Asthma is a variable disease of the airways which can result in symptoms of breathlessness, wheeze, and cough.
Asthma Clinics
Sister Everett runs Asthma reviews to make sure your Asthma is well controlled and that you are on the correct medication to keep you well.
During this review she will ask if you have any symptoms and how often you have to use your Reliever inhaler (blue inhaler). She will check your peak flow and your inhaler technique as well as weighing you and looking at your medications. You should have an Asthma self-management plan, so that you know what to do if your Asthma symptoms get worse. You will be given you one if you don’t already have one.
If your Asthma symptoms are well-controlled then an Asthma review is only required once a year (for children every 6 months). However, if your symptoms are not well controlled, and Sister Everett feels that you require a change in medication, she will ask to see you back again to make sure an improvement has been made as a result of the medication change.
The Practice call/recall system will invite you with either a text message or a letter for your Asthma review. If you notice that time has passed and you haven’t had your review when you expected, please contact us and we will give you an appointment.
Important things to remember when you have Asthma
The Preventer inhaler does just that, it “prevents” the symptoms of asthma coming on by reducing the inflammation in the airways. If you take it daily as prescribed, then your Asthma symptoms should be under control and you shouldn’t have to take your reliever (blue) inhaler very often.
If you rarely take the preventer inhaler and are using the blue inhaler a lot, this means your Asthma is not under control and you need to gain control by taking the preventer twice a day. Sit it next to your toothbrush to remind you to take it, every morning and every night, and then your symptoms should soon disappear. If they don’t, you should make an appointment for an Asthma review, as it might be that you need a different preventer inhaler, or further investigation into why your symptoms are not being controlled.
Always rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after using the preventer inhaler to prevent possible side effects of a sore mouth.
It is important to get the flu jag every year, as a respiratory illness on top of Asthma could easily lead to complications and/or a hospital admission which could be prevented.
It is an emergency if the following happens:
- your symptoms are very bad (breathless, tight chest, cough, wheeze),
- your reliever inhaler does not work,
- you are too breathless to speak.
- In this case, keep taking your blue inhaler every minute for 5 minutes even though it doesn’t seem to be helping, sit up and loosen tight clothing, if symptoms do not improve after 5 minutes, phone 999.
Check out this websites for help and advice:
There is now a plan to follow if your child has just been discharged from hospital with a wheeze or Asthma. See below
