Asthma is a leading cause of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and missed school days in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. Working with a doctor helps people with asthma learn how control it so that it does not interfere with their daily activities. Follow these steps to get the most out of visits to the doctor.
Visit your doctor regularly
If you or your child has asthma, go to the doctor for regular checkups, even if you are feeling well.
Prepare for your visit
When you go to the doctor:
Know what should happen during a visit
At each visit, your doctor should:
Questions to ask the doctor or nurse
For each medicine, ask:
Before you leave the doctor's office:
Things to remember after the visit
Always tell the doctor if due to asthma, you or your child has:
Controller medicines
Controller medicines can be used to prevent attacks in people with persistent asthma. You have persistent asthma if you have daytime symptoms more than twice a week or nighttime symptoms more than twice a month.
Quick relief medicines
Quick-relief medicines can be used to relieve symptoms:
Spacers
Many asthma medicines are inhaled. If you use a metered dose inhaler or pump, be sure to use a spacer. This helps to get the right amount of medicine directly to your lungs. Follow your doctor’s instructions for administering medicine and avoid things that can make asthma symptoms worse.
Asthma medication factsheets
If you need help finding a doctor or need information about free or low-cost health insurance, call 311.