Goal: Increase knowledge about asthma; learn how to self-manage
Possible Action Steps
Discuss the three target zones for managing asthma:
Green Zone: no cough, chest tightness or shortness of breath during the day or night; can do usual activities and have 80% of best beak flow as measured by a peak flow meter. Doing well.
Yellow Zone: cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath or waking up at night due to asthma symptoms or can do some but not all usual activities. Asthma is getting worse.
Red Zone: very short of breath or quick-relief medicines have not helped or cannot do usual activities or symptoms are same or worse after 24 hours in Yellow Zone. Medical alert!
Discuss which zones the individual has been in for the past week.
Discuss the health consequences of being in the Yellow Zone.
Discuss the health consequences of being in the Red Zone.
Discuss the importance of being in the Green Zone most/all of the time by taking medications as prescribed, avoiding asthma triggers, and achieving a healthy "peak flow".
Discuss purpose and use of a peak flow meter.
Discus target peak flow for individual (Hint: 80% or more of individual's best peak flow).
Discuss purpose and use of an Asthma Action Plan.
Discuss how to track lung function using a peak flow meter at home.
Discuss how to use an Asthma Action Plan.
Discuss the link between obesity and asthma.
Learn to measure weight, waist circumference and BMI.
Goal: Increase skills to better self-manage asthma
Possible Action Steps
Encourage individual to get a home peak flow meter. Learn how to use it.
Together put a plan in place to measure peak flow at least 2 or 3 times per week
Suggest and have individual track peak flow results using a tracking tool
Discuss how to properly measure weight, BMI, and waist circumference. Have the individual check weight and waist circumference at least 2 times per week. Get a feel for how activity and improvements in diet impact (or reduce) asthma symptoms.
Discuss the three target zones for managing asthma:
Green Zone: no cough, chest tightness or shortness of breath during the day or night; can do usual activities and have 80% of best beak flow as measured by a peak flow meter. Doing well.
Yellow Zone: cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath or waking up at night due to asthma symptoms or can do some but not all usual activities. Asthma is getting worse.
Red Zone: very short of breath or quick-relief medicines have not helped or cannot do usual activities or symptoms are same or worse after 24 hours in Yellow Zone. Medical alert
Encourage individual to take notices and track symptoms related to asthma using the ASthma Action Plan and/or the Peak Flow Diary.
Discuss whether the individual is smoking and how they think that impacts their asthma symptoms.
Work with the individual to be prepared to answer provider's questions about symptoms; together, practice answering questions in advance of a healthcare visit.
Encourage individual to pay attention to the relationship between behavior and lung function/breathing. Identify behaviors that improve lung function and give a feeling of well being.
Encourage individual to pay attention to how it feels to have high vs. low peak flow, as measured by a peak flow meter.
Discuss paying attention to exposure to triggers. Encourage individual to notice how smoking, exposure to irritants and allergens, and being overweight are all inked and important to control of asthma symptoms.
Together identify opportunities for improvement in lung function and breathing.
Goal: Increase knowledge about asthma; learn how to self-manage