In short, people are dying needlessly. If you learn to deal with your asthma, you can not only live a normal life, but you may very well save your own life. If you're an adult and have recently been diagnosed with asthma, make sure you talk to your doctor and get proper information. The Internet is also a fine resource to find information on treatment. However, you should take care that that the sites you get information from are endorsed by the proper professionals and not simply "quack" treatments. Remember that information is power, and if you have the proper information, you're well armed to deal with an asthma attack, should it occur.
To find out what your triggers are, keep a log for a few days and note when asthma attacks occur. It is a trigger dust? Animal hair? By keeping track of your symptoms and when they occur, you can learn which substances trigger asthma attacks. Or perhaps it's situational, wherein you have an asthma attack triggered when you breathe in cold air, for example. In that case, it would be advised to limit your outdoor exposure during winter months, or wear a scarf over your mouth to help warm the air that you breathe in.