I have had asthma all of my life but it largely went undiagnosed until I was 19. I also worked at a job that exposed me to chemicals that aggravated the breathing issues. Once diagnosed, I began the long road to finding what combination of treatment would work. In those days I used bronchial dialators like Primatene not realizing that these over the counter medications were actually more dangerous than those I needed a prescription for. 1994 was the worst year for me as I was in the hospital for major asthma distress 6 times. Finally my Dr settled on a combination of Steroid inhalants for long term treatment and Ventilin for immediate relief. Now more than 10 years later, I no longer need the steroids and only use the Ventilin now and then. The changes in treatment for asthma now versus 25 years ago when I was first diagnosed are amazing.