Diagnosing Asthma
Written by Clive Chung on 2:50 AMTaking a history
Any doctor or nurse who suspects you may have asthma will ask a series of questions to help make a diagnosis. Some of these questions may include asking you if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above. But what may be significant is whether there is a history of atopic illness in the family. Do any of your relatives have eczema, hay fever or allergic rhinitis (an allergic condition of the nose)? Do you? Also, do your symptoms appear when, for instance, you are in the garden, or in a very dusty atmosphere, or when pollution levels are high, or when you stroke the neighbour's cat? In other words, are the symptoms triggered by an allergen or an irritant?
Peak-flow meter reading.
This is a way of finding out how the lungs are performing. You do this by blowing into a peak-flow meter. How fast you can blow is an indication of your lungs' performance. A high reading shows you are breathing well. A low reading is a sign hat the airways are narrowing. A person with asthma may experience a variation in their lungs' performance by more than 15 per cent, often between morning and evening. This kind of variation in breathing is a very significant pointer to asthma. It is one of the doctor's most important diagnostic tools.
If asthma is suspected and you are over the age of six, you will almost certainly be asked to blow into a peak-flow meter. Peak-flow varies according to a person's age, height and sex. To have a normal peak flow would mean that it would have to be within 20 per cent of someone who doesn't have asthma but is of the same sex, age and height as you. You may also be given a peak-flow meter to take home with you and asked to keep a diary to record your meter readings.
Peak-flow meters are not only an excellent way of diagnosing asthma, they are also essential in monitoring the condition which in turn can help you keep it under control.
Anti-asthma medicine.
Sometimes doctors have to try anti-asthma drugs to confirm the diagnosis. Drugs prescribed for asthma are designed to improve your peak-flow and, of course, clear the symptoms. If this happens as a result of treatment, the diagnosis of asthma is confirmed. But it may mean taking the medicines for a few weeks before results are achieved and the diagnosis confirmed.
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