MDwise

National Guidelines* that you and your doctor should follow when treating asthma:

• Every person with asthma should see their doctor every 1–6 months to have their asthma evaluated.  At each visit the doctor is assessing the asthma and adjusting the medications. The doctor should be asking how often asthma symptoms are occurring. The medication dosages are adjusted to keep the symptoms and level of irritation inside the lungs at a minimum. Even if asthma is under control, persons with asthma should still be seeing their doctor every 6 months to have their therapies evaluated.

• Every person with asthma should receive their influenza shot every year. This is because a person with asthma has weak lungs and cannot fight off influenza as well. They often can develop fluid in the lung, called pneumonia, and die.

• Every person with asthma should have their lungs measured by a machine called a spirometer. This should be done at diagnosis, and at least every 1–2 years thereafter.

• Every person with asthma should have a written asthma action plan. The best medications to treat asthma are those that treat the swelling and irritation inside the airway.  According to The National Guidelines, the preferred medications for all severities of asthma are inhaled corticosteroids. These include: PULMICORT, QVAR, FLOVENT, ALVESCO, ASMANEX, AEROBID