How is Asthma Diagnosed?
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with asthma, there's absolutely no need to worry. There's no need to panic, or change your job or your city. Olympic athletes have asthma, top cricketers have asthma, actors have asthma, politicians have asthma, but they have not let it interfere with their normal life.
The key to getting your asthma under control is to understand your triggers, watch out for your symptoms, and to take your medication correctly. But first it must be diagnosed correctly.
In India, many parents do not want to accept that their child has asthma. They would prefer to hear that their child has 'wheezing bronchitis' or 'allergic bronchitis' rather than the word 'asthma'. They go from doctor to doctor thus causing hardship for the child and immense stress for themselves, when in actuality if asthma is detected early and treated on time, their child could lead a normal life, faster. Children should be children and an asthmatic child if treated properly can do everything a normal child does - from going to school regularly, playing sports and yes, even eating ice cream!
Asthma is easy to detect but sometimes it is mistaken as a recurrent cough and thus not taken seriously or treated on time or treated with cough syrups. Often, asthma runs in the family. To help your doctor diagnose your asthma or your child's asthma, you will have to answer your doctor's questions as correctly as possible. The questions will be regarding your symptoms, your family history, the medications you are taking, the allergies you have and so on. This is called medical history. Most diagnosis is based on medical history. The doctor will also conduct a physical examination and recommend that you take some tests like the Peak Flow Meter (Breathe-o meter) and Spirometry tests. To know more, read on.
Peak Flow Meter
A Peak Flow Meter is a simple, affordable, hand held device which helps diagnose breathing problems and asthma in children and adults.
Just as you have a BP instrument to check blood pressure and the Glucometer for diabetics, the Peak Flow Meter is like a thermometer for asthma. As a patient, you will have to blow into the mouthpiece of the device, and the reading will be taken to check your lung power. Most doctors have the device in their clinic but it is also available at most leading chemists if you want to keep your asthma in check.
If you have asthma and are checking your lung power with the Peak Flow Meter , and you notice a drop in the reading, it means that your asthma is not well controlled and you are likely to get an attack in the near future or within days. This is like an early warning signal to increase the dosage or the number of times you should take your medication. When the Peak Flow Meter reading is normal, it suggests that your asthma is under control.
Spirometry Test
A Spirometry Test is a more sensitive and sophisticated test which detects the signs of asthma early. The Spirometer is used to measure how much air your lungs can hold and how efficiently the air moves into and out of your lungs. In other words, it gives a good indication of your lung power and gives you accurate details about your breathing capacity. The lab or the doctor conducting the test will give you a printed graph of your reading, just as you get a graph when you do your ECG test.
Both the Peak Flow Meter (Breathe-o meter) and Spirometry tests are used to diagnose asthma and also help you measure your progress when your asthma is under control.
However, since these tests are not recommended for children below six years of age, you as a parent have to work together with your pediatrician, to make sure that your child's asthma is diagnosed early and correctly, by paying close attention to your family history and triggers. You will also be required to visit your doctor regularly so that together you can monitor your child's progress.
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with asthma, there's absolutely no need to worry. There's no need to panic, or change your job or your city. Olympic athletes have asthma, top cricketers have asthma, actors have asthma, politicians have asthma, but they have not let it interfere with their normal life.
The key to getting your asthma under control is to understand your triggers, watch out for your symptoms, and to take your medication correctly. But first it must be diagnosed correctly.
In India, many parents do not want to accept that their child has asthma. They would prefer to hear that their child has 'wheezing bronchitis' or 'allergic bronchitis' rather than the word 'asthma'. They go from doctor to doctor thus causing hardship for the child and immense stress for themselves, when in actuality if asthma is detected early and treated on time, their child could lead a normal life, faster. Children should be children and an asthmatic child if treated properly can do everything a normal child does - from going to school regularly, playing sports and yes, even eating ice cream!
Asthma is easy to detect but sometimes it is mistaken as a recurrent cough and thus not taken seriously or treated on time or treated with cough syrups. Often, asthma runs in the family. To help your doctor diagnose your asthma or your child's asthma, you will have to answer your doctor's questions as correctly as possible. The questions will be regarding your symptoms, your family history, the medications you are taking, the allergies you have and so on. This is called medical history. Most diagnosis is based on medical history. The doctor will also conduct a physical examination and recommend that you take some tests like the Peak Flow Meter (Breathe-o meter) and Spirometry tests. To know more, read on.
Peak Flow Meter
A Peak Flow Meter is a simple, affordable, hand held device which helps diagnose breathing problems and asthma in children and adults.
Just as you have a BP instrument to check blood pressure and the Glucometer for diabetics, the Peak Flow Meter is like a thermometer for asthma. As a patient, you will have to blow into the mouthpiece of the device, and the reading will be taken to check your lung power. Most doctors have the device in their clinic but it is also available at most leading chemists if you want to keep your asthma in check.
If you have asthma and are checking your lung power with the Peak Flow Meter , and you notice a drop in the reading, it means that your asthma is not well controlled and you are likely to get an attack in the near future or within days. This is like an early warning signal to increase the dosage or the number of times you should take your medication. When the Peak Flow Meter reading is normal, it suggests that your asthma is under control.
Spirometry Test
A Spirometry Test is a more sensitive and sophisticated test which detects the signs of asthma early. The Spirometer is used to measure how much air your lungs can hold and how efficiently the air moves into and out of your lungs. In other words, it gives a good indication of your lung power and gives you accurate details about your breathing capacity. The lab or the doctor conducting the test will give you a printed graph of your reading, just as you get a graph when you do your ECG test.
Both the Peak Flow Meter (Breathe-o meter) and Spirometry tests are used to diagnose asthma and also help you measure your progress when your asthma is under control.
However, since these tests are not recommended for children below six years of age, you as a parent have to work together with your pediatrician, to make sure that your child's asthma is diagnosed early and correctly, by paying close attention to your family history and triggers. You will also be required to visit your doctor regularly so that together you can monitor your child's progress.
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