Definition: Asthma Action Plan

Asthma Action Plan

An asthma action plan is a set of individualized written instructions, designed with a doctor, that detail how a person with asthma should manage his or her asthma at home. The plan includes: a list of what triggers the person's symptoms and how to avoid these triggers, a list of symptoms to watch for and what to do should they occur, and the names and doses of medications the person needs and when to use them. It can also include emergency telephone numbers, locations of emergency care, and instructions on when to contact the doctor or when to go right to the emergency department. If the plan is kept up to date and followed closely, asthma symptoms can be prevented or treated and a person's asthma can be well controlled.