What should I do to prepare for the doctor's visit?

Be ready to tell your doctor about your child’s asthma symptoms. Your doctor will need to know how often and how bad your child’s asthma symptoms have been in the past two weeks. Preparing for your doctor’s visit can help your doctor better treat your child. You should prepare for the doctor’s visit by doing the following three things:

1. Pay close attention to when your child has breathing problems.

   • Make sure to listen for the little signs of asthma — little dry coughs or noisy breathing.

2. Use the asthma symptom log on page 15 to keep track of how often your child has trouble breathing.

   • For the next week or until you go to the doctor, keep track of symptoms during the day and night.
   • When your child has even a small cough during the day or night, start using the log on that day.
   • If the symptoms look like they are getting worse, don’t wait any longer. Call your doctor.

3. Take the asthma symptom log with you to the doctor.