Asthma is a condition that changes from day to day.  Some days, people with asthma will have no symptoms at all, some days the symptoms can be very strong, and everything in-between.  It only makes sense that if asthma symptoms change, the way asthma is treated should also change.

An Asthma Action Plan is a written list of instructions about how to treat your child’s asthma as it changes from day to day.  The Asthma Action Plan is developed for your child by you and your child’s clinician.  The plan is tailored to your child’s needs.  The purpose of the plan is to guide you in managing your child’s asthma on a day to day basis as well as in an emergency.  At each follow up visit you should review the action plan to make sure it is up-to-date and to answer any questions that may arise in-between visits. 

There are many types of Asthma Action Plans and they will be different between different healthcare offices.  Some will be very simple, and some can be very complicated.  It is up to you and your healthcare team to pick the plan that works best for your family.

Even though they can be different, most action plans share some common features.  Usually, the Asthma Action Plan is divided into 3 zones:  green, yellow, and red, just like a stoplight.  The zone your child is in on any day depends on how much asthma they are having.  Their zone can change very quickly, or they can stay in the same zone for a long time.

If they are doing great, they would be in the green zone.  If they are having some trouble with their asthma, they would be in the yellow zone.  If they are having lots of asthma symptoms, they would be in the red zone.  The Asthma Action Plan should help you decide which zone your child is in that day.  Some plans help you tell what zone your child is in by the amount of symptoms they are having, by their peak flow meter readings, by the amount of medicine they need, or by a combination of these methods.

The instructions contained in each zone tell you how to care for your child when they are in that zone.  These instructions are developed with the help of your health care providers and will be different for everyone.  But again, there are some common points.

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