Asthma - Living With - Living With

After being diagnosed with asthma, work with your doctor to learn how to manage it yourself. Because asthma symptoms may be different at different times, it is important to know which medicines to use to prevent and relieve symptoms. You can work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan, called an asthma action plan. Follow-up care will help to make sure your or your child’s asthma is well-controlled. Staying healthy also includes avoiding asthma triggers and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Watch NHLBI’s video Living with and Managing Asthma for more information.

Follow your asthma action plan

Work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan that works for you. An asthma action plan is a written treatment plan document that describes the following.

  • How to identify allergens or irritants to avoid
  • How to recognize and handle asthma attacks
  • Which medicines to take and when to take them
  • When to call your doctor or go to the emergency room
  • Who to contact in an emergency

If your child has asthma, then your child’s caretakers and school staff should know about the asthma action plan. For a sample plan, see the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Asthma Action Plan.

Your doctor will make sure you are using your inhaler correctly. There are different types of inhalers. Review the way you use your inhaler at every medical visit. Sometimes asthma may get worse because of incorrect inhaler use.

Watch our video on Asthma Action Plans to learn more. Then, download a sample Asthma Action Plan.

Know your asthma triggers

Asthma triggers are things that set off or worsen asthma symptoms. If you know that your asthma symptoms occur when you are exposed to specific triggers, it may be worthwhile to reduce your exposure to those triggers, using multiple different methods to reduce the exposure.

Allergens are a common trigger for asthma.

  • If you are sensitive to dust, consider using a mattress and pillowcases that keep out dust mites along with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration vacuum cleaners.
  • If you are sensitive to mice or cockroaches, consider using multiple ways of removing them or preventing them from entering the home in the first place.

Other asthma triggers include:

  • Emotional stress. Emotional stress, such as intense anger, crying, or laughing, can cause hyperventilation and airway narrowing, triggering an asthma attack.
  • Infections, such as influenza (flu). Get the flu vaccine each year to help prevent the flu, which can raise the risk of an asthma attack.
  • Medicines. Some people who have severe asthma may be sensitive to medicines, such as aspirin, and may experience serious respiratory problems. Tell your doctor about all medicines you or your child currently takes.
  • Poor air quality or very cold air. Pollution or certain kinds of weather, such as thunderstorms, can affect air quality. Pollution can include indoor pollution caused by gases from inefficient cooking or heating devices that are not vented. Outdoor air pollution may be hard to avoid, but you can keep windows closed and avoid strenuous outdoor activity when air quality is low. For guidance, check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Air Quality Forecast Guidance.
  • Tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke.
  • Certain foods or food additives (chemicals). This is less common.

Read more about reducing allergens in your home.

Receive routine medical care

Regular checkups are important to help your doctor determine how well you are controlling your asthma and adjust treatment if needed. Your doctor will also do regular tests to see how well your lungs are working and how well air is flowing.

Your medicines or dosages may change over time, based on changes in your condition or in your life, such as:

  • Age. Older adults may need different treatments because of other conditions they may have and medicines they may take. Beta-blockers, pain relievers, and anti-inflammatory medicines can affect asthma.
  • Pregnancy. Your asthma symptoms may change during pregnancy. You are also at higher risk of asthma attacks. Your doctor will continue to treat you with long-term medicines such as inhaled corticosteroids. Controlling your asthma is important for preventing complications such as preeclampsia, pre-term delivery, and low birth weight of the baby.
  • Surgery. Asthma may increase your risk of complications during and after surgery. For instance, having a tube put into your throat may cause an asthma attack. Talk to your doctor and surgeon about how to prepare for surgery.

Return to Treatment to review possible treatment options for your asthma.

Manage your asthma at home

Ask your doctor about asthma training or support groups to help you keep asthma under control. Education can help you understand the purpose of your medicines, how to prevent symptoms, how to recognize asthma attacks early, and when to seek medical attention.

As part of your asthma action plan, your doctor may show you how to monitor your asthma using a peak flow meter. You can compare your numbers over time to make sure your asthma is controlled. A low number can help warn you of an asthma attack, even before you notice symptoms.

Keeping a diary may help if you find it hard to follow your asthma action plan or the plan is not working well. If you have any of the following experiences, record them in the diary and make an appointment to see your doctor. Bring the diary with you to your appointment.

  • You are limiting normal activities and missing school or work.
  • You use your quick-relief inhaler more than two days a week.
  • Your asthma medicines do not seem to work well anymore.
  • Your peak flow number is low or varies a lot from day to day.
  • Your symptoms occur more often, are more severe, or cause you to lose sleep.

If your young child’s asthma is not well-controlled, you may notice that he or she is coughing more at night and eating less. Your child also may seem more tired (called fatigue), irritable, or moody.

Make healthy lifestyle changes

Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following heart-healthy lifestyle changes to help keep asthma symptoms in check.

  • Aim for a healthy weight. Obesity can make asthma harder to manage. Talk to your doctor about programs that can help. Even a 5% to 10% weight loss can help symptoms.
  • Choose heart-healthy foods. Eating more fruits and vegetables and getting enough vitamin D can provide important health benefits.
  • Get regular physical activity. Even though exercise is an asthma trigger for some people, you should not avoid it. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Talk with your doctor about what level of physical activity is right for you. Ask about medicines that can help you stay active.
  • Manage stressLearn breathing and relaxation techniques, which can help symptoms. Meet with a mental health professional if you have anxiety, depression, or panic attacks.
  • Quit smoking or avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking tobacco and inhaling smoke from secondhand smoke make asthma harder to treat. Vaping e-cigarettes and getting exposed to secondhand vapor may also be linked to asthma symptoms. Research suggests that nicotine and flavorings found in vaping e-cigarettes can damage your lungs. Visit Smoking and Your Heart or call the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848).
  • Try to get good quality sleep. Getting quality sleep can sometimes be difficult with asthma. Develop healthy sleep habits by going to sleep and getting up at regular times, following a calming bedtime routine, and keeping you bedroom cool and dark. 

Prevent complications from asthma

Your doctor may recommend that you keep your medicine dose as low as possible to prevent long-term side effects. High doses of certain asthma medicines over time can increase your risk of cataracts and osteoporosis. A cataract is the clouding of lens in your eye. Osteoporosis is a disorder that makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Read more in What People With Asthma Need To Know About Osteoporosis.

Keep your asthma under control and contact your doctor if anything changes. When asthma is unmanaged, it can lead to potentially life-threatening asthma attacks. If you are pregnant, it can put the health of your unborn baby at risk.

Have a plan for asthma attacks

A written asthma action plan developed with your doctor can help you know when to call 9-1-1 for emergency care.

Asthma attacks can be more dangerous for some people. You should seek care immediately during an asthma attack if you or your child:

  • Has been hospitalized for asthma in the past year
  • Has had life-threatening asthma attacks in the past
  • Recently needed oral corticosteroids
  • Has not been using inhaled corticosteroids
  • Uses more than one canister of inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs) medicine each month
  • Has a mental health condition or alcohol or drug use disorder
  • Does not closely follow your asthma action plan
  • Has a food allergy

For young children with asthma, call 9-1-1 if they:

  • Seem drowsy, confused, or agitated
  • Have a blue tint to the skin and lips
  • Have a fast heartbeat

Call your doctor if:

  • Your medicines do not relieve an asthma attack
  • Your peak flow number is low