Asthma: how your doctor can help
If you think you may have asthma, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to live with your symptoms. Your doctor can diagnose your condition and recommend an effective asthma action plan, including asthma medicines. This can help you to stop feeling breathless and wheezy, and allow you to exercise, enjoy life and avoid those last-minute hospital emergency room visits. So if you have problems doing the things you want to do because of your asthma, tell your doctor.
Diagnosis
If you have asthma, it’s important that you are diagnosed quickly and that a personal, written asthma action plan is worked out. This involves working closely with your doctor who may need to take some time to find out what triggers your asthma symptoms and which medicines work best for you.
Your doctor might suspect that you have asthma if you experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing or wheezing (which you may experience as a whistling sound in the chest), particularly at night, early in the morning, or when you exercise.
To confirm a diagnosis of asthma, your doctor may ask questions about your symptoms and may conduct some lung function tests, such as peak flow tests and spirometry.
Peak flow tests use a peak flow meter to measure the speed of air flow out of the lungs. A spirometer can also measure how much air is blown out with each breath, and how much air you can blow out in one second.
Treatment
Your doctor will be able to help you to recognise what triggers your asthma symptoms and offer advice about avoiding your asthma triggers.
Your doctor may recommend treatments you can take to help relieve and control your asthma symptoms. Your doctor may also put together a treatment plan as part of your asthma action plan. This will remind you when to take each of your asthma medicines and how much to take. Make sure you discuss this plan, understand it and can follow the treatment discussed.
If you find that your medicine isn’t helping, or that it isn’t completely relieving your symptoms, tell your doctor. You should also make sure that you are taking your medicines correctly — for example, your doctor could check that you are using your inhaler (puffer) properly. This helps you make the most of your medicines.
Stay in touch with your doctor so your symptoms, treatments and inhaler technique can be monitored regularly.
Management
Your doctor can work with you to ensure your asthma remains as well controlled as possible. For example, your doctor can conduct regular assessments of your asthma and monitor how well your treatment is working by conducting simple lung function tests.
Your doctor can work with you to devise an asthma action plan that outlines your treatments, when you should take them and how much you should take. The plan will also help you to recognise and manage worsening asthma, and offer guidance as to what to take when your asthma gets worse and when to seek medical help.
Seeing your doctor regularly will help you maintain the best possible control of your asthma.
What does my doctor need to know?
Discuss with your doctor:
- any medicines (traditional and complementary) you take for asthma and for other problems, to be sure they will not cause harmful side effects or have interactions with each other; and
- any symptoms you have, even if you don’t think they are related to asthma. Being open about your medicines and symptoms can help to prevent problems.
Your doctor also needs to know that you are keeping your end of the bargain: that you are not only asking questions, but also acting on the answers. Here are some questions you could ask your doctor.
- What triggers my asthma and how can I avoid these triggers?
- What are the names of my medicines and what are their dosages and side effects?
- Do I need a device to help me take my medicines (such as a spacer)? If so, make sure your doctor shows you the correct way to use it.
- Do I need to use a peak flow meter? Again, make sure your doctor shows you how to use it correctly.
- Can I have a written asthma action plan? Make sure you talk this through with your doctor so that you understand it.
No matter how old or young you are, asthma should not stop you enjoying life. When you work with your doctor, your asthma can be controlled so that you can do the things you enjoy.
Last Reviewed: 17 September 2007
