Asthma is a lung disease that makes breathing difficult for millions of Americans. In fact, 26 million people have asthma and 71% of them are adults. People with asthma experience shortness of breath, tightness in their chest, wheezing and/or coughing. Asthma can be a life-threatening disease, but is manageable by working with a doctor. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should schedule an appointment with their doctor. If you’ve already been diagnosed, you can follow these six steps to help keep your asthma under control.

 

  1. Make your medical visits more productive by getting educated and being able to ask your doctor the right questions about asthma.
  2. Create an asthma management plan with the help of your doctor.
  3. Assess and monitor your symptoms, including keeping records.
  4. Understand your medication.
  5. Identify and reduce your asthma trigger exposure.
  6. Learn asthma self-management skills.

 

For more resources on asthma, go to http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/ or https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/.