What's an Asthma Action Plan? An asthma action plan (or management plan) is a written plan that you create with your child's doctor to help control your child's asthma. The goal of an asthma action plan is to reduce or prevent flare-ups and emergency department visits. Following a written asthma action plan can help your child do normal everyday activities without having asthma symptoms. What's in the Asthma Action Plan? Each person's asthma is different, so each action plan will be too. However, each plan should cover: what medicines to take and when (for students, this can include permission to take medicine at school) a list of possible triggers early symptoms of flare-ups and what to do if they happen know how to manage a full-blown flare-up when to get emergency care If your child uses a peak flow meter, add the "personal best" reading to the plan so that you'll have something to compare the new readings to. How Do I Read the Plan? Many action plans use a color-coded system to help parents understand how to care for their child's asthma. The "zone system," which is commonly used, is based on the red, yellow, and green colors of a traffic light. Action plans use symptoms, peak flow readings, or both to help you see what "zone" your child is in: The green zone, or safety zone, explains how to manage asthma when your child is feeling good. The yellow zone, or caution zone, explains how to look for signs that asthma is getting worse. It also explains which medicines to add to bring your child's asthma back under control. The red zone, or danger zone, explains what to do when a flare-up is severe. Following the advice in the asthma action plan will help prevent flare-ups. So become familiar with the plan right away, and talk to the doctor if you have any questions. Your child should learn about the plan too, and older kids should know which steps they can take themselves and when they should get help. What Else Should I Know? The action plan should go everywhere your child goes. Keep a copy at home in a well-known spot, and give one to the school nurse, teachers, and anyone else who cares for your child. Explain the plan to them so they'll be comfortable following it. Review the plan with your doctor at least every 6 months to keep it current. Any time something changes — if your child's medicine dose changes, for example — update the plan and give new copies to all caregivers and teachers. Back to Articles Related Articles Word! Asthma Action Plan Lots of stuff goes more smoothly when you have a plan - and that includes dealing with asthma. Read More Definition: Asthma Action Plan An asthma action plan is a set of written instructions that can help a person manage breathing problems. Read More Asthma Center Visit our Asthma Center for information and advice on managing and living with asthma. Read More Asthma Center Asthma means breathing problems. Find out what's going on in the lungs and how to stay healthy, if you have it. Read More How Can I Deal With My Asthma? Asthma is more common these days than it used to be. The good news is it's also a lot easier to manage and control. Read More How Do Asthma Medicines Work? Two different types of medicines are used to treat asthma: long-term control medicines and quick-relief medicines. Read about how they work, and why people might need to take them. Read More What's an Asthma Action Plan? An asthma action plan is a written plan that helps you take control of your asthma. Get the details in this article. Read More Asthma Action Plan When things are confusing, a plan really helps. Check out this asthma action plan, which you can print out and use to manage breathing trouble. Read More What's an Asthma Action Plan? If you have asthma, you'll want to have an asthma action plan. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Asthma Center Asthma keeps more kids home from school than any other chronic illness. Learn how to help your child manage the condition, stay healthy, and stay in school. Read More Asthma Medicines Asthma medicine comes in two main types: quick-relief and long-term control medicines. Even if a child takes a long-term control medicine regularly, quick-relief medicine is still needed to handle flare-ups. Read More Asthma Asthma makes it hard to breathe. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Asthma Asthma makes it hard to breathe. But with treatment, the condition can be managed so that kids can still do the things they love. Learn all about asthma. Read More Asthma Asthma is a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe. Learn all about asthma here. Read More Managing Asthma Asthma control can take a little time and energy to master, but it's worth the effort. Learn more about ways to manage your child's asthma. Read More Asthma Action Plan Use this printable sheet to help manage your asthma. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.