Having asthma symptoms? Here's five tips to help you decide what to do

Now, when you blow 80-100% of your personal best, you are good to go.  When you blow 60-80% of your personal best, you should use your rescue inhaler, wait 20-30 minutes, and blow in your pf again.  If your pf is now above 80%, you are okay for now, but you should use your pf every four hours.

However, if your pf is still below 80%, you should call your doctor.

When you blow in your meter and your pf is less than 60%, you should use your rescue inhaler and then have someone take you to the ER.  Or, if you are bad enough, call an ambulance (you should avoid driving yourself to the ER).

3. Inhaler overuse.  If your asthma is so bad that you have to use your rescue inhaler more than recommended (click here for proper use of rescue inhalers), it's time to at the very least give your doctor a call. 

4. Second guessing.  When you start to second guess what you should do, it's time to go to the ER.  Likewise, if you are thinking things like the following, go to the ER:  "One more puff of my inhaler and I'll be fine."  Or, "If I just wait another hour I will turn the corner."

Or, perhaps you have caught yourself saying this a time or two:  "If I go to the ER they'll just make me feel stupid.  I'm not sick enough to go to the ER."

Look, if you follow your asthma management plan, and it is not working, then you should come in to see us in the ER.  At the very least we will give you one Albuterol breathing treatment and send you home and you will have peace of mind knowing you are okay.

5.  Downplaying your asthma.  "Oh, my asthma is not bad enough to go to the ER."  If you find yourself saying things like that, then chances are you are downplaying the severity of you asthma and it's time to go call your doctor or go to the ER.

I think downplaying and second guessing are the two most common reasons asthmatics don't come into the ER when they should.  It is true your asthma might get better, but it is also true that your asthma might get worse.  It's a gamble.  If you wouldn't recommend your friend bet on staying home, don't do it yourself.  

Most ER docs, and most RTs and RNs who take care of asthmatics (myself included), would much rather you come in with mild asthma symptoms than to have you come in after waiting three days gasping for breath -- or not breathing at all.  It's much easier for the ER staff to fix and send you home if you come in with mild asthma symptoms than if you wait too long.

You should never be afraid to call your doctor and ask for his advice. Likewise, you should never be afraid to come to the ER and seek out our services.  We will never make you feel unwelcome no matter how "mild" your asthma attack is.

The questions "When should I call my doctor," and "When should I go to the ER" should be easy to answer.  If you are among the many asthmatics who struggle making the decision, the tips provided here should help you.