Services
Asthma Treatment,
Same Day
Wheezing, chest tightness, or a flare that your inhaler is not calming? Walk in seven days a week. A nebulizer treatment usually starts within minutes, with a physician leading your care.
Joint Commission AccreditedThe only one in Florida
A severe asthma attack is a 911 emergency
If any of the following is happening, call 911 now. Do not drive yourself, and do not wait to see if your inhaler kicks in.
- You cannot speak in full sentences, or you can only get a few words out between breaths.
- Your lips or fingertips are turning blue or gray.
- Severe breathlessness, or your rescue inhaler is not working at all.
- You feel confused or drowsy, or your chest has gone silent and quiet.
- You have ever been intubated or admitted to intensive care for asthma.
For mild to moderate flares, walk-in urgent care is the right choice, and it is usually faster and far less costly than an emergency room for the same care.
Can I walk in for an asthma flare today?
Yes. TrufaMED treats acute asthma flares on a walk-in basis, seven days a week, under physician supervision. For an active flare, a nebulizer treatment usually begins within five to ten minutes of triage, while a board-certified physician places you on pulse oximetry and examines your breathing. A typical visit (evaluation, back-to-back nebulizer treatments, and a steroid) runs 60 to 90 minutes. You leave with prescriptions and a written asthma action plan, not just a referral.
Our walk-in flare protocol
Acute asthma is time-sensitive. The faster bronchodilators and steroids reach you, the faster your airways open and the lower the risk of a rebound flare over the next three days. The clinic is built to move quickly, so triage, oxygen monitoring, and the first nebulizer happen in parallel, not one after another.
Triage in minutes
Wheezing, chest tightness, cough, or shortness of breath is assessed on arrival. Vital signs, pulse oximetry, and a focused respiratory exam happen in the first five to ten minutes.
First nebulizer fast
If the picture fits an asthma flare, a nebulized bronchodilator is started right away. Most patients feel their airways begin to open within five to fifteen minutes of that first treatment.
Stacked treatments
For a moderate flare, the standard is up to three back-to-back nebulizer treatments over the first hour, with breath sounds, work of breathing, and oxygen reassessed after each one.
Oxygen monitoring
Continuous pulse oximetry runs throughout the visit. A resting oxygen level of 95 percent or higher on room air is reassuring; lower readings prompt supplemental oxygen and closer watching.
Systemic steroid
Every moderate or severe flare gets a corticosteroid, usually oral prednisone before discharge, or IV methylprednisolone in clinic if you cannot keep oral medication down.
Plan and prescriptions
You leave with a written asthma action plan and your controller and rescue prescriptions sent to your pharmacy before discharge, so you are set up to prevent the next flare.
Nebulizer and steroid therapy, explained
Two classes of medication do the heavy lifting during an asthma flare. Fast-acting bronchodilators open the airway within minutes, and corticosteroids quiet the underlying inflammation over hours. Using both together is the standard of care for moderate to severe flares, and it is what separates real flare treatment from simply handing someone an inhaler.
We correct two common mistakes at urgent care. The first is the patient who has been taking a rescue inhaler every two hours for three days without seeing a physician: chronic albuterol overuse without a steroid means the inflammation keeps building even as the symptoms are briefly masked. The second is leaving without a controller plan. A single albuterol inhaler is not an asthma plan, so a short-acting rescue is always paired with the appropriate long-term controller.
Bronchodilators open the airway
Albuterol (ProAir, Ventolin, Proventil) and levalbuterol (Xopenex) are short-acting beta agonists. They relax the airway muscle within minutes and last four to six hours. For a stubborn moderate flare, ipratropium is often added to the nebulizer. Every asthma patient should have a rescue inhaler available at all times.
Steroids calm the inflammation
For most adults a flare calls for oral prednisone before discharge, followed by a short course over the next several days. Patients who cannot tolerate oral intake receive IV methylprednisolone in clinic, and IV magnesium is available for more severe presentations. Steroids are what keep the airways from swelling shut again once the bronchodilator wears off.
