Newbie with some questions :)

i went to the doctors on thursday and she said i had asthma and gave me an inhaler and i've got to go back in january, but the inhaler i have, it works but i have to take more doses than prescribed or the symptoms don't go or come back within a couple of minutes? will i get a higher dose i'm on 100mg at the moment and i work at a swimming pool, do i have to tell my workplace that i have asthma?

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HI and welcome! This is a pretty useful place to get info about asthma, I have learned a lot and generally found answers to my questions.

Generally the first step is a reliever inhaler, but if that doesn't control things on its own - and it sounds like yours isn't - then generally you'll be given a preventer inhaler which aims to control the underlying cause of the asthma and have you using the blue inhaler as little as possible. I should think you'll be given one of those when you go back in January, though if you're really struggling I would go back before then and say the reliever isn't doing much.

Re work and asthma - I don't know the ins and outs of this one I'm afraid but I'm sure someone else on here will! I'd say you need to tell them if anything you do at work, or the atmosphere in the pool, is setting off your asthma. tbh a lot of asthmatics find the atmosphere in pools actually helps them and find swimming is a good form of exercise, as it's warm and humid. However some people find the chlorine can be a trigger, and some, like me, find that warm steamy air also makes them worse (I find the same with cold dry air...makes no sense to me!)

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Swimming pools are well known to cause occupational asthma in life guards. If you find out at a future date you have occupational asthma, your employer will have to report this under RIDDOR, and will have to carry out health survailance measures and make reasonable adjustments as required.

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Hey! Fistly, welcome to the site, hope you find it as useful as i have...

I would recommend that you tell your employer that you have asthma, that way they can support you and know help you if it were to suddenly go out of control.

Sorry to hear that your inhaler isnt working, give it a bit of time as your system will need to adapt with the new medication, but agreed if you find it is getting to bad or that you cant control it, go straight back to your gp.

By the way, if you find that you do have occupational asthma, you can get a form of financial support for this particular type!!

Xx