Services
Important Phone Numbers for DACH Air Patients
Appointments: (254) 288-8888
Asthma Educator: (254) 288-8136
Cancel Appointments: (254) 288-7777
Resources
Links:
- Educational Asthma Game provided by Starlight Children's Foundation
- Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics,
Inc. page
- American Lung Association
- Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America
- Environmental Protection Agency Asthma site
Triggers:
Triggers are things like cigarette smoke, colds, pollen, dust mites, animal dander, mold, weather changes or exercise that make asthma worse.
Early Warning Signs:
Early signs may include trouble breathing; tightness in the chest; coughing, usually worse at night; upset stomach; pain in the neck or head; itchy skin; or a tired, cranky feeling.
Late Warning Signs:
Late signs may include worsening shortness of breath, retractions (skin pulling in around collar bones and ribs), exhaustion from working hard to breathe, or blue/gray/purple lips or nails. This includes any time the reliever medicine is not helping. These are signs that medical help is needed!
Asthma Action Plan:
The action plan is divided into three zones and works like a stoplight:
- Green zone is good to go: breathing is fine, no action to take.
- Yellow zone is the caution area: asthma signs are starting, time to take some action.
- Red zone is stop everything: take reliever medicine and go to emergency room.
Asthma Control:
In the last two months, have you:
- Used your rescue medicine more than twice a week?
- Had asthma signs more than twice a week during the day?
- Had asthma signs more than twice a MONTH during the night?
- Been prevented from going to work/school or doing things you enjoy because of your asthma?
- Been to the ER for your asthma?
If yes to any of these, asthma is not well-controlled and the PCM should be contacted.
page last modified on: 5/7/2013