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If you have been diagnosed as having asthma, it will never go away. The underlying airway inflammation is always present—even if you don't have symptoms all the time. By not treating it or not treating it correctly, you may run the risk of causing long-term lung damage and experiencing more frequent and severe asthma flare-ups.
By keeping regular appointments with your healthcare professional and following the treatment plan he or she developed for you, asthma doesn't always have to slow you down. You can still take part in work, school, exercise, or other activities you enjoy.
Unfortunately, many people forget or stop taking their preventative medication when they are not experiencing asthma symptoms. Read these 10 tips to help remind you to take your preventative medication as prescribed. Make it part of your daily routine—an important part of your asthma treatment plan.
Put a photo of yourself or a loved one on the refrigerator with a note saying, "Remember to follow your asthma treatment plan." Put your medication on your nightstand next to the bed. Or in a place where you put on or take off your jewelry, like a watch or a wedding band. Keep your medication next to your toothbrush. Take it right after you brush your teeth in the morning and at night. Check the product labeling to ensure that you follow storage instructions. Some products can be affected by humidity. Use sticky notes to remind yourself to take your asthma medication. Put them on the refrigerator, on your front door, the dashboard of your car, or the alarm clock. If you have coffee every morning, keep your medication inside or next to your favorite coffee mug. Have a friend or relative call your answering machine and remind you to take your asthma medication. DON'T erase the message. If you have a voice mail service, record a reminder for yourself and have it automatically delivered every day at the time you should take your medication. Arrange with a friend, who is also on daily medication, to call each other with a daily reminder. If you use a computer every day, program a start-up reminder, send yourself a daily e-mail, or sign up with a free Internet e-mail reminder service. Each time you refill your prescription, make a note on your calendar one week before the medicine is due to run out to order and pick up the next refill
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