Asthma control check

Check your asthma control

With good management, people with asthma can lead normal, active lives.

For good asthma management, it is important that you:

• understand what triggers your asthma (this can be different for everyone)
• try to avoid or reduce your exposure to these triggers
• see your doctor for regular check-ups and work together to manage your asthma
• follow your personal written asthma action plan, developed with your doctor
• use your medications as instructed by your doctor, even when you feel well
• make sure you are using your inhaler (puffer) correctly.

People with asthma sometimes also have other linked chronic respiratory conditions, such as allergies or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you have allergies or COPD as well as asthma, it is important to treat the symptoms of both conditions, as treating one can help you manage the other.

Is your asthma under control?

Asthma control tests are a set of health questions used to help measure asthma control in children and adults.

Good asthma control means having all of the following:

• No night-time asthma symptoms.
• No asthma symptoms on waking.
• No need for reliever medication.
• No restriction of day-to-day activities.
• No days off school or work due to asthma.
• No asthma attacks or flare-ups.

Don't let yourself get used to poor asthma control.

Regularly waking from asthma symptoms or using your reliever medication more than 2–3 times a week (except before exercise) should not be a ‘normal’ part of having asthma.

If this sounds familiar, see your doctor for an asthma review.