Questions for Your Child's Doctor
When you visit your child's healthcare provider, there are a lot of things to go over in just a short period of time. You can help make sure you cover all of the important information by preparing ahead of time and knowing what questions you want to ask during your visit.
Only your child's healthcare provider can tell you which asthma medication is right for him/her. However, it is a good idea to assess your child's asthma regularly and share the assessment with a healthcare provider. Take a minute to think about your child's asthma symptoms.
Your child's asthma may not be as well controlled as it could be if you answer yes to any of the following:
- Does your child use a rescue inhaler more than 2 days a week?
- Does your child have asthma symptoms more than 2 days a week?
- Does your child wake up at night 2 or more times a month because of asthma symptoms?
- Do your child's asthma symptoms keep him/her from doing normal daily activities?
- Has your child gone to the emergency room or into the hospital or required oral corticosteroids 2 or more times in the past year?
Don't forget to talk to your child's healthcare provider about your child's asthma. Let him/her know if any one of these is true for your child to see if he/she believes there should be a change in your child's medication.
Before your visit:
Being specific when talking about your child's asthma helps make the most of your visit. Write down the answers to the following questions:
- Which medication(s) is your child taking for asthma?
- How many times a day does your child take his or her asthma medication(s)? Specify dose(s).
- How often does your child use a rescue inhaler?
- How do your child's symptoms affect his or her daily activities?
- What asthma symptoms is your child experiencing (for example, shortness of breath or wheezing)?
During your visit:
Make sure to ask your child's healthcare provider the following questions and check them off when you're done. If your child is still having asthma symptoms while taking a controller medication, there may be a controller medication, like ADVAIR DISKUS 100/50, that can help.
- Does my child have an asthma treatment goal that we should work toward?
- Will treating the 2 main causes of asthma symptoms help prevent my child's symptoms?
- Does my child need to start taking a medication, like ADVAIR DISKUS, that treats the 2 main causes of asthma symptoms?*
*ADVAIR is a maintenance therapy that contains two medicines that treat the two main causes of asthma symptoms; most other products treat only one.
Important Safety Information About ADVAIR DISKUS and ADVAIR HFA 45/21, 115/21, 230/21 (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) Inhalation Aerosol
Prescription ADVAIR won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be taken more than twice a day. ADVAIR is for people who still have symptoms on another asthma controller, or who need two controllers. ADVAIR contains salmeterol. In patients with asthma, medicines like salmeterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. So ADVAIR is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on another controller medicine.
Talk to the doctor about the risks and benefits of treating asthma with ADVAIR. Do not use ADVAIR with long-acting beta2-agonists for any reason. If taking ADVAIR, see the doctor if asthma does not improve or gets worse. Thrush in the mouth and throat may occur. Tell the doctor about any heart condition or high blood pressure. Some people may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or changes in heart rhythm. Inhaled corticosteroids as well as poorly controlled asthma may cause a reduction in growth rate. The long-term effect on final adult height is unknown.
ADVAIR DISKUS is for patients 4 years and older. For patients 4 to 11 years old, ADVAIR DISKUS 100/50 is for those who have asthma symptoms while on an inhaled corticosteroid.
ADVAIR HFA is for patients 12 years and older.