Asthma Care/Management
Summary
Taking control of your asthma gives you more freedom to do the things you want.
The two main types of asthma medication are relievers that are taken just when needed and preventers that are taken regularly.
There are different inhaler devices depending on your needs and what your doctor recommends.
There’s no extra benefit in taking preventer medication that is stronger than you need, but if you have been prescribed a preventer, you need to take it every day.
If you need to take your reliever more than two times per week, see your doctor.
If you have asthma, you need a personalised asthma action plan.
Asthma action plan
An asthma action plan is an individual plan created by you and your doctor to help you manage your asthma. The plan advises you about what you must do to stay healthy, and what to do when your asthma is unstable and you need help.
There is no ‘standard’ asthma action plan, as everyone’s asthma is different. Your plan needs to be developed to deal with your own triggers, signs and symptoms, and medication. It might be based on symptoms, peak-flow readings or both. However, symptom-based plans are usually used for children.
Contents of an asthma action plan
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An asthma action plan includes:
how to care for your day-to-day asthma (it lists your regular medications and how many times each day you should take them)
key things that tell you when your asthma is getting worse or a flare-up is developing, and the steps you should take to manage it
symptoms that are serious enough to need urgent medical help (with emergency information on what to do if you have an asthma flare-up).
Review your asthma action plan with your doctor every six months, or after a severe asthma flare-up.
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Asthma action plans for children
If you are a parent of a child with asthma, it is important for you to obtain a clear, easy-to-understand written summary of your child’s asthma management in an asthma action plan. This will provide a source of reference to reinforce the advice given by your doctor.
This plan is also an important tool for anyone caring for your child. It provides up-to-date, detailed information (including your child’s emergency first aid plan) to help manage your child’s asthma. Give a copy of the plan to your child’s school, kindergarten, childcare centre and anyone else caring for your child.
When your child is old enough to understand, make sure that you explain asthma to them and encourage them to be aware of their symptoms and how to treat them.