1. Feeling breathless
2. Tightness in your chest
3. Cough and wheeziness

Symptoms can be triggered by things such as flu, pollution, pollen, cigarette smoke and animals. Keep a diary of symptoms as this can help the doctor properly assess your condition.

Exercise induced asthma

If you are affected by episodes of breathlessness, especially when exercising, then you may have a condition called exercise induced asthma.

Cough variant asthma

There is another variant of asthma that we call cough variant asthma where your primary symptom is predominantly cough. 

Allergic asthma

The vast majority of people with asthma also suffer with allergic rhinitis and so they have what we would term as postnasal drip contributing to a persistent cough.

Occupational asthma

Depending on your work environment, you may be exposed to substances that can cause you to develop asthma. 

If you suspect you may have asthma, it's important to book an appointment with your GP. They'll listen to your chest and may carry out breathing tests or a blood test to help assess your condition. Based on the results, your GP will guide you through the next steps toward a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you’re diagnosed with asthma, you will be supported by your GP and in some cases a specialist respiratory doctor will be involved.

The main treatment for asthma involves inhaled medications, so you’re likely to be prescribed inhalers.

Every patient who is diagnosed with asthma is meant to have a personalised asthma action plan because it’s such an individual disease with varying degrees of symptoms, manifestation and triggers.

This plan must be accessible to you, your family members, friends and colleagues and in the event of an asthma flare-up, it should clearly outline which treatments to use and when to seek help.

The plan should include what you take daily, what you take when you feel a little bit unwell and what you need to do if you feel really unwell. You should have clear instructions of how to use your inhalers, plus when to go to hospital or seek medical care if those inhalers are not working.

Finally, make sure to have an annual check-up with your GP to assess your condition and ensure your asthma remains well managed.

Educating yourself fully on how to correctly use your inhaler. This will make a difference in your asthma and improve your respiratory symptoms. While each inhaler manufacturer provides specific instructions for using their inhaler, here is some general advice.

1. Remove the cap and shake the inhaler
2. Breathe out gently
3. Insert the mouthpiece between the front teeth and seal your lips around it
4. Breathe in and at the same time press down on the medication
5. Hold breath for up to 10 seconds whilst also removing the inhaler
6. Wait for a few seconds before repeating steps two and four if a second dose is needed

If you have asthma, your GP has likely prescribed two types of inhalers. The blue inhaler is a rescue inhaler which you need to use when you are breathless or have an episode of wheezing. If you’re needing to use your blue inhaler more than three times a week, or if your sleep is being disturbed because of coughing or wheezing, it may be a sign that your asthma isn’t well controlled.

This may require your coloured inhaler to be adjusted which generally contains an inhaled steroid to help with the inflammation in your airways. Adjusting the dose of this inhaler is more likely to bring about long-term benefits and control your asthma.

If you have gone through more than one blue inhaler a month, it’s important to seek medical advice. Start by booking in an appointment with your GP, who may refer you to a respiratory specialist for further assessment and support.

Asthma typically presents with intermittent symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, and night time coughing. In contrast, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterised by a gradual and progressive decline in breathing capacity.

Inhaled therapies tend to be highly effective in managing asthma, often leading to significant symptom relief. However, with COPD, treatment focuses more on controlling symptoms and slowing disease progression rather than achieving full reversal.

COPD most commonly affects individuals over the age of 40, whereas asthma can develop much earlier in life.