Thank you for the advice everyone :) I'm going to finish off the course of antibiotics (which end tomorrow) and only have two days of steriods left. I thought it was if you were put on steriods for longer like weeks or months then they had more of an effect...
I just can't stop worrying and thinking the worst.. :(
COPD is another similar condition that is more related to smoking and the damaging it causes. I would agree with the respiratory tests are this would show how your lungs work and whether it is asthma, infection (not a definitive test for this tho) or something else.
Let us know how it goes!
You are never too old to develop asthma. I would worry more about the steroids than the workout. They wreak havoc on your immune system, lead to osteoporosis, adrenal problems, etc. For mild asthma usually you begin with an albuterol rescue inhaler, To make the jump to steroids seems excessive.
For your own peace of mind, and to better understand your condition, you might want to get an inexpensive peak flow meter. This is something you blow into and it tells you how far off normal your breathing is, if it is off normal at all, that is. Most asthmatics have this simple device. The one I use is made by Assess.