Be Stepwise Tip Sheet

Successful asthma management begins with good communication between a patient and a physician on the treatment guidelines. This dialogue helps a patient better understand their asthma and whether they are being stepwise - taking the right amount of medication for their symptoms. The following questions and tips are provided by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).

	Ask yourself . . .		And the NAEPP guidelines1 generally recommend:
	Do my asthma symptoms occur less than twice a week? Do I rarely have asthma attacks? Do I have infrequent nighttime asthma symptoms? Your asthma is considered mild-intermittent		• A short-acting bronchodilator (inhaled beta2-agonist) only as needed for quick relief of symptoms of an asthma attack (daily medication not needed)
	Do my asthma symptoms occur more than twice a week, but less than once a day? Do my asthma attacks affect my activity? Do my nighttime symptoms occur more than twice a month? Your asthma is considered mild-persistent		• A low-dose, inhaled daily corticosteroid or cromolyn • Short-acting bronchodilator as needed for an asthma attack
	Do my asthma symptoms occur daily? Do I have nighttime symptoms that occur more than once a week? Do my asthma attacks affect my activity, lasting several days? Your asthma is considered moderate-persistent		• A daily medication of either a medium-dose inhaled corticosteroid or a low-medium dose inhaled corticosteroid plus a long-acting bronchodilator • A short-acting bronchodilator as needed for an asthma attack
	Do my asthma symptoms occur continually - meaning day and night - with limited activity and frequent attacks? Your asthma is considered severe-persistent		• Daily medication of a high-dose inhaled corticosteroid, plus a long-acting bronchodilator, plus oral corticosteroids taken long-term • Short-acting bronchodilator as needed

¹Developed by National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), a group convened by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)