Asthma in Teens and Adults - Treatment Overview
Monitor peak flow
It's easy to underestimate how severe your symptoms are. You may
not notice them until your lungs are functioning at 50% of your
personal best peak expiratory flow (PEF).
PEF is a way to keep track of asthma symptoms at home. It can help you know
when your lung function is getting worse before it drops to a dangerously low
level. You can do this with a
peak flow meter .
- Asthma: Measuring Peak Flow
asthma triggers increases symptoms. Try to avoid irritants (such as smoke or air pollution) or things
that you may be allergic to (such as
animal dander). If
something at work is causing your asthma or making it worse (occupational asthma), you may need to wear protective gear, switch to some other task or area, or change jobs.
- Asthma: Identifying Your Triggers
If you have persistent asthma and react to
allergens, you may need to have
skin testing for allergies.
Allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be helpful.
- Allergies: Should I Take Allergy Shots?
Get help for special concerns
considerations in treating asthma include:
- Treating other health problems. If you also have other health problems, such as inflammation
and infection of the sinuses (sinusitis) or
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you will need
treatment for those conditions.
- Managing asthma during pregnancy. If a
woman had asthma before becoming pregnant, her symptoms may become better or
worse during pregnancy. Pregnant women whose asthma is not well controlled may
be at risk for a number of complications.
- Managing exercise-induced asthma. Exercise often
causes asthma symptoms. Steps you can take to reduce the risk of this include
using medicine 10 to 30 minutes before you exercise.
- Managing asthma before surgery. People who have moderate to severe asthma are at
higher risk of having problems during and after surgery than people who don't have asthma.
- Managing asthma in older adults. Older adults tend to have worse asthma symptoms and a higher
risk of death from asthma than younger people. They may also have one or more
other health conditions or be taking other medicines that can make asthma