Living well with asthma is within reach, especially when you have your doctor available to help. And your doctor can best help you if you’re fully prepared at every visit.

Before Your Appointment
Before you leave the house, take some time to prepare for your visit. Here are some tips.

• Gather peak-flow readings and your asthma diary. Be sure to take your peak-flow meter and written records of your readings to the appointment. If you’ve been keeping an asthma diary—which tracks your symptoms, medication usage, and peak-flow readings—bring that as well.
• Write out questions. Common questions you might want to ask your doctor include the following:
  • How often should I use my peak-flow meter, and what is my target range?
  • What medicines should I take, how much, and how often?
  • What should I do if I am having difficulty breathing?

During Your Visit
In addition to discussing your concerns, your doctor may check your sinuses and lungs. Your doctor also may perform a spirometry test that measures how much air you can exhale and how fast. This routine test helps your doctor monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan.

Preventive Care
Prevention is part of effective asthma management, and that means working closely with your doctor to:

• Use asthma medicines properly
• Identify and avoid situations that make your asthma worse—this gives you better control over symptoms and may reduce the amount of asthma medicine you need to take
• Monitor your asthma so that you know when symptoms are worsening and act to prevent or stop an asthma attack
• Develop an emergency action plan