Handy Health Guide to Asthma by Alvin Silverstein

Author:Alvin Silverstein [Silverstein, Alvin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4645-1249-0
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2014-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

For a proper diagnosis, the first thing you need to do is go to the doctor. The doctor will ask questions about the illness and your family’s medical history. Does anyone in your family have asthma or allergies? When did the breathing problems begin? What are the symptoms? How severe are they? When and where do they occur? How often do they occur? How long do they last? Does the problem get worse after exercising? Are you exposed to cigarette smoke, air pollution, or other irritants?

The doctor will then give you a physical exam, starting by checking your nose for signs of allergy or upper respiratory infection. He or she will check your breathing with a stethoscope. This instrument is used to listen to your heart and lungs. It helps the doctor hear if they are working properly. But if you are not having any symptoms at that moment, your breathing will probably sound normal. Sometimes, if you are having serious breathing problems, the doctor may use a chest X-ray to see if the airways are blocked. However, this test works best when it is taken while the patient is having breathing problems.

An asthma specialist may give you breathing tests using a spirometer. This instrument measures how much air flows in and out of the airways when you blow into a special tube. Then you will be given medication that opens up the airways. If the spirometer shows that the airflow is much better, this is more evidence that you have asthma.

Because allergens are one of the most common triggers of asthma, allergy testing is an important tool for diagnosis. Skin testing is used to identify the allergens that may be causing your asthma attacks. Allergens are placed on the skin, which is then scratched or pricked with a needle. Sometimes small amounts of an allergen solution are injected into the skin. If the skin becomes red or swollen within fifteen minutes, you are sensitive to that allergen.

Special blood tests can also be used to test for allergies. The RAST test measures the amounts of antibodies that are triggered by specific allergens. For instance, if you have a special antibody for dust in your blood, then you are probably allergic to dust.

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