Jenniferpl
I don't know if the parrot picture is significant but a good friend of mine was hospitalised once as a result of calling in to see a friend who had a parrot (I kid you not!) He is (he discovered) highly sensitive to them. Also I notice that you are in South East London; I lived near Plumstead Common and the air there is really polluted and is worse in the cold weather for asthmatics. I also found that the GP surgery just did not have the time to spend with me to explain what asthma was or to help me to understand how to control it properly. That had to wait for 7 years until I moved to an area where they spent time explaining it all to me (and where they had more time). It might be worth asking to see a specialist nurse; they are usually available locally and the GP should be able to tell you where they are. Hope this helps.