What does well-controlled asthma look like?
Well-controlled asthma means daytime symptoms no more than a couple of times a week, no waking at night because of asthma, needing your reliever no more than a couple of times a week, and being able to exercise and go about your day normally. If that doesn't sound like your asthma, it's worth a review with your GP.
Many people assume regular wheeze, cough or breathlessness is just part of having asthma. It usually isn't. Ongoing symptoms are often a sign that the underlying airway inflammation isn't being managed, or that inhaler technique needs a tune-up. Both are very fixable.
What's the difference between a reliever and a preventer?
A reliever inhaler works quickly to open the airways and ease symptoms when they happen. A preventer inhaler is used regularly, usually every day, to calm the underlying inflammation in the airways so symptoms and flare-ups happen less often. Many people with asthma use both, in different ways, as set out in their action plan.
A common pattern we see is relying on the reliever alone. It eases symptoms in the moment but does nothing for the inflammation underneath, so symptoms keep coming back. If you're using your reliever more than a couple of times a week, tell your GP; your treatment plan may need adjusting.
One more detail that makes a real difference: a spacer. Using a spacer with a puffer-style inhaler helps much more of each dose reach your airways instead of the back of your throat. Your GP or pharmacist can check your technique in a minute or two. It's one of the simplest ways to get more from the same treatment.
What triggers asthma, and can you avoid them?
Triggers vary from person to person. Common ones include:
- Colds and flu: respiratory infections are the most common trigger for flare-ups
- Allergens: dust mites, pollens, mould, and animal dander
- Smoke and air quality: cigarette smoke, bushfire smoke, and high-pollution days
- Exercise and cold air: often manageable with the right plan, not a reason to avoid activity
- Thunderstorms in pollen season: "thunderstorm asthma" can affect people with hay fever, even some who've never had asthma symptoms before
You can't avoid every trigger, and you don't need to. The aim is to know your own, reduce the ones you can, and keep your asthma well controlled so the ones you can't avoid cause less trouble. Because infections are such a common trigger, an annual flu vaccination is recommended for people with asthma.
What is an asthma action plan?
An asthma action plan is a simple written plan, prepared with your GP, that sets out what to take day to day, how to recognise when your asthma is getting worse, what to do about it, and when to call an ambulance. Everyone with asthma should have one, kept up to date and easy to find.
It matters because flare-ups rarely come out of nowhere. There are usually a few days of warning signs. A plan turns those days into clear steps rather than guesswork, and it's just as useful for family members, carers, schools and workplaces as it is for you.
When is asthma an emergency?
Call 000 if you or someone near you has a severe attack. Signs include:
- Struggling to speak in full sentences, or gasping for breath
- Little or no relief from the reliever inhaler
- Lips or fingertips turning blue
- Skin sucking in between the ribs or at the base of the throat with each breath
- Becoming drowsy, confused or exhausted
While waiting for the ambulance, sit the person upright, keep giving the reliever as set out in their action plan (or the first-aid steps on the reliever's packaging), and stay with them. Don't drive yourself to hospital during a severe attack.
When did you last review your asthma?
A short appointment can check your control, your technique and your action plan. Book online, seven days a week.
How often should asthma be reviewed?
At least once a year, even when you feel well, and sooner after a flare-up, an emergency visit, or if you're reaching for your reliever more than usual. A review checks your symptoms, your inhaler and spacer technique and your action plan, and makes sure your treatment still fits your life.
Asthma changes over time, with the seasons, with age, and with life stages like pregnancy. A plan that suited you two years ago may not be the right plan now, and a regular review is how it stays current.
How Sirius Health can help
At our Chatswood clinic, your GP can assess how well your asthma is controlled, check your inhaler and spacer technique, prepare or update your written asthma action plan, and arrange an annual review so nothing drifts. If you haven't had your asthma looked at in over a year, or you're using your reliever often, that's a good reason to book. We can speak with you in English, Cantonese or Mandarin.
Sources: healthdirect, Asthma; Asthma Australia; National Asthma Council Australia, Australian Asthma Handbook.