Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma

Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma

In this article, we are going to find out more about the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

Diagnosis of asthma

The three main areas of asthma diagnosis include medical history, clinical examination findings, and respiratory test results.

So a family history of asthma and allergies can help diagnose asthma by increasing the risk of asthma.

However, asthma is difficult to diagnose in children under 5 because it may not be detectable with other childhood illnesses.

So if children experience wheezing during a cold or respiratory infection early in life, they are more likely to develop asthma after the age of six.

Therefore other diseases that can interfere with the management and treatment of asthma include:

• runny nose
  

  diagnosis of asthma

• Sinus infections
• Gastric acid reflex
• Psychological stress
• Sleep apnea
• Physical examination:

So physical examination usually focuses on the upper respiratory tract, chest, and skin.

and the doctor also checks for runny nose, swelling of the nose, mass growth inside the nose, and skin conditions such as eczema and urticaria.

So chest wheezing is an important sign in diagnosing airway obstruction and asthma.

and people with asthma do not always show physical symptoms and may not have any symptoms during the examination.

Asthma tests

Lung function tests are another component of asthma diagnosis.

These tests measure the amount of inhaled air during inhalation and exhalation and the rate at which air leaves the lungs.

And lung function tests such as:

• Spirometry:

Helps assess lung function.

• Brunch Stimulation Test:

Also known as the “Challenge Test” and contains a substance such as cold air that blocks airways and causes asthma symptoms.

• Exercise-induced asthma testing:

Involves strenuous exercise aimed at causing asthma symptoms.

• Allergy tests:

To identify substances that cause asthma symptoms or exacerbate asthma.

asthma diagnosis and treatment

Differential diagnoses of asthma

There are other diseases that may have common symptoms with asthma that will be listed below:

• Gastric acid reflux into the esophagus (GERD)
• Heartburn
• Alfalfa fever
• Sinusitis
• Sleep apnea
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Airway tumors
• Airway obstruction
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Blood clots in the lungs, or pulmonary embolism
• Congestive heart failure
• Oral cord dysfunction
• Viral infection of the lower respiratory tract

treatment of asthma

The doctor will perform the following diagnostic tests to diagnose asthma:

• X-ray of the chest
• ECG
• Complete blood cell count (blood test)
• CT scan of the lungs
• Evaluation of gastric acid reflux into the esophagus
• Examine sputum

Asthma management and treatment

Doctors prescribe appropriate treatment or combination therapies according to the type of asthma, age, and stimuli of asthma.

So asthma treatment is divided into three main categories:

Breathing exercises, first aid (rescue therapies), and long-term asthma control therapies.

Here is a brief description of them: 

1. Breathing exercises:

So these exercises help to increase the capacity of the lungs and reduce the severe symptoms of asthma.

2. Rescue Therapies or First Aid:

So these medications are only used during an asthma attack to help you breathe again.

And these medications include:

Sprays: most importantly Two to six puffs of the drug help reduce symptoms.

Bronchial dilators: Help relax loose muscles in the lungs.

Anti-inflammatory

So see your doctor if the symptoms last for more than 20 minutes and the second dose does not help.

3. Long-term treatments for asthma control:

Therefore these medications should be taken daily to prevent asthma symptoms.

Asthma prevention

Because the cause of asthma is not exactly known, it is not possible to prevent asthma completely.

However, the following can be helpful in reducing the incidence of asthma:

• Firstly avoid stimuli
• Secondly, reduce exposure to allergens
• Thirdly perform allergy testing
• Fourthly taking preventive medications

So hope to find this article useful about the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

in conclusion, get a free consultation at https://iht.health/

Author: Maryam Shiani

SEO editor: Samane Nobakhti