Asthma treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes, you can. A physician on Maple will be happy to discuss asthma with you. If you are experiencing asthma exacerbation, you should seek in-person care.

If you believe that you could be experiencing symptoms or signs of asthma, the doctor will arrange a physical exam to rule out other possible conditions.

Depending on your condition, the doctor may also suggest other additional testing be done before offering an asthma diagnosis.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe asthma medications online during your consultation. Once you accept an asthma prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy, or have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease, which causes your airways to swell and become narrower. This may also cause you to produce extra mucus.

Asthma can be both minor or severe, depending on the person. At this time, there’s no cure for asthma. However, with treatment, asthma symptoms can be controlled.

There are many different types of asthma, including:

• Occupational asthma (involving triggers in the workplace)
• Allergic asthma (also called extrinsic asthma)
• Nonallergic asthma (also called intrinsic asthma)
• Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB)
• Cough-variant asthma (CVA)
• Nocturnal asthma
• Aspirin-induced asthma

Most commonly, signs of asthma appear as squealing, whistling, or wheezing sounds that occur when you breathe.

Other common asthma symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Tightness in the chest
• Fatigue or exhaustion
• Feelings of panic or anxiousness
• Coughing (especially when laughing, during exercise or at night)

When asthma symptoms become severe or appear acutely, it can cause an ‘asthma attack. Left untreated, severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening.

The causes for your asthma also help determine what type of asthma you’re experiencing.

For example, allergic asthma symptoms can be triggered by things like dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, or even foods.

On the other hand, nonallergic asthma can be caused by things like viral illnesses, cold air, smoke, or irritants like perfumes or chemical cleaners.

Typically, most types of asthma are caused by some sort of irritant or trigger that results in the signs of asthma appearing.

In many cases, you’ll need to visit a doctor and get an accurate asthma diagnosis to receive asthma treatments that will be effective for your specific condition.

Before offering an asthma diagnosis or any kind of asthma treatments, your doctor will want to perform a physical examination and discuss your medical history.

They will also want to test your lung function, to determine how much air is moving in and out as you breathe.

The doctor may also suggest additional testing in order to confirm a possible asthma diagnosis. These tests could include:

• Imaging tests
• Allergy testing
• Methacholine challenge (an asthma trigger)
• Sputum eosinophils (testing for white blood cells in mucus discharge from coughing)
• Nitric oxide tests
• Exercise or cold-air tests (as asthma triggers)

Preventing asthma attacks and learning to control or avoid asthma triggers are key elements in long-term asthma treatments.

As well, the doctor may suggest prescription asthma medications for both long-term control of asthma and short-term rescue treatment for asthma attacks.

Some long-term control asthma medications include:

• Combination inhalers
• Inhaled corticosteroids
• Theophylline (in rare cases)
• Leukotriene modifiers

Some quick-relief asthma prescriptions include:

• Anticholinergic agents
• Oral or intravenous corticosteroids
• Short-acting, inhaled bronchodilators

In the case that your asthma symptoms are triggered by allergies, the doctor may suggest immunotherapy or biologic medications as part of your asthma treatments.

In rare cases, when other forms of asthma treatments aren’t working, the doctor may suggest you try bronchial thermoplasty.

If you’ve never had an asthma diagnosis, and you’re beginning to show symptoms or signs of asthma, you should talk to a doctor. They will be able to offer suggestions to manage your symptoms and help diagnose asthma, if it’s present.

Also, if you’ve received an asthma diagnosis, but your symptoms are worsening, or you’re experiencing nighttime symptoms, the doctor can suggest alternative asthma treatments.

Because there is no cure for asthma, it’s important to have an ongoing, long-term action plan in place with your doctor to manage your condition.