Track Your Asthma Symptoms—It Makes a Difference

Did you know that by taking proactive measures you can actually help prevent an asthma flare up? One method you can use is to simply track your or your child’s asthma symptoms, medications, and other health-related issues. Armed with this information, you and your doctor or child’s pediatrician can find a prevention plan that works for you.

Here’s a simple way to get started. It should take just a few minutes of your day:

1. Make sure you have an asthma plan. Once you create this with your doctor, you should have a good foundation for tracking your symptoms.
2. Next, create a diary or chart that allows you to track and correlate the following:
   • Date
   • Morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) rate
   • Evening PEF rate
   • Triggers (known triggers or new encounters that could be potential triggers)
   • Severity of symptoms, including wheeze, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, change in appetite (increase or decrease), decreased physical activity, dark circles under eyes, and anything else related or out of the ordinary
   • Use of any medication (including inhaler) and response to medication
3. Follow your asthma action plan if you notice symptoms are not improving. It will indicate when to call your doctor or seek emergency care.
4. Review your diary once a week. Look for patterns. Those patterns will help you and your doctor better manage your (or your child’s) asthma.

And remember to get tested.