How well is your asthma controlled: a few self-check clues
Daytime symptoms, night waking and how often you use medicine are practical clues for judging your level of control.
A few things you can watch for yourself
- Whether you have coughing, chest tightness or wheezing during the day, and roughly how many times a week
- Whether you wake at night because of symptoms, and how many times a week
- Whether you are using reliever medicine more often
- Whether daily activities, climbing stairs and exercise are limited
- Whether symptoms make you miss school, work or going out
How to use these clues
Record how you have been over the past month, week by week, and give this to your doctor at your follow-up visit. It helps them judge your level of control and whether your plan needs adjusting. If you are using reliever medicine more and more often, waking often at night, or your activity is clearly limited, your control is not good and you should see your doctor again as soon as possible.
Do not look only at whether you have attacks
Having no acute attacks does not mean your control is good. Mild symptoms that last a long time also affect lung function and daily life. Going to follow-up visits as planned and using your controller medicine regularly are the key to staying stable. If you have trouble speaking or your lips turn blue or purple, call 120 (the emergency number in China) right away.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If your symptoms affect daily life, please see a doctor.