5 Ways to Prevent a Severe Asthma Attack
May 08, 2025
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects your airways, making them inflamed, narrow, and sensitive to triggers. When someone with asthma is exposed to a trigger (anything from pollen to cold air), it can lead to symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.
Asthma shows up differently among people. For some, it’s mild and flares up only now and then. For others, it’s more persistent and potentially dangerous.
Severe asthma attacks can come on quickly and escalate fast. Breathing becomes more difficult, speaking may get harder, and in extreme cases, oxygen levels can drop to life-threatening lows. These severe episodes sometimes require emergency care and can have long-term effects on your lungs if they happen often enough.
While there’s no cure for asthma, it’s manageable with proper care, and many people with asthma live full, active lives. Every May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and a reminder for people living with asthma to check in on how well they’re managing their condition.
At Advanced Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Center PA in San Antonio and Schertz, Texas, our lead allergist, Dr. Patricia Gomez-Dinger, works closely with patients of all ages to create personalized asthma care plans.
Let’s walk through five tips to help you prevent a severe asthma attack.
What triggers one person’s symptoms might not bother someone else. That’s why identifying your triggers is an essential first step. Once you know what sets you off, limit your exposure. That might mean using a HEPA filter in your home, avoiding outdoor workouts during high- pollen days, or wearing a mask in dusty areas.
You won’t be able to control every environment, but being proactive about your triggers gives you a huge advantage. If you're not sure what your triggers are, a visit to Advanced Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Center PA can help. We use testing and symptom tracking to help you better understand your asthma and what tends to set it off.
One of the most common reasons people end up in the ER for asthma is because they stopped taking their medication when they felt better. It’s an easy mistake to make, especially if you haven’t had an episode in a while.
However, preventive medication is what keeps your asthma under control. If Dr. Gomez-Dinger prescribes a daily controller inhaler (like an inhaled corticosteroid), using it consistently is one of the most crucial things you can do to prevent a severe flare-up. Only use rescue inhalers (like albuterol) for sudden symptoms, not as your everyday go-to.
Paying attention to subtle changes like coughing more at night, increased shortness of breath during exercise, or needing your rescue inhaler more often can help you catch a flare-up early. A peak flow meter is a simple tool you can use at home to measure how well air is moving out of your lungs.
Dr. Gomez-Dinger helps you learn your baseline “good day” number so you can recognize when your readings dip before your symptoms spike.
Respiratory infections and allergy flare-ups are two of the biggest asthma aggravators. A simple cold can tighten your airways and make your lungs more reactive, while untreated allergies can keep you constantly inflamed.
This is why it’s critical to stay healthy in general. Get your flu shot, wash your hands often, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Every person with asthma should have a written action plan that outlines what to do when symptoms start to worsen, notes which medications to take, when to call your doctor, and when to go to the emergency room.
Share this plan with the people around you: your partner, your coach, and your close friends. We help every patient at our practice to create a clear, personalized asthma action plan, and we make sure it’s easy to understand and follow.
A severe asthma attack is something no one wants to experience, but if you’re well informed, most attacks can be prevented.
If you’ve been experiencing frequent symptoms, haven’t updated your treatment plan in a while, or just want to feel more confident managing your asthma, schedule an appointment with us online or call your nearest office today.