When to Talk to Your Doctor about Asthma

You should consult with your doctor and other trusted health care providers and caregivers when:

• You suffer from acute asthma symptoms for the first time.
• Your asthma symptoms fail to respond to your usual treatment, or if your asthma attack (episode) is severe.
• Your sputum (mucus) becomes discolored, particularly green, yellow, or bloody. This may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
• You or your family members and caregivers have not been educated about asthma treatments, or if the medication you require is not immediately available to you.
• You want to learn exactly what to do when an asthma attack (episode) begins. You can often handle acute asthma attacks (episodes) without professional help, once you’ve gotten the proper training, medication and confidence.
• You begin to use your asthma medication more often than usual. This is normally a sign that your asthma is worsening.
• You suffer from allergy induced asthma, and you want to discuss allergy shots as part of your asthma treatment.