When should mild asthma be treated?

 

I believe I have mild asthma (allergic--to what?  don't know).  I have a chronic morning cough, often accompanied by other allergy symptoms (sore throat, stuffy nose, sinus aches, teary eyes, etc...).   Symptoms are most prominent in humid weather (I assume I'm allergic to one of the molds).  It is not uncommon for me to lose my voice entirely in hot humidity--sometimes have trouble breathing in hot shower or bath.  Cold air also triggers horrible coughing jags.  Only once, can I recall ever having a "classic" asthma attack triggered by an allergen, and it resolved on its own after isolating myself from the trigger (I was standing in front of an open window).  My mother had severe asthma, and my sister has mild asthma.  I've never been dx with it, although a pulmonologist asked me about it last year because some scores from my lung function test came back as hyperinflated, which he said could be indicative of asthma. 

 

Right now, when I feel congestion, and have a lot of coughing, etc... I live on cough drops.  Regular allergy medicine does nothing for chest symptoms.  I'm really tired to eating cough drops, though (I've been doing it off and on for years), and I'm starting to think that all that menthol is probably  not really good for me anyway.  Yet, I'm not sure I actually have asthma and need to have asthma medication?  At what point do you go to a doctor for this stuff, short of having a 'classic' asthma attack.

 

Thanks for any advice,

El

---

Current dx: Rheumatoid Arthritis

Past Meds: Relafen, Vioxx, Mobic, Voltaren, Sulfasalazine, Entocort, Prednisone, Humira, Reglan