Asthma and COPD Care in Point Cook

Asthma and COPD are different

Both conditions narrow the airways. With asthma, medicines usually return breathing to normal; with COPD they are less effective, and the damage tends to worsen over time. Healthdirect notes that COPD is usually caused by smoking, and that some people have both conditions.

If you are over 35 and have ever smoked, or worked around dust or fumes, ask your GP to check your lungs. You may be referred for spirometry, a breathing test that measures how much air you can blow out and how fast.

Your asthma action plan

Asthma Australia recommends a written action plan for everyone with asthma, however mild it seems. It covers:

• your everyday medicines
• what to do when symptoms start
• steps for a severe flare-up
• what to do in an emergency

Adults should update the plan yearly and children every six months, or sooner when symptoms or medicines change. Schools and childcare centres need a copy.

What asthma care in Point Cook covers

• how often you have symptoms, wake at night or reach for your reliever
• inhaler and spacer technique, which takes practice to get right
• whether your medicines still suit you
• triggers at home and work, including hay fever
• vaccines that protect your lungs, such as the flu vaccine

Healthdirect explains that using only a blue or grey reliever is no longer recommended for adults and adolescents. If that is all you use, book a review. The same applies if you have needed a course of steroid tablets: a focused review afterwards helps prevent the next flare-up.

Living with COPD

Quitting smoking is the most effective way to slow COPD, and your GP can help you plan it. Other parts of care include inhaled medicines, staying active and pulmonary rehabilitation, a supervised exercise and education course. Colds and flu often set off a flare-up, so have a plan ready for winter. A GP chronic condition plan, described on our chronic disease management page, can include Medicare-rebated allied health visits. See your GP promptly if you notice more phlegm, a fever, swollen legs or a cough worse than usual.

Thunderstorm asthma season

In Victoria the grass pollen season usually runs from 1 October to 31 December. Better Health Channel warns that thunderstorm asthma can affect people with hay fever who have never been diagnosed with asthma, and the risk is highest when asthma is poorly controlled. Spring is a good time for a review.

When to call 000

• severe trouble breathing, or a reliever that is not helping
• too breathless to talk, walk or sleep
• blue lips, confusion or drowsiness
• a heartbeat that is suddenly faster or irregular

Common questions