Managing your asthma

Asthma Medicines

  • Click here to find out more about your asthma medicine.

Printable booklet

 

  • Click here to print the booklet Controlling Your Asthma and learn ways to manage your asthma and live the kind of life you want.

Important tools to help you feel good 

Most people with asthma can lead a healthy active lifestyle when they manage their condition well.

A number of simple tips will help you manage your asthma well, and there are many people and organisations that are willing and able to support and advise you. Here are seven steps that you can follow to better manage your asthma. See your GP if your asthma is interfering with your daily activities or worrying you in any other way.

1. Understand how asthma affects you

Know your asthma symptoms well and understand what is happening in your body when they appear. Act immediately to stop your asthma getting worse. Find out more...

Asthma is easier to handle when you can reduce your exposure to the things that trigger it. Click here to find out more about triggers.

2. Take your medication as prescribed

It is important that you understand how your medicines work, and then take them as prescribed. Find out more...

3. Follow a Self Management Plan

A Self Management Plan can help you work out how well you are, and what to do if your asthma gets worse, or as it gets better. Research shows that people who follow Self Management Plans have better control over their asthma. Find out more...

4. Use a Peak Flow Meter

You can learn the patterns of your asthma by using a peak flow meter. A peak flow meter tells you how fast you can blow air out. When your airways are fully open you will get a high reading. When your airways start to get narrow with asthma the reading becomes lower. You can use these readings along with your symptoms to decide when to change your treatment by following your Self Management Plan.

5. Keep active

Being physically active is an important part of being healthy for everyone. It is especially important for people with asthma, although some people are frightened it might bring on an asthma attack. However, by following some simple tips, most people can exercise free of asthma symptoms. Find out more...

6. Be smokefree

Avoiding cigarette smoke is an important way to help keep your asthma under control, as well as the people around you. Find out more...

7. Visit your asthma team regularly

A number of people are willing and able to help you look after yourself and avoid asthma. It is important to build a partnership with your doctor, practice nurse, asthma educator and pharmacist. Following their advice should help you reduce the number of symptoms you face.