Home measures that support asthma care

Asthma causes episodes of narrowed, inflamed airways. Cough, wheezing and chest tightness may appear after exercise, smoke, viral illness, cold air or an allergy trigger such as house dust mites. Symptoms can vary over time, so feeling better at home does not prove that airway inflammation has settled.

Follow your written asthma action plan and take prescribed controller and reliever medicines as directed. Keep smoke, vaping aerosols and strong fragrances away from the room. Reduce dust around bedding, improve ventilation and notice whether pets, exercise, weather or infections precede symptoms.

Rest during a flare, sit upright if that helps you breathe, and use your reliever exactly as your plan instructs. Do not inhale steam or use herbal mixtures as a substitute for prescribed treatment.

Get emergency help if breathing is very difficult, speech is limited, lips look blue or grey, you are becoming drowsy, or your reliever is not helping according to the action plan. Arrange a review for frequent night symptoms, repeated reliever use, or a cough or wheeze that keeps returning.

Am I using my inhaler correctly? Which triggers matter most for me? When should I use a spacer or seek nebuliser treatment, and how should my action plan change during an infection?