Is Munich's Föhn weather a trigger for asthma?

Yes. Föhn brings warm dry air and rapid changes in air pressure, and many asthma patients report worsening symptoms on Föhn days. Pollen, summer ozone peaks and winter particulate matter are also relevant Munich triggers. During pollen season (February to September), the local pollen forecast (German Weather Service) helps with daily planning.

What does a private physician house call for asthma cost in Munich?

Billing follows the GOÄ (German medical fee schedule for private medicine), from 180 € depending on time of day, day of the week and services rendered such as nebulisation, corticosteroid injection or SpO2 measurement. Private health insurance and civil-servant aid usually reimburse in full; statutory (public) health insurance does not cover this private service.

Asthma Attack — Severity, First Steps, Doctor on Site

Q: When is an asthma attack life-threatening?

A severe asthma attack is defined by the inability to finish sentences, respiratory rate above 25 per minute, heart rate above 110 per minute, oxygen saturation below 92 % or peak flow below 50 % of personal best. A silent chest (wheeze disappears), altered consciousness, blue lips or exhaustion are signs of a life-threatening attack — call 112 immediately.

Q: What do I do during an acute asthma attack?

Sit upright, rest your arms on a table or thighs (tripod position), breathe out through pursed lips. Use your reliever inhaler (short-acting beta-2 agonist such as salbutamol/albuterol) — 2 to 4 puffs, ideally through a spacer; repeat after 10 minutes if needed. If there is no improvement or if symptoms worsen, call 112.

Q: What can a doctor do during a house call for asthma?

A private physician measures respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation and peak flow, listens to the lungs, gives a nebulised salbutamol (with ipratropium if needed) treatment, administers systemic corticosteroid (oral or intramuscular prednisolone) and oxygen for hypoxaemia. The doctor decides whether outpatient follow-up or hospital admission is appropriate and issues a report and private prescription.

Q: When do I need hospital admission for an asthma attack?

Any failure to respond to 3 puffs of reliever within 15 minutes, oxygen saturation below 92 %, respiratory rate above 25 per minute, marked exhaustion, cyanosis (blue lips) or altered consciousness requires hospital admission. Munich has specialised pulmonology units at LMU Großhadern, Klinikum Bogenhausen and the Asklepios Lung Clinic in Gauting.

Reading time: 7 minutesEditorial: DoktorAkutUpdated April 2026

An acute asthma attack can emerge within minutes from a seemingly stable situation — and is potentially life-threatening. In Munich the typical triggers are pollen (birch, grass, ragweed), summer ozone peaks, winter particulate matter, and especially the Föhn wind with its sudden shifts in atmospheric pressure, all of which can provoke or aggravate symptoms.

This guide helps you assess the severity of an asthma attack, take the right initial steps, and know when to call 112, when a private physician house call is appropriate, and when a regular pulmonology appointment is sufficient. It is based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommendations, NICE asthma guidelines and the German National Asthma Care Guideline.

An asthma attack is no cause for panic — but it is no reason to hesitate either. Patients with well-controlled asthma and a reliever inhaler at hand can manage many mild to moderate attacks themselves; at signs of a severe attack every minute counts.

Typical signs of an asthma attack

Mild attack

Wheeze, especially on exhalation
Mild shortness of breath; patient can still finish sentences
Cough, tightness in the chest
Peak flow above 80 % of personal best
Oxygen saturation above 95 %

Moderate attack

Noticeable breathlessness; patient speaks in part-sentences
Respiratory rate 20–25 per minute
Audible wheeze, sometimes on inhalation as well
Peak flow 50–80 % of personal best
Oxygen saturation 92–95 %
Use of accessory respiratory muscles

Severe, life-threatening attack

Patient can speak only single words; tripod position
Respiratory rate above 25 per minute, heart rate above 110 per minute
Peak flow below 50 % of personal best
Oxygen saturation below 92 %
Cyanosis (blue lips, fingertips)
Silent chest — the wheeze disappears because airflow is minimal (acute danger)
Exhaustion, altered consciousness, paradoxical breathing

Call 112 immediately for:

No improvement after 3 puffs of reliever inhaler within 15 minutes
Inability to speak in sentences
Silent chest or markedly diminishing wheeze with persisting severe breathlessness
Blue lips or fingertips (cyanosis)
Oxygen saturation below 92 % (if measurable)
Altered consciousness, confusion, exhaustion
In small children: intercostal or sternal recession, nasal flaring

When should I call a doctor?

Call 112 immediately

For any severe attack and whenever the reliever inhaler fails to work within minutes. Munich Fire Brigade ambulances carry nebulisers, oxygen and intravenous access and can start treatment on the way to hospital.

