Track symptoms with a written plan

A written asthma action plan is an important tool. It lets you know how well treatment is working based on your child's symptoms. With your child's healthcare team, make a written asthma plan that outlines the steps needed to manage your child's asthma. You and your child's caregivers should have a copy of the plan. That includes babysitters, teachers and coaches.

The plan can help you and your child:

• Track how often your child has asthma flare-ups, also called exacerbations.
• Judge how well medicines control symptoms.
• Note any medicine side effects, such as shaking, irritable behavior or trouble sleeping.
• Check how well your child's lungs work with a peak flow meter.
• Measure how much your child's symptoms affect daily activities such as play, sleep and sports.
• Adjust medicines when symptoms get worse.
• Know when to see a healthcare professional or get emergency care.

Many asthma plans use a stoplight system of green, yellow and red zones that relate to worsening symptoms. This system can help you quickly figure out how controlled your child's asthma is and spot symptoms of an asthma attack. Some asthma plans use a symptoms questionnaire called the Asthma Control Test. This measures how controlled your child's asthma has been over the past month.