ASTHMA CONTROL
TOOLS FOR ASTHMA CONTROL
Peak flow meter
A peak flow meter looks like a small plastic tube which you breathe into as hard and fast as you can. On the side, a marker measures your peak flow rate, which is a measure of how fast you breathe air out of your lungs using maximum effort, and this is used to check if your Asthma is under control. 3,5
How to use a peak flow meter:
Take a deep breath in.
Place the mouthpiece between your teeth and seal it with your lips, but do not bite. Take care not to cover or block the pointer with your finger.
Blow as hard and fast as
you can (a short, sharp breath).
Do this three times and record the highest reading on your daily Asthma/Peak Flow Diary.
Types of Asthma
Asthma can affect people of all ages, and it can affect each person differently.
Asthma Action Plan
The more informed you are about your condition, the better control you will have over your Asthma symptoms. Please discuss a written Asthma Action Plan with your doctor, as this usually includes important information such as: 3,7
- Ways to avoid Asthma triggers
- Medications to keep your Asthma under control, as well as medications to use for quick relief of flare-ups/attacks
- The signs to look for to ensure that you are doing well and when you need to seek help
- The important persons to contact, and their contact details
A written Asthma Action Plan is also very important for children suffering from Asthma and needs to be shared with caregivers/schools. 3
Asthma Diary
When your Asthma is well-controlled, you experience very few symptoms throughout the day and night, and perform activities without shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing or wheezing. Therefore, it’s recommended that you monitor your symptoms daily. 1 This could help you to see patterns of symptoms, or symptoms which may be slowly getting worse.
Keeping a basic daily Asthma Diary of your symptoms, daily activities and your peak flow score will help you to have a good view of how to complete the Asthma Control Test. You can do so as a written diary you keep next to your bed and complete before sleep. There are also some easy-to-use Apps available for your smartphone to help you with keeping track of your symptoms.
Asthma Control Test
The Asthma Control Test is a very helpful tool to confirm if your Asthma is well-controlled or not and helps you reach goals for Asthma care. There are 2 Asthma Control Tests – one for adults and one for children (aged 4 to 11 years). The questions need to be completed (as appropriate for the patient’s age) once a month and the scores are added up so that you can discuss your progress with your doctor. 16,17
The adult test has 5 main questions: Assessing the time lost from work/school during the last 4 weeks, how often you had shortness of breath, how often your symptoms woke you up at night, how often you use your reliever medication, and how well you would rate your Asthma control over the last month. Each question has 5 possible answers assigned with a score out of 5. A final score can vary from 5 (very poor control of Asthma) to 25 (complete control of Asthma). 16
For children, 7 questions have been compiled, each with a score out of 4. A possible total score of 0 to 27 has been assigned. 17
It is important to use an Asthma Control Test as part of your Asthma management, and always remember to take your test with you when you visit your doctor.
Find out more
Controlled vs uncontrolled Asthma
Being in control of your condition can make you feel calmer and more at ease.
Reliever Reliance
Are you at risk of over-reliance on your blue reliever inhaler? Complete the Reliever Over-Reliance Test to find out.
