Asthma

Diagnosis

Risk Factors
Testing for Asthma

Symptoms of asthma include:

• wheezing
• tightness in the chest
• trouble breathing
• shortness of breath
• cough
• chest pain

In young children, the signs of asthma may be somewhat different than for adults. Look for a persistent, hacking cough, a nighttime cough, and/or coughing after exercise. In infants, softer or shorter crying or grunting noises may be a sign of asthma.

When symptoms appear during or after intense exercise, they may be a sign of exercise-induced asthma (EIA). A doctor's diagnosis is required to distinguish EIA from deconditioning.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the signs of adult-onset asthma may be quite subtle. For example, a physically fit person may find that he or she is increasingly less able to walk up the second flight of stairs at work or maintain a tennis game. Nighttime waking because of coughing or shortness of breath can be another sign of adult-onset asthma.

Risk Factors
The following factors may increase your chance of experiencing asthma:

• living in a large urban area
• regularly breathing in cigarette smoke (including second hand smoke)
• regularly breathing in industrial or agricultural chemicals
• a parent who has asthma
• history of multiple respiratory infections during childhood
• low birth weight
• being overweight
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that you may still contract a disease even though your risk for it is low. If you are experiencing symptoms of asthma, you should consult a physician.

Testing for Asthma
Diagnosing asthma requires an assessment of symptoms by a doctor. During your examination, the doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam. Tests may include:

• peak flow examination
  This examination involves blowing quickly and forcefully into a special instrument that measures your output of air.
  
  
• pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
  You will be asked to breathe into a machine that records information about the function of your lungs before and after the administration of a bronchodilator drug (one that relaxes and opens the bronchi, the smallest tubes bringing air into the lungs).
  
  
• methacholine provocation test
  These lung function tests are performed after taking a small dose of methacholine, which causes narrowing of the airways in susceptible people.
  
  
• allergy tests
  Allergy tests are used to find out if allergies are causing your symptoms.