Asthma and Adults in Grand Rapids, Michigan

About 1 in 9 adults in the United States live with asthma, and many of them are right here in Grand Rapids and Kent County. Because asthma symptoms can look like other breathing problems—such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart-related shortness of breath—getting a careful, accurate diagnosis from a Grand Rapids healthcare provider is essential.

Local health systems such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health all provide adult asthma evaluation and treatment. The Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health also offer education and resources for people with chronic lung conditions.

Adult-Onset Asthma in Grand Rapids

Many people are diagnosed with asthma in childhood, but some experience asthma symptoms for the first time as adults. This is called adult-onset asthma.

Common Asthma Symptoms in Adults

Asthma symptoms can differ from person to person, but common signs include:

  • A feeling of tightness in the chest
  • Shortness of breath or breathlessness
  • Wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
  • A persistent cough, especially at night or early in the morning
  • Coughing or wheezing with exercise, laughter, or cold air

If you live in Grand Rapids and notice these symptoms—especially if they are worse during Michigan’s cold winters, when the air is dry and icy—it’s important to see your primary care provider or a local pulmonologist for assessment.

Asthma Triggers for Adults in West Michigan

People with asthma have extra-sensitive airways. Certain things in the environment can “trigger” symptoms or an asthma attack. Adults with asthma are usually sensitive to the same triggers as children, but each person’s triggers are unique.

You may have more than one trigger, and they can change over time.

Common Adult Asthma Triggers

In Grand Rapids and the Great Lakes region, common asthma triggers include:

  • Outdoor allergens
    • Tree, grass, and weed pollen (especially in spring and fall in West Michigan)
    • Mold spores (can be higher in damp basements, older homes, and near the Grand River)
  • Indoor allergens
    • Dust and dust mites
    • Pet dander (cats, dogs, small mammals)
    • Mold in bathrooms, basements, or around windows
  • Irritants
    • Cigarette or vape smoke
    • Fumes, air pollution, and strong odors (cleaning products, perfumes, paints)
    • Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, common during Michigan winters
  • Respiratory infections
    • Colds
    • Influenza (flu)
    • COVID-19
    • Other viral respiratory infections
  • Medications
    • Some beta-blockers (such as atenolol, metoprolol)
    • Some pain relievers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen and naproxen, in susceptible people
  • Physical and emotional factors
    • Exercise and physical activity (especially in cold, dry air)
    • Strong emotions, stress, or anxiety
  • Weather and storms
    • Sudden temperature changes
    • Cold, windy days along Lake Michigan
    • In certain circumstances, thunderstorms can worsen asthma symptoms

Talk with your Grand Rapids doctor about which triggers affect you. Keeping a symptom diary—noting weather, location (home, work, outdoors), and activities—can help identify patterns.

Asthma Medications for Adults

Asthma can be well controlled in almost all adults with the right diagnosis, medication, and self-management plan. To improve your asthma control in both the short and long term, it’s important to:

  • Have a clear diagnosis from your doctor
  • Discuss your triggers
  • Review how often you have symptoms or need your reliever inhaler
  • Talk about the possibility of starting or adjusting preventer treatment

You can discuss your symptoms and medications with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist at any Grand Rapids clinic or hospital system.

Main Types of Asthma Medication

Most asthma treatment plans include:

1. Preventer Medications (Controller Inhalers)

These medications:

  • Reduce swelling and inflammation in the airways
  • Decrease mucus inside the airways
  • Make your airways less sensitive to triggers over time

Key points about preventers:

  • Taken every day, usually once or twice daily, even when you feel well
  • Help prevent symptoms and asthma attacks
  • Often contain an inhaled corticosteroid
  • There are also combination preventer inhalers that contain 2 or 3 medications (for example, an inhaled steroid plus a long-acting bronchodilator) to help keep your asthma under control

2. Reliever Medications (Rescue Inhalers)

Relievers:

  • Are used during an asthma attack or when you have sudden symptoms
  • Work quickly to relax the muscles around your airways
  • Provide fast relief of wheeze, chest tightness, and shortness of breath

Everyone with asthma should always have reliever medicine handy, especially during:

  • High-pollen days in West Michigan
  • Cold, windy winter days in Grand Rapids
  • Respiratory virus season (fall and winter)

Preventers vs. Relievers

Preventers: Everyday Control

Preventers help to control asthma symptoms if taken regularly, as prescribed.

They are the foundation of good asthma control. Even if you feel fine, do not stop your preventer without talking to your doctor.

Relievers: For Asthma Attacks

Relievers are used during an asthma attack or when symptoms flare.

If you find you need your reliever inhaler more than 2 days per week, your asthma is not well controlled, and you should see your doctor in Grand Rapids for a review.

Using Spacers with Inhalers

It is recommended that all people with asthma, regardless of age, use a spacer when taking medication via a metered-dose inhaler (puffer).

Spacers:

  • Help more medication reach your lungs
  • Reduce medicine deposits in your mouth and throat
  • Lower the risk of side effects

Ask your doctor or local pharmacist (for example, at a pharmacy near downtown Grand Rapids, Eastown, or Wyoming) to:

  • Show you how to use a puffer and spacer correctly
  • Check your inhaler technique regularly

Good technique plus a spacer can significantly improve your asthma control.

