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Asthma Action Plan: Red Zone

Topic Overview

An asthma action plan is a written plan of what to do if you have an asthma attack. You are in the red zone of your asthma action plan if you have severe asthma symptoms. Symptoms include:

  • Peak expiratory flow less than 50% of your personal best measurement. To find 50% of your personal best, multiply your personal best measurement by 0.50. For example, if your personal best flow is 400, then 50% of that is 400 times 0.50, which is 200. In this example, a peak expiratory flow less than 200 means you are in the red zone.
  • Any shortness of breath while walking, talking, or at rest.
  • Use of the chest muscles to breathe. The skin between, above, and under the ribs collapses inward with each breath (retractions).
  • Wheezing. But if symptoms are very severe, you may not hear any wheezing. Wheezing will stop when the amount of air moving through the bronchial tubes becomes dangerously low. In this case, no wheezing is actually worse than hearing wheezing.

Treatment for asthma attacks in the red zone includes:

  • Seeking immediate medical attention while you are following your asthma action plan.
  • Using medicine based on your asthma action plan.
  • Talking with a doctor immediately about what to do next. This is especially important if your peak expiratory flow does not return to the green zone or stays within the yellow zone.

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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