Translate

Asthma Diagnosis: Connecting the Dots

Key Information

No Single Test: There is no single “yes or no” test for asthma.
Connecting the Dots: Diagnosis involves building a complete picture of your breathing.
Your Story Matters Most: Your symptoms and experiences are the most important part of that picture.

Step 1: Your Story (The Most Important Dots)

The process always starts with us listening to you. To build the picture, we need to understand:

Symptoms: What do you feel? (Coughing, wheezing, breathlessness?)
Timing: When do symptoms occur? Are they worse at night or early in the morning?
Triggers: Do symptoms flare up after exercise or exposure to cold air or pets?
History: Do you have allergies (such as hay fever) or a family history of asthma?

Step 2: The Tests (Adding to the Picture)

To help confirm the diagnosis, we use simple, painless breathing tests to measure how well your lungs are working.

1. Spirometry
- The Action: Take a deep breath in and blow out as hard and fast as you can into a machine.
- The Reversibility Check: We may repeat the test after you use a reliever inhaler to see if it improves your results.
2. FeNO Test
- The Action: Breathe out steadily into a machine.
- The Purpose: It measures inflammation in your airways.

Putting It All Together

Once we have all the information, we look at the “dots” together. If your story matches the test results, we can confirm the diagnosis and agree on a treatment plan.