Over 25 million Americans, including seven million children, suffer from asthma. The American Lung Association recommends three simple steps to achieve better asthma control and greater quality of life.
- Establish a relationship with a health care provider – Managing asthma requires working with a qualified health care professional. For some, the first step may be obtaining health care coverage. At minimum, people with asthma should see their health care provider once a year. Those with poorly controlled asthma should work with their health care provider to schedule follow-up visits more frequently.
- Know the Basics of Asthma – Asthma and allergies often go hand-in-hand. It’s important for people with asthma to learn the basics of asthma and the steps for daily self-management. Being able to recognize signs and symptoms, and create asthma friendly environments where people live, work, go to school, and play can reduce the severity of an asthma flare-up and even help to avoid a visit to the emergency room.
- Have an Asthma Action Plan – An Asthma Action Plan is an individualized worksheet that shows people with asthma the steps to take to prevent their asthma from getting worse. It also provides guidance on when to call a health care provider and when to seek immediate emergency care. The American Lung Association has a downloadable Asthma Action Plan (also available in Spanish) to use in partnership with a health care provider.
The risk of struggling with asthma symptoms without proper treatment can result in irreversible lung damage.
“Asthma is a common disease –affecting one in 12 Americans – and is associated with a number of misconceptions,” explained Barbara Kaplan, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., American Lung Association director of asthma education. “Take for example the myth that children will eventually outgrow their disease. We need there to be greater awareness that asthma is a disease that is episodic, meaning that symptoms may improve over time, but it’s a disease that can last a lifetime.”
A passive approach to managing asthma can lead to chronic absenteeism, poor performance at school or work, and an increased likelihood of hospitalization due to an asthma episode.
For more information, visit www.lung.org.