Intermittent asthma

Asthma symptoms can vary between days and may be triggered by exercise, viral infections, smoke, dust, pollen, cold air, or workplace irritants. Allergic rhinitis and house dust mite allergy can aggravate symptoms in some people. During an episode, the airway lining becomes inflamed and the surrounding muscles tighten, making it harder for air to move. A quiet period does not prove that asthma has gone away; symptoms can return when a trigger appears.

Use inhalers exactly as prescribed and learn the correct technique from a clinician or pharmacist. Keep a written action plan describing your usual symptoms, medicines, and escalation steps. Track when cough, wheezing, or chest tightness occurs, including exposure to allergens, smoke, or exercise. Reduce avoidable triggers, keep rescue medicine available if prescribed, and arrange review when symptoms disturb sleep, limit activity, or need repeated reliever doses.

Seek emergency help if breathing is very difficult, speech is limited to short phrases, the lips look blue or grey, the person is becoming drowsy or confused, or prescribed reliever medicine is not helping. Sit upright and follow the action plan while help is arranged. A nebuliser treatment may be used by medical professionals, but worsening symptoms still require urgent assessment.

Ask what triggers are most likely, whether your inhaler technique is correct, what to do during an attack, when to start or change preventer treatment, and how to manage asthma during exercise or infections.