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Patients & Consumers Online Tools Find an Allergist / Immunologist Pollen Counts Diseases 101 Drug Guide Featured Resources » AAAAI Tips Brochures Topic of the Month Information Request Form Donate Now Constituencies » Patients & Consumers Contact Search by Condition (A-Z) Request a Speaker Smoke Free Homes Referral Guidelines Breakthroughs in Bioscience Other Resources En Español Just for Kids Seniors		Be Stepwise about your Asthma Questions for your doctor Additional Resources Being Stepwise about your asthma means working with your doctor to understand your asthma symptoms, and make sure the medication you are taking matches your symptoms. To help all health care providers assess and treat asthma, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) has created asthma treatment guidelines. These guidelines are useful tool for understanding asthma management and treatment approaches. A new survey by the AAAAI shows more than 70 percent of mild to moderate patients currently on medication are unaware that national treatment guidelines exist. More than half of respondents are unaware that once their asthma was under control they could work with their doctor to determine whether they can step down or still need to step up their treatment. The AAAAI, with the support of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and the Allergy & Asthma Network-Mothers of Asthmatics, developed the "Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Stepwise about Asthma" campaign to let people know that as their asthma symptoms change and they need to talk with their doctor to make sure their treatment plan is appropriate for their symptoms. The NAEPP guidelines provide a baseline for assessing and treating asthma. Each patient needs to work with their primary care doctor or an asthma specialist, such as an allergist/immunologist, to individually assess and monitor his or her asthma, to determine the best possible treatment options. You can take the following list of questions to your doctor to find out if you are being Stepwise about your asthma: How would you classify my asthma severity? What appropriate treatment options are available based on my classification and guidelines? How do I know if my asthma is under control? Can I maintain normal activity levels (including exercise and other physical activity) if I have asthma? What do I do if I have an asthma attack? Is there anything I can do to prevent an asthma attack? What is the best action plan for me? Can my current asthma treatment be reduced if my symptoms are under control? Although it is a serious, chronic disease, asthma is controllable. Living as symptom-free as possible is the ultimate goal for asthma patients. Additional Stepwise Resources Stepwise tip sheet Stepwise report summary NAEPP guidelines updated Allergy & Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics (AAN-MA) Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Additional AAAAI resources Physician Referral Directory Asthma Triggers and Management Childhood Asthma The "Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Stepwise about Asthma" campaign has been funded through an unrestricted educational grant from Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals.
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