Quick Check: Your Asthma Action Plan
An Asthma Action Plan is a written plan created with your doctor that explains how to manage asthma and what to do when symptoms worsen.
- Check the date: Review every six months for children and annually for adults.
- Check the medicines: Has anything changed since the plan was written?
- Check the symptoms: New or changing symptoms mean the plan should be reviewed.
- Check the copies: Does school, childcare or another carer have the current version?
If you’re unsure, start by checking the date on your current plan.
An Asthma Action Plan can easily become outdated while everything else changes around it.
Your child starts a new school year, symptoms appear during sport, medications change, or the copy at childcare is no longer the one you use at home.
A quick check now can tell you whether the plan still reflects how asthma is being managed today.
What this article covers
- Checking your Asthma Action Plan
- Symptoms and triggers
- School, childcare and other carers
- Preparing for spring asthma
Does Your Asthma Action Plan Need Updating?
Use these quick checks against the plan you have now.
Symptoms have changed
Asthma medicines have changed
New triggers are showing up
School or childcare has an older copy
Not sure when it was last reviewed?
A written Asthma Action Plan is developed with a health professional and sets out what to do during everyday asthma management, a flare-up and an asthma emergency.
🙋 Asthma Australia’s Asthma Action Plan includes downloadable plans for adults and children.
Not sure what an Asthma Action Plan should cover? This short Asthma Australia video explains how a written plan helps you recognise changes in asthma and respond when symptoms worsen.
Symptoms and Triggers: What Has Changed?
You don’t need to arrive at an asthma review with pages of notes. What’s useful is knowing what has been happening since the current plan was written.
Symptoms to keep track of
Changes in wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, night-time symptoms or asthma affecting normal activity and exercise are useful to discuss at an asthma review.
Triggers you’ve noticed
Think about when symptoms occur. Exercise, smoke, pollen and poor air quality are among the triggers that may need to be recorded on a child’s plan, particularly when the plan is also used at school.
What to bring to the appointment
Bring your current Asthma Action Plan and the inhalers, spacer or other asthma devices you use. During an asthma review, your GP can review symptoms and treatment, check inhaler technique and update your plan where needed.
As part of ongoing asthma and chronic disease management, lung function testing such as spirometry may also be used when appropriate.
Spirometry Testing at Trident Medical Centre
Spirometry measures how much air you can breathe out and how quickly you can breathe it out. It can form part of the assessment and monitoring of asthma when clinically appropriate.
Book a GP appointment at Trident Medical Centre to discuss whether spirometry is appropriate for you or your child.
Does Your Child’s School Have Their Updated Asthma Action Plan?
Once your child’s plan has been updated, check where every copy goes.
- School or childcare: Provide the current written plan and make sure relevant triggers are included.
- Grandparents, babysitters and other carers: They should know where the plan is kept and how to follow it.
- Sport and activities: If exercise affects your child’s asthma, make sure the relevant instructions are included in their plan and understood by the people supervising them.
The National Asthma Council provides an Asthma Action Plan Library with downloadable plans and alternative formats.
Australian schools and childcare centres should accept valid plans that meet Australian Asthma Handbook standards.
For families needing ongoing GP care, Trident’s Children’s Health service covers healthcare from infancy through the school years.
Spring Asthma: One Extra Check for Victoria
In Victoria, the thunderstorm asthma risk forecast operates during grass pollen season from 1 October to 31 December.
People with asthma are among those at increased risk, so September is a useful time to check that your plan is current and your reliever is available as directed in your plan.
Victorians can also use VicEmergency to follow epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk forecasts during the season.
You can find more information about thunderstorm asthma here.
Check the Plan You Have Now
Start with the date on your current plan. Then check whether the medicines, symptoms and triggers written there still match what’s happening now, and whether school, childcare or other carers have the same current version.
If the plan is due for review or something has changed, book an asthma review with Trident Medical Centre on 03 8828 8333 or through the online booking system.
Quick Questions
How often should an Asthma Action Plan be reviewed?
Asthma Australia recommends a doctor check the plan every six months for children and once a year for adults, or sooner when asthma medicines or symptoms change.
Does my child need a separate Asthma Action Plan for school?
Asthma Australia advises that its current Asthma Action Plan is suitable for children and can be provided to schools and childcare facilities.
Can I just download and fill out an Asthma Action Plan myself?
An Asthma Action Plan is individualised and developed with a doctor or other appropriately qualified health professional. Downloadable templates are useful resources, but the instructions need to reflect the person’s asthma and treatment.
