The highest death rates are for people over age 60. People who guess about symptoms, try different ways of self-medication and use the emergency room for quick treatment often do not get consistent care for asthma. Good control, according to Perrotta, comes with a carefully crafted, long-term asthma management plan. And it becomes a continuous part of a person's daily life. A health care provider can diagnose asthma by taking a medical history, giving a physical exam and testing how the lungs function.
Treatment varies with the severity of the disease and persistence of symptoms.
Long-term medications are used to maintain control of chronic asthma and to prevent airway inflammation that contributes to asthma attacks. Quick-relief medications are used to treat acute symptoms and to prevent asthma brought on by exercise. A typical asthma plan, set up by a physician together with the patient, is based on the colors of a traffic light. It helps people anticipate problems and get help when needed. The plan identifies for the individual things that start an asthma episode, when and how to check breathing, daily medications needed and when they should be used.