Asthma Diagnosis - How?

Alias_Omega

How do they do it?

How do they come to the conclusion that it must only be Asthma?

How can they prove it over Bronchitis?

4nnabella

Lots of information here, including diagnosis, treatment etc.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Asthma/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx

Is there a reason why this family member does not want to 'wear' the label of asthma? It's perfectly manageable with the right medication.

meritaten

Asthma is a 'cheap' way out? A 'Label' she doesnt want to wear?

What on earth is wrong with you? There is nothing 'cheap' about Asthma! Find out more about it before spouting such complete rubbish!
Asthma isnt diagnosed as a brush-off. The correct diagnosis of Asthma rather than Bronchitis etc could one day save her life! Did you know that 2,000 people die every year because of Asthma? It's a life threatening illness, and many people have died because the Asthma wasnt diagnosed therefore the 'correct' treatment wasnt given!
and as for being 'labelled' Asthmatic - so what? she doesnt have to wear it on a T-Shirt! many forms of Asthma can be managed discreetly - and tbh, better to wear a label than deny anything is wrong with you - then paying for it with your LIFE!

Its not just diagnosed via peak flows etc. a good physician will take a medical history and listen to the patient describe the symptoms of an attack. chest Xrays taken during an attack will also be helpful.

Gingernutty

I'm asthmatic and I also score above average for the spirmetry and peak flow test - WHEN I'M WELL. Triggered, or when ill with a cold, the scores go right down.

Asthma isn't a 'cheap' option and the damage untreated asthma can do is astonishing. Many people carrying their own oxygen generators have often had asthma which wasn't treated properly.

If the cough (I'm assuming it's a chronic cough that's brought your family member to the attention of the doctors) hasn't responded to the treatments for bronchitis then the doctors are duty bound to find the cause for it. Even chronic bronchitis clears up eventually.

There's an ad campaign running at the moment around here called "3 weeks". People are being told to go see a doctor if a cough persists for 3 weeks or more just in case it's lung cancer!

I puff a brown "preventer" inhaler morning and night and carry a blue "reliever" inhaler "just in case". The blue inhaler often goes out of date before I have to use it.

Person_one

What expensive way out would you prefer?

Jesswithwings

I'm intrigued as to why you think its a cheap diagnosis? Surely a diagnosis is a diagnosis? In the same way a diabetic wouldnt shurg off a dignosis of diabetes, an asthmatic shouldn't shrug off a diagnosis of asthma. By all means seek a second opinion, but if your family member is asthmatic she's asthmatic.

GlasweJen

The wheeze is the thing, from what I understand wheezing occurs in uncontrolled asthma and a certain sounding wheeze is a classic asthma signature.

Oldernotwiser

Gingernutty wrote: »

If the cough (I'm assuming it's a chronic cough that's brought your family member to the attention of the doctors) hasn't responded to the treatments for bronchitis then the doctors are duty bound to find the cause for it. Even chronic bronchitis clears up eventually.

.

Chronic bronchitis comes under the COPD umbrella and is irreversible.

Be thankful for an asthma diagnosis; asthma is reversible.

Gingernutty

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Chronic bronchitis comes under the COPD umbrella and is irreversible.

Yup. Sorry. Just looked it up.

I had bronchitis after a cold once (hopefully, never again) and was treated by a GP locum who, it seems didn't know what he was talking about.......

"Constant wheeze, various colours of phelm. sometimes feeling of shortness of breath. An outdoor runner though, 25-30miles per week."

Oh well, if that's all that's wrong.........:eek:

Person_one

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Chronic bronchitis comes under the COPD umbrella and is irreversible.

Be thankful for an asthma diagnosis; asthma is reversible.

Treatable, not reversible.

A lot of people live with asthma and barely know they have it, its one of the few lung conditions where exercise really helps, my asthma has always been better when I've been training for runs and swims.

Not every asthmatic has a wheeze, I don't, and there are all sorts of differences between asthmatics.

I'm really interested to know what leads you and your friend to believe she doesn't have asthma, and what do you suspect?

She can have a free flu jab every year now, does that make it any more appealing?

meritaten

my son has brittle asthma - often the most fatal kind. especially if its not diagnosed. and its NOT reversible either! Asthma ISNT reversible. its either controlled or it isnt! Brittle asthma is the most difficult to control.

there is a certain kind of wheeze which most doctors recognise as Asthma. But, other doctors may say its Bronchitis - I would ask to see an Asthma specialist!
and hun - fitness has absolutely NOTHING to do with Asthma! despite what this government and the paralypics imply - for some Asthmatics exercise CAN be the LAST thing they should be doing (or it may be the LAST thing they do).