Bronchial Spasm

I've had asthma for years, controlling it without medicine, no attacks etc...Then recently I experienced a stressful event which resulted in a lot of coughing and shortness of breath.  It wasn't the norm so I drank a lot of hot coffee and cocoa and used cough drops.  Well...it went on for a month, till it got worse.  I thought it couldn't get any worse, only death so I went to the ER.  I was given medicine through compressed air, then given an inhaler for home use, then later perscribed singular.  I never had to take medicine before for my asthma, but I have to now, for I went to a danger zone.  What I would like to know is why did the episode linger on so long, then turn for the worse?

[National Jewish Health]

Unfortunately, this is the nature of asthma.  It is often a cyclical disease that can be "quiet" for decades, only to worsen frequently in response to a stressful event such as smoke inhalation or a bad bacterial or viral respiratory infection, each of these capable of causing inflammation of the airways that precipitates asthma worsening.

You should make every effort to avoid situations that result in the inhalation of irritant dusts or fumes and should work with your doctor to achieve optimum control of your asthma.  Should you do this, there is a good possibility that, with good adherence to prescribed medicines, your asthma may, in 6 to 12 months, return to the state you had, prior to the stressful event.