Are you taking your medication but still getting asthma or COPD symptoms? There’s no reason to suffer in silence; there may be various paths to help you breathe easier and enjoy life to the full. Work through this checklist to see if it’s time you visited your healthcare provider.
Have you been using your reliever inhaler more regularly than you’d hoped? Is breathlessness keeping you up at night? These are just a couple of red flags that indicate that your asthma or COPD might not be as well controlled as it could be. An adjustment to your medications or action plan could make all the difference.
What can be done?
It’s always useful to keep track of your daily peak flow measurements as it gives a good overview of the wellbeing of your lungs. And if you feel that your symptoms might be getting the upper hand, it’s time to book in for a check-up. Your healthcare provider can discuss your experiences and your peak flow measures, making sure you’re taking your medication correctly and that it’s up-to-date. They may advise a different medication or combination of medications that might work better for you.
There could also be measures you can take to reduce your asthma triggers or improve the way you deal with them. The ideal goal is that you feel confident in managing your symptoms, taking charge and going about doing the things that you enjoy.
Asthma and COPD checklist
- Have you had asthma symptoms for more than two days per week?
- Do you use your quick-relief inhaler multiple times per week?
- Do you wake up at night with trouble breathing 1-3 times per week?
- Do your symptoms make normal daily activities difficult? For example, have you missed work or school because of your symptoms?
- Have you required an emergency call, or an urgent hospital visit due to breathing difficulties?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, it may be an indication that it’s time to update your medication or re-visit your healthcare plan.
With asthma and COPD, you are in control of your day-to-day experience, but you aren’t alone in managing your condition. Increased comfort and control over your symptoms could be a doctor’s visit away – so don’t suffer in silence.
By Sarah Hudson
Photo by iStock
References:
Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention 2017.
Asthma UK, Asthma action plan.
Orion is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company - a builder of well-being for more than 100 years. Orion develops, manufactures and markets human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Respiratory diseases are one of Orion’s core therapy areas. Easyhaler® is a dry-powder inhaler developed in-house. The Easyhaler® product family includes today six commonly used treatment options for asthma and COPD patients. Orion's net sales in 2018 amounted to EUR 977 million and the company had about 3,200 employees. Orion's A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
As a forward-looking pharmaceutical company, Orion continues to invest in research and development of treatment options for people with asthma and COPD while also developing the design and usability of the inhaler. The focus is on safety and quality in each step of the product life cycle while taking care of the environment. Sustainability is entwined in the whole process from R&D through manufacturing. It is also required of Orion’s providers. Orion is committed to keeping the best possible control of the environmental impacts of their own factories by reducing energy consumption and the impact of their wastewaters, among others, and is making good progress in that regard. Orion works to ensure that suppliers have procedures in place to control and reduce their own environmental impacts as well. All aspects of sustainability - social, economic and environmental - are carefully considered in the whole product life cycle, including patient use and the disposal of old inhalers.
You may download the Orion Sustainability Report 2018 here
