If you've been diagnosed with asthma, there's no way to guarantee that you'll only ever have an asthma attack in the company of people who know how to respond to it. You also can't always be sure that you'll catch an asthma attack early enough to be able to respond to it entirely on your own. That's why it's important that you have a clear asthma plan for those places that you frequent, such as the school nurse's office. Here's a look at what you should include in an asthma treatment response plan. 

Identify Your Symptoms

For some people, the early signs of an approaching asthma attack are different and easy to identify. When you list things like this out clearly where those who spend time around you can become familiar, you'll find that your friends, loved ones, and even school support system will help you start recognizing impending asthma attacks before they even start. Sometimes, you can start treatment before the asthma attack really settles in and avoid much of the struggle.

Create A Treatment Flow

For everyone with asthma, treatment recommendations vary and often include a progression of different options depending on the severity of the attack. For example, it might start with the use of a rescue inhaler at predetermined intervals. If that doesn't work, you may progress to the use of a different inhaler or the application of steam. If you're still struggling, you may need a nebulizer treatment. If you reach the end of the treatment flow chart and you're still experiencing symptoms, you need to go to the emergency room. Make sure this chart is clear and visible for anyone who may support you through an attack.

Know Your Asthma Triggers

Some patients have allergy-induced asthma, which brings asthma attacks only as a result of an allergic reaction or exposure to an allergen. Others have exercise-induced asthma, which triggers an asthma attack as a result of too much physical activity. In other cases, asthma attacks occur seemingly at random. It's important to know what types of things trigger your asthma attacks so that you can be aware of them, avoid them when possible, and be prepared to respond to a potential attack following exposure.

These are some of the most important things to know when it comes to asthma attack treatment. Don't let your asthma keep you from doing the things that you want to do, just make sure you have a plan in place to respond to potential attacks.