Primary Steps For Diagnosing Asthma

Respiration is an involuntary process essential to sustain life. For ordinary people, the mechanism of inhalation and exhalation runs smoothly with almost no exertion. However, breathing according to asthma patients is a challenge rather than a spontaneous action. Asthma is a long-term lung disorder that leads to constant chest pain, coughing, and breathing difficulties. For some, symptoms of the disorder appear at an early age and gradually fade through adulthood; for others, asthma is a lifetime illness. Pulmonary disorders often share similar noticeable symptoms. Therefore, proper asthma diagnosis requires following three primary steps.

First of all, the process of diagnosing asthma is initiated by recording a detailed medical history of the patient. During the doctor’s visit, the patient describes the symptoms he/she has recently noticed. The doctor then directs a series of health-related questions in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the nature, frequency, and severity of these symptoms. An example of these questions might be how often do you cough and encounter chest pain? Due to the fact that asthma can be hereditary, the doctor takes the patient’s household history into much consideration. For instance, if a person’s parents suffer from asthma, the chances of him/her getting the disease will be relatively high. Furthermore, the physician hunts for certain habits in the patient’s lifestyle, such as smoking and pet ownership, as they may be the underlying cause of the symptoms.

As soon as adequate data has been collected from the patient, the doctor conducts a physical examination. Inspection of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) is commonly the first stage of the checkup. The physician looks for sore throat, runny nose, and inflamed tonsils since these signs can indicate an early phase of asthma rather than a typical cold. Next, using a stethoscope, the doctor listens to the patient’s lungs to note down any abnormal wheezing and high-pitched sounds. Lastly, the patient’s skin is carefully inspected because eczema, hay rash, and several other skin disorders are usually coupled with asthma.

Finally, two major pulmonary function tests are carried out to confirm suspected asthma. The doctor starts with Spirometry, one of the most accurate breathing tests, where he/she asks the patient to breathe into a mouthpiece attached to a spirometer. The meter then measures the lungs’ degree of constriction from the speed and amount of air inhaled and exhaled. After recording Spirometry results, the doctor conducts a nitric oxide test. During this test, the patient gradually exhales into a special tube that measures the concentration of nitric oxide released from the lungs. Higher levels of nitric oxide suggest severe lung inflammation. Based on the results of these two breathing tests, the doctor prescribes the required dose of the most suitable antiasthmatic drug.

All in all, careful history-taking, inclusive clinical examination, and lung performance testing are the three core phases of a successful asthma diagnosis. Adhering to this diagnostic criteria enables the doctor to thoroughly understand the patient’s medical condition before deciding a treatment plan. Because asthma starts with mild symptoms that develop to become highly intolerable, early diagnosis and treatment are absolutely necessary.