Step 5: The levels of severity

Return to Index Step 1: Taking Control of Your Asthma Step 2: What is Asthma? Step 3: Know the Signs Step 4: How Asthma Is Diagnosed Step 5: The Levels of Severity Step 6: Determine Your Goals and Expectations Step 7: Asthma Drugs Step 8: Drug Delivery Devices Step 9: Understand Your Action Plan Step 10: Make "Peak Flow" a Habit! Step 11: Avoid Asthma Triggers Step 12: Visit Your Doctor Regularly Key Points Glossary

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Once the doctor takes a detailed medical history and runs some tests, the doctor can classify how severe your asthma is. This helps your doctor decide which treatment is best for you. Your asthma should be classified again at every office visit. There are four levels of severity:

IntermittentMild PersistentModerate PersistentSevere Persistent

Click the buttons above to see the four levels of asthma severity. Asthma is classified based on how often symptoms occur during the day, how often they occur at night, and spirometry results.

Take note

Regardless of your asthma's classification, any single asthma episode can range from mild to severe. This is true for anyone with asthma.

References

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051.

Review Date: 6/29/2012
Reviewed By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine UMDNJ-NJMS, Attending Physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veteran Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Previoulsy reviewed by David A. Kaufman, MD, Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Bridgeport Hospital-Yale New Haven Health System, and Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. (6/1/2010)

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