Your blue inhaler is an essential emergency treatment if you are having an asthma attack BUT using a blue ‘reliever’ inhaler more than three times a week is a sure sign that your asthma is out of control. Overuse can increase your risk of dying from the condition.

While deaths from asthma attacks are still relatively rare, they do occur. Most asthmatics are prescribed two types of inhaler - one designed to relieve the wheezing symptoms, and another to control the condition and reduce the frequency of attacks or prevent them entirely.

Research suggests it is possible to spot asthma patients at greatest risk of dying simply by checking how many ‘reliever’ inhalers they are getting through.

We are here to help you get your asthma under better control and stop you getting daily symptoms of shortness of breath, wheeze and/or chest tightness.

We will NEVER not issue a blue ‘reliever’ if you have run out. You may, though, have to speak to a GP before we re-issue it. We will then arrange an appointment for you with one of our doctors or nurses to help you get your asthma better under control.

There are a lot of things we can do. Our aim is to get you using one or two blue ‘reliever’ inhalers a year BUT to ensure that you always have a blue inhaler available to hand in case of an asthma attack.

We are not trying to be difficult. We are doing this because we know that uncontrolled asthma is a serious issue and one we can help you with. We can get rid of your usual symptoms and help you get back to living your life without being short of breath, feeling tight chested or wheezing.