Living with asthma means learning how to breathe in a whole new way but it s not quite as daunting as it sounds. When you and your doctor learn that you re living with asthma, you ll be prescribed medication that helps open air passageways to promote air flow and clean breathing. This medication may be taken every day, or as needed when breathing becomes a hassle. Only your doctor can tell you where you fit in this schism, what these zones involve, and about the three different plans of action for what you need to do, and how fast, in different situations. THE GREEN ZONE: This is the ideal place to be. No symptoms, you are able to stretch yourself to the limits of your abilities, participate in normal, everyday activities, and even exert yourself to perform at your peak physical limits for decent periods of time. Get into a regular cleaning schedule to battle the effects of pet dander and dust mites, both irritants that might hamper breathing and cause undue suffering in asthmatic patients. Regularly washing fabrics helps fight these irritants. It s important to breathe easy in the home above all, so get into the groove of cleaning and be free of dust mites and other airborne irritants. The On Going Process Of Living with Asthma Asthma sufferers know that living with asthma is an ongoing process. It isn t easy, but it is manageable. Once you master living with asthma, you can get back to living your life. Use your asthma medication regularly, as directed by your physician. Many asthma sufferers manage their symptoms beautifully with prescription medication. Your doctor may also prescribe medications to assist in the conclusive determination as to whether the disease is present or not. Misdiagnosis: However, just because you ve got symptoms doesn t always mean you re infected with asthma. One example is you may get tightness in your chest or wheezing during or just after exercise. Even with medication, some people who have been diagnosed with asthma learn that medication does not combat all asthma symptoms. But there are things that you can do, along with taking your regular medication, to lessen even these lingering symptoms. If you re living with asthma, then you should be living smoke-free.