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Asthma Action Plan: Yellow Zone

Topic Overview

An asthma action plan is a written plan of what to do if you have a sudden increase in your asthma symptoms (asthma attack). The yellow zone may mean that you are having an asthma attack or that your medicine needs to be increased.

In the yellow zone, your peak expiratory flow is 50% to 80% of your personal best measurement. To find 80% of your personal best, multiply your personal best measurement by 0.80. For example, if your personal best flow is 400, then 80% of that is 400 times 0.80, which is 320. And 50% of your personal best would be 400 times 0.50, which is 200. In this example, the yellow zone would be any value from 200 to 320. You may not have any symptoms, but your lung function is reduced. When symptoms are present, they may be mild to moderate, or they may keep you from your usual activities or disturb your sleep. Symptoms can include:

  • Coughing and wheezing.
  • Feeling short of breath and having chest tightness. (Children may express chest tightness as a stomachache.)

Treatment for symptoms in the yellow zone includes the following:

  • Take your medicine according to your asthma action plan.
  • If symptoms do not improve within 20 to 60 minutes and your peak expiratory flow remains less than 70% of your personal best measurement, follow the red zone instructions of your asthma action plan, because your lungs are not responding to medicine.

If you keep going into the yellow zone from the green zone, talk with your doctor. Your regular medicine may need to be changed.

Credits

By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Lora J. Stewart, MD, MPH - Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics
Last Revised March 17, 2011

Last Revised: March 17, 2011

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Lora J. Stewart, MD, MPH - Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics

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