Hi, Welcome to health care magic, Thanks for the query, Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm, mostly episodes comes in the night time. The chronic inflammation is associated with airway hyper-responsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing particularly at night or in the early morning. You must go for spirometry (pulmonary function tests) to measure peak expiratory flow rate and which will help to make a clear diagnosis along with your symptomatology. Now there are very good medicines like steroids, alpha adrenergic agonists, anticholinergics available in market in all formulations like inhalation, oral, injectables etc which can be effective within seconds even. If u r really having asthma symptoms then OTC drugs won t help,u will need of pulmonologist prescription for it. And keep that inhaler in your pocket every time as no one knows when it would be required. Regards,