How can you confirm an asthma diagnosis?

Asthma is a complex disease to diagnose, and only a healthcare professional is able to make a proper diagnosis.

If you are concerned that you may have asthma, contact your healthcare provider. In order to confirm an asthma diagnosis, your healthcare provider will take into account your medical and family history, allergies, and conduct lung function testing such as spirometry.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic, long-term disease of the airways, the tubes that carry air into our lungs. It causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which leads to airflow limitation. The airways of our lungs are surrounded by muscles and contain mucous glands. These muscles are normally relaxed, but if you have asthma, they are often sensitive and inflamed.

When people with asthma encounter triggers, these muscles react by tightening even more, the lining of the airways swell and the airways can fill up with mucus. This makes breathing very difficult and leads to asthma symptoms or asthma exacerbation, also known as an asthma attack.

Asthma Signs & Symptoms

People with asthma experience symptoms due to inflammation in the airways. They might only occur when you encounter an asthma trigger. Common symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of asthma include:

• Persistent or recurring coughing: which often occurs at night or early in the morning, although it can happen at any time. Coughing is a major feature of asthma, especially in children and can sometimes be the only sign of asthma.
• Wheezing: is difficulty breathing accompanied by a whistling sound coming from your airways
• Shortness of breath: gives you the feeling that you can’t get enough air into your lungs, and may even find it difficult to eat, sleep or speak
• Chest tightness: an unpleasant sensation of heaviness or pressure in the chest that can make it hard to breathe
• Increased mucus production: is characterized by high levels of thick fluid or phlegm accumulating in your airways
• Difficulty breathing while exercising: having trouble breathing while performing physical activities can be a sign of asthma
• Losing Sleep: Being unable to sleep through the night because of breathing troubles

What should I do if I think I have asthma?

If you think that you have asthma, the best thing you can do is see your healthcare provider as soon as possible for proper testing and diagnosis. Many people normalize their symptoms, without ever realizing that a symptom-free life could be possible. It’s crucial to never ignore or downplay your asthma symptoms, you never know when something could trigger a potentially fatal asthma attack.

The sooner that you get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, the sooner you can take control of your asthma and live life to the fullest.

Can Asthma Be Cured?

There is currently no known cure for asthma, but with proper diagnosis and asthma management it is fully possible for people with asthma to live healthy, active and symptom-free lives.

There is still much research that needs to be done to fully understand how to prevent, treat and cure asthma. Asthma Canada’s National Research Program is committed to supporting leading asthma researchers and graduate student researchers working to expand our knowledge and one day, unlock a cure. 

Asthma Life Quality (LQ) Test

Before you go to your allergist appointment, consider completing this Asthma Life Quality (LQ) Test. This 20-question test can be a valuable tool for giving your allergist an accurate picture of your asthma and the ways it’s affecting you. With this information, you can work together and start to create an asthma action plan that truly makes a difference. The 20 yes-or-no questions on the LQ Test cover issues such as:

• When I walk, or do simple chores, I have trouble breathing or I cough.
• When I catch a cold, it often goes to my chest.
• My asthma medicine doesn’t control my asthma.

Download the test, fill it out and bring the questionnaire to your next appointment with your allergist. The evaluation should shed light on how well your asthma symptoms are controlled. Bottom line: You don’t have to accept less because you have asthma. Anyone with asthma should be able to feel good, be active all day and sleep well at night.

Your First Appointment

Your first step toward relief is to schedule an appointment with an allergist to receive a proper diagnosis. Your allergist will evaluate several things before making an asthma diagnosis, and it’s nice to know what to expect. At your first appointment, one of your allergist’s goals will be to learn a little bit more about you and your symptoms: Do you have a family history of asthma? Is there a particular time of day or year that your symptoms tend to flare? Have you tried medications? From there, the allergist may also try to get a sense of factors in your day-to-day life that could be sparking your symptoms: Do you live with a pet? Do you tend to cough more in cold weather? Do you live with someone who smokes? Your allergist will then conduct a physical exam of your chest, eyes, ears, nose and throat. Your allergist will look for signs of congestion, wheezing and skin rashes, which can help determine if your asthma symptoms are being triggered by an underlying allergy.

Asthma Testing

One of the most common ways to test for asthma is to use a spirometer – a small instrument that measures the amount of air you can breathe in and out. It’s a simple, safe test that helps measure how well your lungs are working. You’ll be asked to breathe in until your lungs are full. You’ll then blow the air out into a hollow tube as hard and as fast as possible. The tube is attached to a device that measures how much air you’re able to hold in your lungs and detects whether anything is obstructing your airways. Once you’ve taken the test once or twice, your allergist may have you use an inhaler. You will then blow into the spirometer again to determine whether the inhaler medication improved your lung function. The allergist may also suggest a skin test, blood test or chest X-ray. These tests give your allergist more information to work with to help you get your asthma under control.

Asthma Diagnosis

Your allergist will look at your symptoms and family history, as well as the results of your physical exam and asthma testing, to determine if you have asthma. There are many different types of asthma, and each type can range from mild to moderate to severe. If you receive an asthma diagnosis, don’t worry: Your allergist can work with you to build a plan to control your symptoms and live the life you want. Asthma is not a disability. With the right treatment, there’s no reason you can’t live life exactly as you would without this condition – sports, hiking, playing with your kids.  You can have it all, as long as you get diagnosed and keep up with your treatment. The treatment plan developed by your allergist will address all your symptoms and will likely include at least one of the following:

• Identifying and then avoiding the specific triggers (such as tobacco smoke or pet dander) that bring on your symptoms
• Medication, either over-the-counter or prescription
• Allergy immunotherapy (a highly effective preventive treatment that can help the immune system become less sensitive to triggers such as pollen, pet fur and house dust)