Symptoms are occasional and stable.
Check inhaler technique, triggers, prescription supply and that your written asthma action plan remains up to date.
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Asthma questions · GP care
Breathe more confidently. Review control, not just symptoms.
Cough, wheeze, chest tightness or breathlessness—especially at night or with exercise—can signal that asthma is not well controlled. A structured review can check diagnosis, inhaler technique, treatment and your action plan.
An asthma attack can be life-threatening. Severe or worsening breathing symptoms should never wait for a routine video or telephone appointment.
Choose a suitable route
Choose the right starting point.
Routine control questions need a review; an active attack needs immediate action and emergency care when treatment is not working.
More symptoms or reliever use.
Arrange review if treatment is not helping, you need the inhaler more often, symptoms wake you or limit activity, or you have had an attack.
Explore in-person GP careAn asthma attack is not settling.
Follow your action plan and call 999 if symptoms worsen or do not improve after the maximum advised reliever dose, or if no inhaler is available.
Call 999After recovering from an asthma attack, NHS guidance recommends an urgent GP appointment within two days to review treatment and prevention.
Notice the pattern
What changes the next step.
Daytime symptoms, night waking, activity limitation and reliever use together show how well asthma is controlled.
Wheeze and tightness
Whistling breathing or a tight chest may come and go and can worsen with infection, allergens, cold air or exercise.
Night and morning symptoms
Cough or breathlessness that wakes you or is worse early in the morning suggests incomplete control.
Reliever dependence
Needing a reliever more often or finding it less effective requires review rather than repeated use alone.
Triggers and exposures
Smoke, vaping, pollen, pets, mould, work exposures, pollution, infection and some medicines can worsen symptoms.
Breathlessness has many causes. New symptoms need assessment, and chest pain, collapse or severe breathing difficulty may require emergency care even without an asthma diagnosis.
A focused GP assessment
Review control, technique and the diagnosis.
A GP or nurse can assess symptom control, listen to the chest and decide whether breathing tests or treatment changes are needed.
Explore in-person GP care01
Measure control.
Discuss daytime and night symptoms, activity, attacks, urgent care, reliever use, missed preventer doses and time off work or school.
02
Check inhaler technique.
Bring every inhaler and spacer. Small technique errors can significantly reduce how much medicine reaches the lungs.
03
Update the action plan.
Agree usual treatment, trigger reduction, what to do when symptoms worsen and when to call 999.
A proportionate plan
Prevent symptoms as well as relieve them.
Modern asthma care uses anti-inflammatory treatment and a personalised plan; a blue reliever should not be the only treatment.
01
Use inhalers correctly
Take inhalers exactly as prescribed, use a spacer when advised and ask a clinician or pharmacist to demonstrate technique.
02
Reduce avoidable triggers
Avoid smoke, manage allergies, return expired inhalers to a pharmacy and keep vaccinations up to date as advised.
03
Review and step treatment
Treatment may be adjusted up or down according to control, side effects and objective tests. Do not make changes without clinical advice.
Always carry the inhaler your action plan tells you to use for symptoms. If you are pregnant, continue asthma care and tell your GP or midwife.
Prepare for a useful review
Bring inhalers, numbers and the last few weeks.
Bring every inhaler, spacer and your asthma action plan. Note night waking, activity limitation, attacks and how often you use symptom-relief treatment.
List triggers, smoking or vaping exposure, recent infections, steroid courses, urgent visits and peak-flow readings if you have been asked to record them.
Explore GP appointments ↗Good to know
Questions about asthma.
Practical answers to help you choose a sensible next step without trying to diagnose the concern yourself.
When should I call 999 for asthma?
Call 999 if symptoms worsen at any time during an attack, you do not improve after the maximum reliever dose in your plan or NHS guidance, or you do not have an inhaler.
Do I need an asthma action plan?
Yes. It records usual treatment, how to recognise worsening symptoms, what to do and when to seek urgent help. Bring it to asthma reviews.
Why does inhaler technique matter?
Incorrect technique can mean too little medicine reaches the lungs. A clinician, nurse or pharmacist can check each device and spacer.
Can asthma be reviewed remotely?
Some follow-up can happen remotely, but new symptoms, diagnostic uncertainty or poor control may need chest examination and objective breathing tests.
Clinical information: NHS asthmaNHS asthma and pregnancy. This information is general and does not replace individual medical advice.