Private physician house call is appropriate for

Mild to moderate attack that responds partially to reliever and still requires medical assessment
Acute flare-up of known asthma without access to your usual pulmonologist (weekend, travel)
Follow-up after hospital discharge
Infection-related deterioration in known asthma
Persistent symptoms despite regular controller therapy
Children with post-viral bronchial obstruction where parents need support but there is no acute danger

Scheduled appointment with pulmonologist / family doctor

Persistently poor asthma control
Adjustment of controller therapy (ICS, LABA, biologics)
Spirometry, allergy testing

What a doctor can do during the house call

For non-life-threatening asthma symptoms a private house call in Munich offers fast help at home — without the journey to a practice or the wait in a waiting room. Possible services:

Structured history (trigger questions: pollen, infection, exercise, cold air, Föhn)
Physical examination with lung auscultation, breathing pattern, accessory-muscle use
Vital signs: respiratory and heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry (SpO2)
Peak flow measurement to objectify the limitation
Nebulised salbutamol/albuterol (with ipratropium if indicated) via mask or mouthpiece nebuliser
Systemic glucocorticoid (prednisolone 40–50 mg oral or intramuscular) in standardised dose
Oxygen for hypoxaemia
Inhaler technique training and reliever education
Private prescription for controller and reliever medication; written sick note
Written recommendation on further management (family doctor, pulmonologist, hospital)
If deterioration occurs: hospital referral with pre-notification (LMU Großhadern, Klinikum Bogenhausen, Asklepios Lung Clinic Gauting)

Not part of a house call: spirometry with reversibility testing, FeNO measurement, structured allergy management or biologic initiation — these belong in a pulmonology practice.

Self-care before the visit

Stay calm; sit upright and rest arms on a table or thighs (tripod position) — this enlarges the breathing surface
Pursed-lip breathing: slowly exhale through slightly closed lips to prevent small-airway collapse
Reliever inhaler (short-acting beta-2 agonist, usually salbutamol/albuterol): 2–4 puffs through a spacer if possible; repeat after 10 minutes if needed
Loosen tight clothing; open a window (during Munich pollen season it may be better to keep windows closed on high-count days)
Avoid triggers: smoke, scented candles, strenuous effort
Document every attack (severity, trigger, response to reliever) — valuable information for the doctor
In children: stay calm, keep them upright, watch for nasal flaring and chest recession
Never take more than 10 puffs of reliever in a short period without medical guidance

Why a house call — and why sometimes not?

Asthma is well treatable, but acute care in Germany is fragmented: community-based pulmonologists often have weeks-long waiting lists, emergency departments triage by priority, and after-hours general-practice services have limited pulmonology equipment. A private physician house call fills this gap for many mild to moderate attacks:

Pro house call: fast arrival, nebulisation on site, calm surroundings, no waiting-room infection risk, immediate sick note and prescription, qualified assessment in an emotionally charged situation.
Against house call — 112 is better for: severe attacks with SpO2 below 92 %, altered consciousness, silent chest, status asthmaticus. An ambulance with intubation capability is the safe choice.
Video consultations have limits: without auscultation, pulse oximetry and peak flow an online assessment can only be approximate. Video is fine for controller-therapy reviews and repeat prescriptions, not for an acute attack.

A note from practice: many Munich asthma patients specifically request a house call on Föhn days, to avoid adding the stress of a journey to an emergency department on top of the trigger itself.

Frequently asked questions

When is an asthma attack life-threatening?

A severe attack means inability to finish sentences, respiratory rate above 25 per minute, heart rate above 110 per minute, SpO2 below 92 % or peak flow below 50 % of personal best. Silent chest, altered consciousness, blue lips or exhaustion are signs of a life-threatening attack — call 112 immediately.

What do I do during an acute asthma attack?

Sit upright, arms supported (tripod position), pursed-lip exhalation. Use your reliever (short-acting beta-2 agonist such as salbutamol) — 2 to 4 puffs, repeat after 10 minutes if needed. No improvement or worsening symptoms: call 112.

What can a doctor do during a house call for asthma?

A private physician measures respiratory rate, heart rate, SpO2 and peak flow, listens to the lungs, gives a nebulised salbutamol (with ipratropium if needed) treatment, administers systemic corticosteroid and oxygen for hypoxaemia. The doctor decides on outpatient follow-up or hospital referral and issues a report and private prescription.

Is Munich's Föhn weather an asthma trigger?

Yes. Föhn brings warm dry air and rapid pressure changes, and many patients report worsening on Föhn days. Pollen, summer ozone and winter particulates are further relevant triggers. The German Weather Service publishes a daily Munich pollen forecast.

What does a private house call for asthma cost in Munich?

Billing follows the GOÄ (German medical fee schedule for private medicine), from 180 € depending on time of day, day of the week and services rendered. Private insurance usually reimburses in full; statutory (public) insurance does not cover this service.

When do I need hospital admission for an asthma attack?

No improvement after 3 reliever puffs within 15 minutes, SpO2 below 92 %, respiratory rate above 25 per minute, severe exhaustion, blue lips or altered consciousness. Munich has specialised pulmonology units at LMU Großhadern, Klinikum Bogenhausen and the Asklepios Lung Clinic Gauting.

Doctor house call in your district

DoktorAkut comes to you for acute respiratory complaints across all of Munich:

Schwabing · Bogenhausen · Haidhausen · All districts

More guides: Flu and cold · Allergies · Fees per GOÄ

The information on this page does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For severe breathlessness, cyanosis, altered consciousness or exhaustion, call 112 immediately. In life-threatening emergencies, call 112 immediately. Asthma maintenance therapy should be guided by your family doctor or pulmonologist; review therapy after every severe attack.

Editorial: DoktorAkut. Last updated: April 2026.

Sources: Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Main Report 2024, NICE Clinical Guideline NG80 "Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management", British Thoracic Society / SIGN Asthma Guideline, WHO Global Action Plan on Asthma, AWMF Guideline "Acute and long-term treatment of bronchial asthma" (020-009).