Managing Asthma
Summer Newsletter – Online Edition
Welcome to your Select Health Asthma Management Newsletter. We’re here to bring you all the most up-to-date information on managing your asthma, providing strategies to prevent asthma from interfering with your life activities, and giving you helpful tips to live the healthiest life possible!
Creating an Asthma Action Plan
An important part of managing your asthma is learning how to monitor your symptoms and talk to your doctor to get the help you need. This action plan developed by the American Lung Association, divides your symptoms into three zones – Green, Yellow, and Red.
- Green should be your baseline, when asthma symptoms are not interfering with your daily life.
- Yellow signals caution. You’re experiencing symptoms and should contact your healthcare provider if they don’t improve from the treatments you’re taking.
- Red is life-threatening and means you should take emergency medications, and either call 911 or seek medical care immediately.
Using an action plan is easy and can help you and your doctor stay on top of your asthma symptoms, so give it a try!
Traveling with Asthma and Allergies
If you have asthma, you might be one of many people for whom allergies are a trigger of asthma attacks. Traveling often means dealing with different types of allergens you may be able to avoid at home, but it doesn’t mean you have give up that vacation you’ve been looking forward to. There are strategies that can keep you healthy, and let you live life to the fullest.
The first step in any travel plan is to talk to your physician about your plans, and how your asthma and allergies may impact your health. Your doctor can provide important recommendations, prescription medications to help you manage your allergies and asthma while traveling, and specific immunizations you may need depending the region you’re traveling to and the time of year.
When going on any trip, make sure to take all of your necessary medications with you. If your allergies and asthma are particularly severe, you might also want to consider obtaining and wearing a medical alert bracelet. This can give first responders crucial information in the event you are no longer able to advocate for yourself.
When traveling by car, make sure the car is cleaned and that the air filters are new, or recently cleaned and allergen free. If traveling by plane, train, or other public transport, call ahead of time to ask if they permit pets onboard, if any pets are known to be traveling on that flight, and if you can be seated away from them. Also ask them about their nut policies if you have nut allergies. However you travel, a mask, such as an N-95, may help to keep you allergy-free.
When staying in a hotel, make sure to stay in rooms which don’t allow pets or smoking, and make sure the room is mold-free. This can help keep your allergies and asthma symptoms to a minimum. You may also want to pack your own allergy-proof pillow or mattress casings.
Remember to keep all of your emergency medications with you at all times while traveling. It can be easy to forget, but you don’t want to be caught without them.
While it can be daunting to travel with allergies and asthma, there’s no reason for you to give up on the trip of your dreams. With a little preparation, you can have the adventure of a lifetime!
Care Management
We all need a little help with our healthcare sometimes. That’s where Select Health’s Care Managers come in. They’re nurses and social workers, trained to help you meet your health goals.
They’re here when you need help with:
- Getting screenings and immunizations
- Coordinating care for a chronic condition
- Understanding your insurance benefits
- Or even just getting a ride to a clinic
Learn more about Select Health Care Management.
Asthma Resources
Looking for resources to help you manage your asthma? Look no further!
