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Home > I Have Asthma > Tips for Talking With Your Healthcare Professional
Tips for Talking With Your Healthcare Professional
To help you get ready for your next visit with your healthcare professional, here are some easy-to-follow steps.
Step 1: Make an "asthma-only" appointment.
If it's hard to find time to talk about asthma during a regular check-up, try to schedule an "asthma-only" appointment with your healthcare professional.
Step 2: Be prepared.
Before your appointment, write down questions so you don't forget to ask them. Keep a daily symptom and medication journal and bring it with you.
Step 3: Put aside a block of time for question writing.
Don't rush or wait until five minutes before your appointment to write down questions. You'll get better information if you take the time to write good questions. It might help to think about all your asthma attacks and how your condition has changed since your last appointment.
In addition to the steps above, make sure you review the results of your Asthma Control Test™ and discuss the following with your healthcare professional:
- Your Asthma Action Plan. Talk about how it's working and if it needs to be updated.
- Your medications. Make sure you know what your medicines are, how often you should take them, how to use them properly and what results to expect.
- Your symptoms. Talk about how often you have them and what triggers them. Make sure you know the early warning signs of an attack and what to do if one occurs.
- Your environment. Ask what you can do to get rid of asthma triggers in your home, at work and other places where you spend a lot of time.
- Your lung function. Ask if you should get a simple, painless test (called spirometry) to find out how your lungs are working—and if you should use a peak flow meter to check your lung function at home.
Don't stop there. Be sure to ask any additional questions you have. You've set aside this time to focus on your asthma—make the most of it!
Knowledge is power! Your pharmacist, asthma nurse educator and respiratory therapist can also help you learn more about asthma medications and how to manage your asthma more effectively.
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Is It Asthma?
I Have Asthma
Asthma Control Test™
Tips For Talking 
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