Is your flare moderate, or is it severe?
Severity drives both how intensively we treat and whether urgent care or the emergency department is the right setting. These are the findings our physicians use to stratify a flare in the first few minutes of the visit.
| What we look at | Walk-in careMild to moderate | Call 911 / ERSevere |
|---|---|---|
| Speech | Full sentences, maybe short phrases | Only single words, or cannot speak |
| Oxygen saturation | 92 percent or higher | Persistently under 92 percent |
| Breath sounds | Wheezing you can hear | Silent chest with obvious distress |
| Response to inhaler | Some relief from rescue doses | No response to the rescue inhaler |
| Lips and fingertips | Normal color | Turning blue or gray |
| Alertness | Alert and oriented | Confused, drowsy, or exhausted |
A silent chest, blue or gray lips, confusion, or a history of intubation for asthma all mean call 911 immediately. For mild to moderate flares, walk in to TrufaMED.
Rescue inhalers, daily control, and when to step up
Good urgent care manages the flare in front of us and makes sure you leave able to prevent the next one. Here is how the pieces of an asthma plan fit together.
Rescue inhalers (SABA)
Albuterol and levalbuterol open the airway in minutes and last four to six hours. They are for symptoms, not for control. Needing yours more than twice a week is a sign your daily plan should be stepped up.
Daily controllers (ICS)
Inhaled corticosteroids such as fluticasone, budesonide, beclomethasone, and mometasone are the cornerstone of control. Taken every day, they shrink the airway swelling and mucus that make flares bigger.
Combination inhalers
For moderate persistent asthma, a single inhaler combining an inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting bronchodilator (Advair, Symbicort, Breo, Dulera) covers both inflammation and airway tone.
SMART therapy
Single Maintenance And Reliever Therapy uses one budesonide-formoterol inhaler as both the daily controller and the rescue. Current asthma guidelines favor it over a separate albuterol inhaler for many patients.
When to step up control
Rescue use more than twice a week, waking at night from asthma, activity limited by symptoms, or more than one flare a year needing oral steroids: any of these means the current plan is not holding.
Your written action plan
Every patient leaves with a plan that spells out what to do daily, what to do when symptoms creep up (the yellow zone), and what counts as a red zone that means seek care now.
Asthma triggers in Miami and Surfside
Miami has a distinctive set of triggers that look nothing like a northern city. Knowing yours is half the control plan, and our physicians help you map your flare pattern to the likely causes.
Humidity and mold
Year-round humidity feeds indoor mold in air-conditioning systems, bathrooms, and older buildings. Mold spores are among the most common triggers for South Florida patients. Filter changes and dehumidification both help.
Year-round pollen
Florida has essentially no off-season for pollen. Tree pollen peaks late winter into spring, grasses in summer, and ragweed in fall. Patients with allergic asthma often time a controller step-up to those peaks.
Red tide events
Red tide blooms along the coast release toxins that aerosolize in sea spray. Even a moderate bloom can irritate the airways and set off flares for beach-adjacent residents. Watching the FWC alerts helps sensitive patients.
Smoke and air quality
Sugarcane field burning to the west, wildfire smoke drifting from the Everglades, and diesel exhaust on the causeways all push fine particulate higher. Short PM2.5 spikes are a predictable trigger.
Respiratory viruses
Rhinovirus, RSV, influenza, and COVID-19 are the most common triggers for moderate to severe flares we see. Any respiratory virus can destabilize asthma for one to three weeks after symptoms start.
Exercise and cold air
Hard exercise, especially in a cold air-conditioned or dehumidified indoor gym, triggers exercise-induced narrowing in a meaningful subset of patients. A pre-exercise dose or a proper warm-up usually prevents it.
