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LET S TAKE CONTROL OF ASTHMA Asthma Coalition t0 Brooklyn Queens AMERICAN LUNG ASSOC IAT IO N

LET S TAKE CONTROL OF ASTHMA Hello My name is and I m here today to talk about asthma If you have any questions while I m talking please ask me If I can t answer your questions I will find someone who can I will be leaving you with some information that will make it easier to remember what we talked about today This information is not to be used in place of your doctor s advice 2

LET S TAKE CONTROL OF ASTHMA Asthma Coalition t0 AMERICAN LUNG ASSOC IAT IO N Brooklyn Queens 3

First we are going to talk about how we breathe Breathing starts at the nose or mouth When you breathe in the air travels down your throat through the airways and into your lungs Your lungs are like two balloons with airways that fill up with air when you breathe in The airways look like tree branches because the airways are long tubes that start out large and then branch off into sections where they get smaller and smaller in size When you breathe in and out air travels through these tubes into your lungs The small airways are the part of lungs where asthma happens 4

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What is Asthma Asthma is a chronic lung disease That means that you may have it for most of your life Asthma is a condition that can cause breathing problems Asthma causes breathing problems because The airways of the lungs swell The muscles around the airways get tight Mucus builds up in the airways of the lungs and clogs them just like your nose gets clogged when you have a cold Here are three pictures of lungs and under the lungs are pictures of airways If you look at the first picture the lungs and the airway look healthy The second picture shows the lungs and an airway that are starting to swell The third picture shows the lungs and the muscles around the airways getting tight and the mucus building up and clogging The airway is much smaller than the airway in the first picture When you are having breathing problems you may Feel like your chest is tight Cough especially at night Have shortness of breath Wheeze We call these things symptoms 6

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Now let s talk about the things that can make asthma symptoms start an asthma attack There are many things that can cause someone to have an asthma attack We call these things triggers Not all of these things are triggers for everyone Here are some examples of triggers Strong emotions like laughing and crying or even stress Colds and infections this is the most common trigger for young children Exercise exercise can make you cough or wheeze Strong smells like perfumes Cleaning supplies can be a trigger because they are irritants and have strong smells Smog and car exhaust Cigarette smoke and e cigarette vapor Mold inside in bathrooms and basements or outside like wet leaves Cockroaches Changes in weather Furry pets and things with feathers like birds or pillows Dust Outdoor pollen like trees and grass What are some of your triggers Ask your doctor for help if you don t know what your triggers are or if you can t stay away from them 8

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Now let s talk about the early warning signs of asthma Warning signs are clues that tell you that your asthma is about to act up or will get worse soon Some warning signs are Feeling tired not wanting to do anything Stuffy runny nose Feeling grumpy or even sad Itchy scratchy or sore throat Stomachache Do you know your early warning signs If you do not find out by paying attention to how your body feels before you have asthma symptoms Now let s talk about asthma symptoms Asthma symptoms are what you feel when your asthma acts up Different people have different symptoms Some symptoms are Coughing even a little cough is something to treat right away Wheezing A little trouble breathing Chest tightness A funny feeling in the chest or throat The picture shows an airway that is swelling You can also see that the people are starting to have trouble breathing What are your asthma symptoms 10

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Now we ll talk about what to do if you have any asthma symptoms You can see the picture of the airway that is swelling and the muscles around the airways are getting tight Take your rescue medicine right away the way the doctor ordered In the box you will see a baby taking her rescue medicine with a nebulizer machine You can see in the picture a boy and a man using a spacer with their rescue medicine Always use a spacer Rescue medicines are used for just that rescue during an asthma attack They work by relaxing the muscles around the airways making it easier for the air to move in and out Staying calm helps Try to do something relaxing while waiting for the medicine to work like reading a book or watching TV 12

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Let s talk about what to do if your asthma keeps getting worse You can see in the picture the muscles around the airways getting tight and the mucus is building up and clogging This is what your airways look like when you are having an asthma attack If you took your rescue medicine as your doctor told you and you are getting worse instead of better speak to your doctor right away Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if any of these things are happening You can t reach your doctor or you don t have one and you are getting worse instead of better after you took your rescue medicine You have trouble walking or talking Your lips or fingernails turn blue or grey Your skin between the ribs or at the neck is pulled very tight or sucks in NOTE If patient is a baby with asthma Your child cannot eat drink or their crying becomes weaker or in short spurts 14

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There are two kinds of asthma medicines rescue medicines and controller medicines We just talked about using rescue medicines during an asthma attack Now we are going to talk about controller medicines and why you might need to take them If you use your rescue medicine more than two times a week or wake up with asthma symptoms more than two times a month or refill your rescue medicine more than two times a year you should speak to your doctor about taking a controller medicine You may have persistent asthma NOTE If you have exercise induced asthma you might use more than two canisters a year In the top picture you can see an airway that is getting tight and clogged with mucus In the picture we see controller medicines People with persistent asthma should take controller medicines Controller medicines take away swelling and mucus in the airways if you take them everyday as the doctor orders The airway at the bottom shows what can happen when you take your controller medicine It is important to take controller medicines every day even when you feel well Controller medicines do NOT stop an asthma attack once it starts 16

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Everyone with asthma should have a plan for taking control of their asthma We call this an Asthma Action Plan Ask your doctor for a written plan so you know what to do when you are feeling well when you start to have asthma symptoms and when you have an asthma attack NOTE point to each zone The green zone tells you what controller medicine to take everyday even when you are well The yellow zone tells you how and when to take your rescue medicine if you start having symptoms and tells you when to call your doctor The red zone tells you what to do if you already took your rescue medicine and you are getting worse It also tells you when to call for help NOTE If this is for a child make sure to bring a copy of the Asthma Action Plan to the child care or school 18

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Now let s talk about what to do about your asthma when you are feeling well NOTE point to each picture Try to stay away from things that make your asthma worse these are the triggers we talked about before Take controller medicine every day even when you feel well Here is a picture of a peak flow meter if you have one follow your doctor s orders for using it The calendar reminds you to refill your medications keep track of your symptoms and visit the doctor every 3 to 6 months even if you are well NOTE if child Tell teachers coaches and school nurse about your child s asthma and what they need to do if they have an asthma attack Taking control of asthma can help improve your life The Asthma Coalition of Long Island and the Asthma Coalition of Brooklyn Queens are programs of the American Lung Association funded through the New York State Department of Health s Asthma Control Program 20

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INVENTORY CONTROL The Asthma Coalition of Long Island and the Asthma Coalition of Brooklyn Queens are programs of the American Lung Association funded through the New York State Department of Health s Asthma Control Program