Asthma monitoring

Your MinuteClinic provider can assess changes in symptoms between visits to your primary health care provider. They can provide support for your asthma action plan. Your asthma action plan is the roadmap you can use to manage your symptoms and monitor your day-to-day condition.

1. You may have to answer a few questions about symptoms to help us prepare for your visit prior to scheduling your appointment.

2. Check-in varies depending on how you scheduled your appointment:

   If you made your appointment online:
   Check in using the email or text message we sent to confirm your appointment. If you prefer to check in using the electronic kiosk, make sure you have your confirmation code.

   If you made your appointment in the clinic:
   Sign in at the electronic kiosk.

   If you made a MinuteClinic Virtual Care® appointment:
   To join your virtual visit, use the link in the email or text message we sent you to confirm your appointment. Please join 15 minutes before your scheduled visit time. You will need your date of birth and zip code to join the visit.

3. When it's time for your appointment, a provider will call your name.
4. Your provider will conduct a thorough examination based on your reason for visit, presenting symptoms and health history. Charges will be based on examination and services provided during the visit.
5. At the end of your visit, you are provided with a visit summary, receipt and educational material about your diagnosis. At your request, we can send your primary care provider information about your visit.

You can monitor your asthma condition in 2 ways: symptoms and peak flow. Refer to your asthma action plan to determine whether to record asthma symptoms, peak flow or both. To help monitor and track your symptoms, keep a journal or diary. To make recording your symptoms a habit:

• Download apps such as AsthmaMD or Asthma Buddy onto your smartphone
• Keep notes on your smartphone
• Use a health tracking app built into your phone
• Use a spreadsheet on your laptop computer
• Write notes on a printed form

Canker sores often get confused with cold sores, which are caused by herpes (HSV-1) virus. Fortunately, canker sores are not contagious. To tell them apart, it's worth noting that canker sores occur inside the mouth, while cold sores form outside the mouth.

Daytime symptoms: Note the asthma symptoms you have during the day, such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath.

Nighttime symptoms: Note when you wake up at night from an asthmatic episode. Jot down the symptoms you experienced, such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath.

Quick-relief or rescue inhalers: These are often prescribed for immediate relief of asthma symptoms. Note how often you need to use it.

Difficulty performing daily activities: Your asthma symptoms might affect your ability to walk, climb stairs or perform everyday chores. Make notes when you have difficulty doing your daily activities.

If peak flow metering is a part of your asthma action plan, the measurements could provide information that could help you control your asthma. A peak flow meter is a handheld electronic device that’s designed to measure the rate at which your breath exits the lungs when you inhale fully and then exhale forcefully. The resulting calculated value is called the peak expiratory flow (PEF).

Your MinuteClinic provider can help you understand the various treatment methods and how they apply to your symptoms. Precisely follow directions. Take your medication at the right time with the proper technique. These will help you:

• Breathe easier
• Do more of the activities you enjoy
• Have fewer asthma symptoms

Anticholinergics: Prevent muscle bands from tightening around the airways.

Anti-inflammatories: Reduce the swelling and mucus inside the airways. As the inflammation subsides, breathing gets more comfortable.

Bronchodilators: Relax muscles and open up the breathing tubes in your lungs, making it easier to breathe.

If you’re unsure whether or not you’re taking your medicine correctly, talk to your primary care provider or a MinuteClinic provider. They can help you understand the proper ways to take your medicines and make adjustments as required.