Goals of Therapy

The main goal of your asthma therapy is to keep your asthma symptoms under control. What does "under control" mean? Your therapy is meeting success if:

• You don't have chronic or annoying symptoms like coughing or breathlessness in the night, the early morning, or after exercise
• You have normal lung function
• You do not have acute attacks that send you to the Emergency Room or hospital
• You have normal activity and are able to exercise
• You have the right medication plan with minimal or no side effects
• Your goals and those of your family should be met, and you are satisfied with your care.

Remember -- asthma is a chronic condition with acute episodes. Important principles of therapy include prevention of symptoms and early intervention. Periodic assessment is necessary to ensure your asthma plan meets your current needs. Work closely with your doctor to set and achieve your asthma therapy goals.

Steps to Take

According to the National Institutes of Health, there are four steps to keeping your asthma under control:

1. Measures of Assessment and Monitoring means diagnosing your asthma and judging the severity of it on a day-to-day basis with peak flow and symptom identification. Find out about how your asthma is classified and how you can monitor your symptoms.
2. Drug Therapy means using the right medicine for treatment at the right time. Learn about different medications for different types of asthma severity.
3. Control of Asthma Triggers means knowing what your asthma triggers are and controlling or avoiding them. See how to control the things that could trigger an asthma attack.
4. Patient Education means working in partnership with your doctor to control your asthma. Discover how asthma education can help you live with your asthma "under control".