You're on a new case. So what's your goal? To spot when your asthma gets worse and take care of it.

So how do you know if your asthma is getting worse? Well, your asthma usually gives you one or two pretty big clues. You just need to spot them. But if you pay attention to how you're feeling each day, you'll be ready for anything.

Know Your Zone

You can think of your asthma like a traffic light. A traffic light has three colours, each with a special meaning: Green means go, Yellow means slow down, and Red means stop. Well, when you're a top-notch asthma agent, you can read your asthma just like you can read a traffic light.

If it's green, you're good to go

When your asthma is the green zone, your asthma is under control. You know you're in the green zone when:

• You have no trouble breathing, even when you're laughing, playing and having fun.
• You don't cough or wheeze, and you don't get short of breath.
• You only need to use your reliever medication (blue puffer) less than 4 times a week.
• Your breathing is fine, so you can go to school.

If you're in the green zone, you're probably doing all the right things: taking your controller medication everyday, staying away from your triggers, and using your puffer properly. Keep it up!

If it's yellow, take it slow

When your asthma is in the yellow zone, it's telling you to take care. You know you're in the yellow zone when:

• You have trouble breathing when you're laughing, playing and having fun.
• You start to cough, or wheeze, or feel that tight feeling in your chest.
• You wake up in the morning or in the middle of the night coughing or wheezing.
• You need to use your reliever medication more than three times a week to help you breathe better.
• You have to stay home from school because of your asthma.

If you're in the yellow zone, your asthma is probably not letting you do all the things you want to do. Take your reliever medication when you need it, but you also need to find out why you need it so much.

You might not be using your puffer properly, or you may need to change the medication you take. A doctor can help you find these answers so you can get back in the green where you belong.

If it's red, STOP!

When your asthma is in the red zone, you'll know right away. You'll feel terrible, you'll have trouble breathing, you may even have trouble talking. And it can be scary!

• Your reliever medicine does not seem to be helping you breathe better.
• You are breathing hard, and fast.
• You can't walk or talk well, or it's hard to lie down and sleep.
• Your lips or nails are turning a blue colour.
• You're scared!

Asthma Agents never want to be in the red zone, but if you are, you need to know what to do. If you're in the red zone:

1. If you're running around or doing some sort of activity, STOP!
2. Sit down and stay still.
3. Use your reliever every 10 minutes, and
4. Tell someone to get help.

You might need an ambulance so a doctor can help you breathe!

And remember...

Whenever you have to use your reliever to help you breathe better, make sure you tell your parents about it if they weren't with you. They'll need to know how often you use it so they can tell if your asthma is under control or not. And don't forget, to stay in the green zone, just remember the Asthma Agent's secret code word.