Self-Care at Home

Current treatment regimens are designed to minimize discomfort, inconvenience, and the extent to which you have to limit your activities. If you follow your treatment plan closely, you should be able to avoid or reduce your visits to your health care provider or the emergency department.

• Know your triggers and do what you can to avoid them.
  
  
• If you smoke, quit.
  
  
• Do not take cough medicine. These medicines do not help asthma and may cause unwanted side effects.
  
  
• Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, can cause asthma to worsen in certain individuals. These medications should not be taken without the advice of your health care provider. 
  
  
• Do not use nonprescription inhalers. These contain very short-acting drugs that may not last long enough to relieve an asthma attack and may cause unwanted side effects. 
  
  
• Take only the medications your health care provider has prescribed for your asthma. Take them as directed.
  
  
• Do not take any nonprescription preparations, herbs, or dietary supplements, even if they are completely "natural," without talking to your health care provider first. Some of these may have unwanted side effects or interfere with your medications.
  
  
• If the medication is not working, do not take more than you have been directed to take. Overusing asthma medications can be dangerous.
  
  
• Be prepared to go on to the next step of your action plan if necessary.