How a child’s flare looks different
Pediatric asthma is common, and it often presents differently than it does in adults. A persistent cough, especially at night or with laughing and exercise, may be the main sign well before any wheezing appears. Our physicians see children daily through our pediatric urgent care.
Young children may not wheeze dramatically during a flare. Instead they cough repeatedly, breathe fast, grow tired or quiet, refuse to play, or pull in the skin between the ribs or at the neck with each breath. Those retractions, along with nasal flaring and belly breathing, are the signs parents should watch for and act on.
Treatment, adjusted for size
The approach mirrors adult care but is dose-adjusted: nebulized albuterol scaled to the child’s weight, ipratropium added for moderate to severe flares, continuous pulse oximetry, and a systemic corticosteroid before discharge. Oral dexamethasone often replaces prednisone for younger children because it is shorter and easier to tolerate.
Long-term control in kids
Inhaled corticosteroids are safe and effective in children, and most kids with more than occasional symptoms benefit from a daily low-dose ICS. Growth effects at low doses are minimal. A spacer device improves delivery, and we demonstrate the technique so it is used correctly at home. Parents leave with a written action plan and clear red-flag instructions.
Clear pricing, no surprise bills
No insurance? A self-pay physician visit starts at $195, and your nebulizer treatment is part of that visit. Add-ons are priced up front, so you always know what to expect before you are seen.
Most major plans cover asthma flare care, including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Oscar Health, and Medicare. Benefits are verified at check-in. See the full sheet on our self-pay pricing page or review accepted insurance.
Built to move fast on a flare
Acute asthma is a respiratory emergency on a spectrum. What you want is a setting that moves quickly, has the right equipment, a physician who knows when to escalate, and a follow-through plan so you are not back tomorrow.
Nebulizer within minutes
For an active flare, treatment typically begins within five to ten minutes of arrival. Triage, pulse oximetry, and the first bronchodilator run in parallel, not in sequence.
The right equipment on hand
Multiple nebulizer bays, continuous pulse oximetry, supplemental oxygen, IV access for methylprednisolone and magnesium, and on-site digital X-ray when the diagnosis is not clear.
Physician-led every shift
A board-certified physician evaluates every patient, led by Dr. Uri Gedalia and Dr. Shane D. Naidoo. Joint Commission accreditation audits our respiratory protocols and medication safety.
You leave with a plan
Every asthma patient leaves with a written plan and prescriptions, controller and rescue, sent to your pharmacy before discharge. The goal is fewer repeat flares, not just a quick fix.
Led by board-certified physicians
Your asthma flare is evaluated by a physician with hospital-grade training in surgery and emergency medicine, the people you want when breathing is the problem.
Dr. Naidoo leads the clinical team as Medical Director. Board-certified in emergency medicine with deep experience in adult and pediatric emergency care, trauma, and critical care, he brings calm, decisive judgment to acute respiratory presentations.
Dr. Gedalia is TrufaMED’s Chief Medical Officer and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He oversees clinical protocols across all TrufaMED services, including the respiratory and medication-safety standards that govern asthma care.
Asthma urgent care, answered
The questions patients across Surfside, Miami Beach, and Bal Harbour ask most about flare care.
Can I walk in for an asthma flare without an appointment?
Yes. TrufaMED is walk-in urgent care seven days a week, and no appointment is needed. A nebulizer treatment is usually started within five to ten minutes of triage for an active flare. You can also check in online ahead of time to capture your insurance and reduce your wait. Hours are Monday to Friday 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday 11 AM to 11 PM, and Sunday 12 PM to 8 PM.
When is an asthma attack a 911 emergency instead of an urgent care visit?
Call 911 right away, do not drive yourself, and do not wait, if you cannot speak in full sentences, if your lips or fingertips are turning blue or gray, if you have severe breathlessness, or if your rescue inhaler is not working at all. Other red flags are a silent chest, confusion or drowsiness, and any history of being intubated for asthma. These are signs of a life-threatening attack that needs an emergency department with critical-care capability. Urgent care is the right choice for mild to moderate flares.
