, and babysitters know
what to do if
a flare-up occurs.
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