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I mean, I have literally had the diagnosis for like, a week, so I haven’t got much to go on 😀 Mine is specifically exercise-induced, it only happens when I run, so my inhaler is a preventative, I use it before I run. I’m afraid I can’t help much, Anon! 

Readership, if you want to chime in feel free, but remember to do it in comments or reblogs, not asks!

Coughing and nose running can be asthma symptoms. If you suddenly are coughing a ton or your nose won’t stop running, use your inhaler.

Keep your emergency inhaler with you and physically accessible 24/7. (I fail this constantly, but I know I should.) You will think it is unnecessary and that you will definitely not need it until you definitely, definitely do.

More applicable to children than adults, but: do not allow other people to separate you from your inhaler or put you in a situation where you will have to jump through hoops, go to another room and/or ask for it while you can’t breathe.

I don’t personally use one, but some people use medical masks on a daily basis to reduce attacks that are caused by air irritants (allergens, smoke, etc). So, that’s an option if you’re getting a lot of attacks.

This is more a general allergy thing, but: high allergy exposure actually causes and worsens anxiety. If you also have anxiety or panic problems and suddenly are having a ton of problems for no apparent reason, it’s entirely possible that it’s because of a spike in allergens and has nothing to do with you at all.

Some inhalers need to be washed regularly and/or primed before you use them, and the way you take all inhalers isn’t identical (in particular, some you start inhaling before you press the button, some at the same time). Read the instructions and find out, before you have an attack. It is hard to look up instructions and understand them while you can’t breathe.