How fast does a nebulizer treatment start working?
Most patients feel their airways begin to open within five to fifteen minutes of the first nebulizer. The full effect of back-to-back treatments combined with a steroid plays out over 60 to 90 minutes. Systemic steroids keep working over the next four to six hours and across the following days, which is what lowers the risk of a rebound flare.
How long does an asthma urgent care visit take?
A typical visit runs 60 to 90 minutes: triage and the first nebulizer in the first ten minutes, a physician exam with a second or third nebulizer over the next hour, a systemic steroid within the first hour, then discharge planning and prescriptions in the final 15 to 30 minutes. More severe flares can run longer if you need extended monitoring.
Will I leave with a prescription for a new inhaler?
Yes, when it is clinically appropriate. That can mean a new rescue inhaler if you do not have one, a controller step-up if your current daily plan is not holding, or a SMART regimen that uses one ICS-LABA inhaler as both your controller and your rescue. Prescriptions are sent electronically to your pharmacy before you are discharged.
What is the difference between a rescue inhaler and a daily inhaler?
Rescue inhalers (albuterol, levalbuterol) open the airway within minutes and are used for symptoms. Daily controller inhalers (inhaled corticosteroids, or ICS-LABA combinations) reduce the underlying inflammation and are the foundation of long-term control. If you reach for your rescue inhaler more than twice a week, it is a sign your daily plan needs to be stepped up.
Should I stop my daily inhaler once the flare is over?
No. Stopping the controller inhaler is one of the most common reasons people end up back in urgent care. Inhaled corticosteroids only work when taken every day. Continue your controller, finish the full oral steroid course your physician prescribes, and follow up with primary care or pulmonology to keep the plan on track.
Can children be seen for asthma at TrufaMED?
Yes. We treat pediatric asthma daily, generally for children three months and older, through our pediatric urgent care. Dosing is adjusted by weight, oral dexamethasone often replaces prednisone for younger children, spacer technique is demonstrated, and parents leave with a written action plan. Infants under three months in significant distress are referred to pediatric emergency care.
Do I need a chest X-ray during an asthma flare?
Not for most flares. A chest X-ray is indicated when there is fever, focal findings on the exam, asymmetric breath sounds, or an atypical presentation that suggests pneumonia rather than asthma. We have on-site digital X-ray when it is needed, so imaging is done in the same visit with no referral.
Does insurance cover an asthma urgent care visit, and what if I am uninsured?
Most major plans cover asthma flare management as a standard urgent care service, including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Oscar Health, and Medicare. Benefits are verified at check-in and your out-of-pocket cost is explained before treatment. If you are uninsured, a self-pay physician visit starts at $195, the nebulizer treatment is part of that visit, and pricing is shared up front with no surprise billing.
Often connected to a flare
Asthma rarely travels alone in South Florida. These are the conditions we treat alongside it, same day, same visit.
What patients say
Best clinic ever
Excellent. Attentive clean
The staff is very nice and courteous
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Best place I’ve been to by far great service
The staff are amazing, from front desk, registration, nurse , the Dr. A mean the facility very clean, conftuble, I'll give them 150% plus on everything and all. Thank you so very much
Care grounded in recognized authorities
Diagnosis and treatment follow guidance from national health authorities and accreditation standards.
Find the right care
Find us in Surfside
Hours
Monday–Friday 9 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 11 AM – 11 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 8 PM
Walk in anytime during open hours, no appointment needed.
Contact
Phone (305) 537-6396
WhatsApp +1 (305) 842-9801
Email [email protected]
For a severe asthma attack, call 911. TrufaMED is urgent care, not an emergency room.
Wheezing? Walk in.
Same-day asthma flare care at 9445 Harding Ave. A nebulizer in minutes, a physician on every shift, and a plan to prevent the next one. Open seven days a week.
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