What should I be monitoring at home and why?
There are a number of different things you can monitor on
a daily basis. These can be broadly divided into two categories in terms
of the information they give about your condition; these are summarised
in I and II below. Exactly what you choose to monitor will
vary slightly depending on your individual asthma and situation. This is
best discussed with you doctor or nurse. Here we will look at each of the
main 'possibles' and briefly summarise why each one is important.
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I. Things Which Reflect
How Well You Are |
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There are a number of indicators you can note on a
daily basis which reflect how well you are. These are summarised below.
(a) Asthma Symptoms you Experience in the Day and Night
The main symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing,
breathlessness and chest tightness. A change in frequency and duration
of symptoms can indicate asthma which is getting better or worse or
is just poorly controlled. Monitoring of symptoms is particularly
useful in children too young to use a peak flow meter and in adults
unable to use them.
(b) Morning and Evening Peak Flow Readings
Monitoring peak flow at home in the morning and evening
provides additional valuable information about how well you are. It
gives a true reflection of how narrow or open your airways are and
therefore how good or bad your asthma is at that time. You can find
out more about peak flow in Understanding
Peak Flow.
(c) Activities Restricted in Any Way by Your Asthma
If you find that your normal activities become restricted
in any way by your asthma, then it maybe a sign you have become worse.
This could be:
i Slowing down because it brings on your symptoms or you think
it will.
ii Having to stop for short breaks when active.
iii Avoiding things you want to do or choosing some other activity
less likely to bring on your symptoms.
iv Staying indoors!
v If your asthma disturbs your sleep and makes you tired, sleepy
and slower both physically and mentally the following day this can
be classed as restricted activity.
(d) If you are Off Work or School Because of Your Asthma
If you are too unwell to go to work or school because
of your asthma, this signifies how bad your asthma is at that time.
(e) How Many Times you Need to Use Your Reliever
Needing to use your reliever inhaler frequently or
more than is usual for you may be a sign that your asthma is uncontrolled
or getting worse.
Note: You can obtain more detailed information on the importance
of these in What to Look for.
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II. Things Which Can Affect
How Well You Are |
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In addition to those things which reflect how well you are, monitoring
those things which can affect your asthma by improving it or
making it worse are also very important.
The things which can affect how well you are include:
(a) Medication for Asthma Which You Take Each Day
Your doctor will aim to keep you as well as possible
on the least amount of medication needed to achieve this. Monitoring
medication use alongside those things which reflect how well you are
as outlined above in I can be very useful. Your asthma can
be greatly influenced by which treatments you take, how much and how
often.
(b) Things Which Trigger Your Asthma Symptoms
Triggers can greatly influence how well you are. It
is very important to try and identify your triggers. This can be done
by tracking potential triggers alongside those things which reflect
how well you are as outlined in I above. You may then be able
to establish a pattern identifying your personal triggers.
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