Lesson 4: Daily Care for Your Asthma

Sneak attack! How can I tell if an asthma attack is coming on?

If you can spot the early warning signs of an asthma attack, you have a better chance of preventing or controlling it. Common signs are: drop in peak flow, chronic cough, rapid breathing, more shortness of breath than usual, tight chest, itchy, watery eyes, sore throat, sneezing, head congestion, runny nose, and headache.

Assignment #4
Two minds are better than one. Tell someone who sees you regularly what the early warning signs of an asthma attack are. When you are finished reading below, tell that person about emergency symptoms and care. It helps if you have another knowledgeable person there to help you determine how severe your symptoms are!

Unfortunately, it is common for people to misinterpret or ignore their asthma symptoms which sets them up for an emergency situation requires a hospital or emergency room visit. Emergency symptoms can include severe breathlessness, frequent and severe coughing, racing pulse, bluish nailbeds and lips (cyanosis), profuse sweating, lethargy and trouble speaking. If you experience these symptoms, you must be treated in a hospital, where you can receive oxygen and drugs may be given with a nebulizer or intravenously. A life-threatening asthma case may require intubation (placing a breathing tube in the large airway) and artificial ventilation in an intensive care unit.

Assignment #5
We know you are just jumping at the chance to take the Daily Care Quiz again and test what you have learned.

Now that you know the basics of daily care for asthma, it's time to introduce you to the treatments that will help you make the most of your daily care routine and goals. Lesson #5 will introduce you basic asthma treatments.

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