Managing your asthma Patients' tips for managing your asthma
Video clip: IMP2ART patient colleagues Noelle, Eve, Olivia, David, Brian, Jess and Becca share tips on how to manage asthma and what works for their own asthma
Self-management
My Lungs My Life information on self-management and how it can help.
My Lungs My Life 'Self management and how can it help you?' web page
NHS guides to help you manage your asthma
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust put together a range of helpful videos (on YouTube) in different languages about staying well with asthma. The videos include guidance on inhaler and medication use, action plans, and hospital visitation. Languages currently available include Arabic, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Urdu and Welsh. Videos are also available regarding medication use during Ramadan. The videos can be accessed via QR codes on the following poster:
Asthma action plans
Asthma action plan for adults
Asthma & Lung UK asthma action plan.
Asthma & Lung UK 'Your asthma action plan' web page (PDF download available)
Asthma action plan for children
Asthma & Lung UK asthma action plan for children.
Asthma & Lung UK 'Your child's asthma action plan' web page (PDF download available)
Asthma action plans in non-English languages
Asthma & Lung UK action plans available in different languages.
Asthma & Lung UK 'Non-English action plans' web page
MART (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy)
MART (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy) has been shown to reduce asthma attacks and improve asthma control in some people with asthma; it is licensed from 12 years of age.
Asthma+Lung UK have excellent information and an Asthma Action Plan to support people on MART to self-manage their asthma – information and downloadable asthma action plans can be found on the Asthma+Lung UK website:
Vaccination
European Lung Foundation (ELF) factsheet about vaccinations and why receiving vaccinations are important.
ELF 'Protect your lungs: get vaccinated' infographic (1.9 MB PDF)
Asthma medicines
Asthma & Lung UK information page with common concerns about taking asthma medicines
Asthma & Lung UK 'Common concerns about asthma medicines' web page.
Peak flow diary
Asthma & Lung UK diary for peak flow scores.
Asthma & Lung UK 'peak flow diary' (PDF download available)
For school
Asthma & Lung UK schools poster.
Children with asthma - schools poster (available as PDF download)
At the pharmacy
Asthma & Lung UK information on making the most of your pharmacist.
Asthma & Lung UK 'Asthma and your pharmacist' web page
Travelling with asthma
Asthma & Lung UK’s information for when you leave home.
Asthma & Lung UK 'Travelling with a lung condition' web page
Inhaler technique videos
Asthma & Lung UK videos of how to use different inhalers.
Asthma & Lung UK 'How to use your inhaler' web page
Avoiding future asthma attacks
Asthma & Lung UK advice on lowering the risk of future asthma attacks
Asthma & Lung UK 'Avoiding future asthma attacks' web page
Asthma and the environment
Asthma management is an area where the NHS can reduce its carbon footprint as part of the effort to reach the target of a Net-Zero NHS by 2040.
For further information read this blog for Dr Andy Whittamore from Asthma & Lung UK: How green is your inhaler? — The Asthma & Lung UK blog
Here are two ways to reduce the carbon footprint of asthma:
- Achieving and maintaining asthma control is the best way of reducing the asthma related carbon footprint. If asthma is well controlled, there will be less use of blue, reliever bronchodilator inhalers and fewer hospital admissions/ED attendances.
The essentials of asthma care help people to keep their asthma under control. These are:
- Having an Asthma Action Plan
- Taking prevention treatment regularly as prescribed
- Having a good inhaler technique
- Avoiding asthma triggers where possible
- Attending an asthma review at least once a year
- Dry Powder Inhalers have a significantly lower carbon footprint than the more commonly used Metered Dose Inhalers (aerosols) therefore increasing their use is sensible but only if the person with asthma can and will use them. Prescriptions for inhalers must not be changed without ensuring that the individual with asthma is involved in the decision and is able to use a Dry Powder Inhaler. NICE have developed an Inhaler Decision Aid for Patients [PDF 449KB] to support this process.
The NHS is working in other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of inhaled medication:
- Promoting recycling schemes
- Supporting industry to develop less harmful propellants for aerosol inhalers
A patient experience of using dry powder inhalers during asthma attacks
Video clip: Cheryll Crichlow has lived with asthma for many years. Viv Marsh, asthma nurse specialist and Facilitation Coordinator for the IMP2ART study, talks to Cheryll about the difficulties of using a dry powder inhaler when she is having an asthma attack
Resources for practices delivering asthma care
IMP2ART information for healthcare professionals on action plans and supporting the patient's self-management of their asthma
IMP2ART web page on supported self-management and action plans