What Good Asthma Control Looks Like

You likely have good asthma control if:

  • You can do all your usual activities (work, exercise, walking the Riverwalk, shoveling snow)
  • You have no asthma symptoms during the night or on waking
  • You have daytime symptoms no more than 2 days per week
  • You need your reliever medication no more than 2 days per week

If your asthma is affecting your day-to-day activities, sleep, or exercise—or you’re using your reliever more often—schedule a visit with your Grand Rapids primary care provider or asthma specialist.

Asthma Action Plans for Adults

Every adult with asthma should have a personalized, written asthma action plan prepared by their doctor.

An asthma action plan explains:

  • Day-to-day care of your asthma
    • What preventer medication to take and when
    • How and when to use your reliever
  • How to recognize when your asthma is getting worse
    • Changes in symptoms, peak flow readings, or reliever use
  • What to do if symptoms are getting worse
    • Step-by-step instructions for adjusting medication
    • When to seek urgent or emergency care
  • What to do in an asthma attack
    • Exact doses of reliever medication
    • When to call 911 or go to the emergency department

Your plan should include:

  • Your name
  • The name of the healthcare provider who prepared the plan
  • The date it was written or updated

This plan should be reviewed every year, or whenever your symptoms or medications change. Asthma can change over time, especially with aging, new jobs, new homes, or changes in Michigan’s seasonal patterns.

Asthma and Respiratory Viruses in Michigan

Adults with asthma are not necessarily more likely to catch the flu, COVID-19, or common colds than others. However, if you have asthma, a respiratory virus can:

  • Be more serious
  • Last longer
  • Trigger worsening symptoms or an asthma attack, even if your asthma is usually mild or well controlled

Reducing Your Risk of Infection

You can’t completely avoid viruses, but you can lower your risk:

  • Wash your hands often, especially before eating or touching your face, eyes, or nose
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, not your hands
  • Avoid crowded indoor spaces, especially during cold and flu season in West Michigan
  • Wear a mask if you can’t maintain physical distance or if you are in high-risk settings (for example, busy indoor events in winter)

Vaccinations for Adults with Asthma

Adults with asthma living in Grand Rapids should talk to their doctor about:

  • A yearly influenza (flu) vaccine
  • Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations
  • Being current with all age-appropriate vaccines, as recommended by national and state immunization schedules

These vaccines are widely available through:

  • Primary care clinics
  • Local pharmacies
  • Kent County Health Department
  • Community vaccination events around Grand Rapids

Cigarette Smoke, Vaping, and Asthma

Cigarette smoke is a common and powerful trigger for asthma symptoms. Many other respiratory illnesses—such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis (forms of COPD)—are also caused or worsened by smoking.

If you have asthma:

  • Do not smoke or vape
  • Avoid being around others who are smoking or vaping, especially indoors or in cars
  • Ask family and friends not to smoke around you

Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is one of the most important steps you can take for your lungs. Managing asthma becomes much easier when you are smoke-free.

There are many effective treatment options for quitting, including:

  • Nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, lozenges)
  • Prescription medications
  • Counseling and support programs

Discuss these options with your Grand Rapids doctor or pharmacist. Many local clinics and health systems offer smoking cessation programs, and the Kent County Health Department can connect you with additional resources.

When to Seek Help for Asthma in Grand Rapids

In an Emergency

Call 911 immediately or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital (such as Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital or Trinity Health Grand Rapids) if:

  • Your reliever inhaler is not helping
  • You are struggling to breathe, talk, or walk
  • You have blue lips or fingernails
  • You feel very distressed or confused

Non-Emergency Support

For ongoing asthma care and advice in Grand Rapids, you can contact:

  • Your GP (primary care doctor)
  • Your pharmacist – for advice about medications, spacers, and inhaler technique
  • Local health systems:
    • Corewell Health (Spectrum Health)
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health
  • Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health – for education, community programs, and vaccination information

(Phone numbers and specific services may change; check each organization’s official website for the most current contact details.)

Key Points for Adults with Asthma in Grand Rapids

  • Asthma symptoms vary, but common ones include chest tightness, wheeze, cough, and shortness of breath.
  • You may have more than one trigger, and triggers can include pollen, mold, cold air, smoke, dust, infections, and certain medications.
  • Combination preventer medications containing 2 or 3 medicines are available to help control asthma when a single medication is not enough.
  • Preventers help control asthma symptoms if taken regularly, as prescribed, even when you feel well.
  • Wear a mask if you can’t maintain physical distance, especially during respiratory virus season or in crowded indoor settings.
  • If you need your reliever inhaler more than 2 days per week, or asthma is affecting your daily life, see your Grand Rapids healthcare provider for a review and an updated asthma action plan.

By working with local healthcare providers and using the right medications and strategies, most adults in Grand Rapids with asthma can live active, healthy lives in every season—through snowy winters, spring pollen, and everything in between.