Asthma Maintenance: Daily Steps to Keep Attacks Away

Your inhaler won't help if you don't use it right. Asthma maintenance is about daily habits that cut attacks and reduce ER visits.

Quick Daily Checklist

Take your controller medicine every day, even when you feel fine. Most people use an inhaled steroid once or twice daily to reduce airway inflammation. Keep a reliever (blue) inhaler nearby for sudden symptoms, but don’t use it as a substitute for controllers.

Use a spacer with a metered‑dose inhaler — it improves drug delivery to your lungs. If you use a dry powder inhaler, inhale quickly and fully when you press the dose. A good technique: exhale fully, seal lips around the mouthpiece, inhale slowly and hold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds. Ask your clinician to watch your technique at every visit; a quick demo fixes common mistakes.

Measure your breathing with a peak flow meter once a day to find your personal best. Record drops of 20 percent or more from your best reading — that usually signals worsening control and a need to adjust treatment. Keep a log or use a phone note so you can show trends to your doctor.

Know your triggers and cut them out where possible. Common triggers are cigarette smoke, strong smells, dust mites, mold, cold air, and pet dander. Small changes like washing bedding weekly in hot water, running a dehumidifier in damp rooms, and not allowing smoking in the home help a lot.

Stay active. Regular exercise strengthens lungs and reduces symptoms. Warm up well and use your reliever 10 to 15 minutes before exercise if exercise triggers wheeze for you. If you sweat a lot, change out of damp clothes quickly to avoid cold air triggers.

When to Call for Help

If you use your reliever more than twice a week for symptoms that aren’t exercise related, talk to your doctor — that often means poor control. Go to urgent care if you have fast breathing at rest, chest tightness that won’t ease, or peak flow in the red zone despite using medication.

Keep follow‑up visits every three to twelve months depending on control. At visits, review symptoms, action plan, inhaler technique, allergies, and side effects. Ask about vaccines — annual flu shots and current COVID boosters reduce one preventable trigger.

Manage refills and costs proactively. Set a reminder for medicines, know your pharmacy options, and ask about generic inhalers if cost is a concern. Running out of controllers is one of the fastest routes to flareups.

Consider allergy testing or seeing a specialist if symptoms persist despite good inhaler use. For some people, allergy shots or biologic therapies cut attacks and lower steroid needs. Also check for common comorbid conditions like reflux, obesity, or smoking that can worsen control.

Asthma is manageable. Pick one change this week — fix your inhaler technique, set a medicine alarm, or make a small trigger proofing change — and build from there, and stay consistent always.