Control Asthma Symptoms
Asthma control is about more than just treating sudden asthma symptoms. Asthma control
is about managing your asthma daily so you may have few or no asthma symptoms in the
first place.
When you have asthma, you always have inflammation or swelling
in the airways of your lungs. You may not feel this inflammation, but your lungs
do. Uncontrolled inflammation (swelling) makes your airways more sensitive to asthma
triggers like pollen, dust, and smoke. Exposure to these asthma triggers can cause constriction
(tightening) of the muscles around your airways, leading to asthma symptoms like shortness
of breath, wheezing, tightness of the chest, and coughing. Medicines that help to control asthma
can help control the inflammation in your airways and help reduce your sensitivity to asthma triggers.
Is your asthma under control?
- Do you experience asthma symptoms more than twice a week?
- Do you use asthma rescue medicine more than twice a week?
- Do your asthma symptoms limit your activities?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may not be in control
of your asthma and it is important that you talk to your doctor to determine if
a medicine that helps control asthma, like SYMBICORT, may be right for you. To help with that
conversation, take this simple, private, and free Asthma Assessment
and print the results for your doctor to review.
When your asthma is under control, you can do more of the things you like to do with fewer
interruptions due to your asthma. You should have fewer asthma symptoms throughout the
day and night. And you shouldn't need to rely on your rescue medicine as much.
Remember: medicines that help control asthma
are not rescue medicines, and should not be used to
treat sudden asthma symptoms. Once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop taking SYMBICORT without loss of control and may prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid.
Next: Assess Your Asthma