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Diagnosis of Asthma

Asthma can be hard to diagnose. The symptoms can be the same as other lung problems. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on the lungs.

Spirometry

Spirometry uses a spirometer to measure how much air a person breathes in and breathes out. It can find out the amount and rate of air that can pass through a person's airways.

Spirometry

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REFERENCES:

Acute asthma exacerbation in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/acute-asthma-exacerbation-in-children. Updated August 22, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2019.

Asthma diagnosis. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America website. Available at: http://www.aafa.org/page/asthma-diagnosis.aspx. Updated September 2015. Accessed October 23, 2019.

Asthma exacerbation in adults and adolescents. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/asthma-exacerbation-in-adults-and-adolescents. Updated January 29, 2019. Accessed October 22, 2019.

Asthma in adults and adolescents. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/asthma-in-adults-and-adolescents. Updated October 11, 2019. Accessed October 22, 2019.

Chronic asthma in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/chronic-asthma-in-children. Updated September 27, 2019. Accessed October 22, 2019.

Diagnosing and treating asthma. American Lung Association website. Available at: http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/diagnosing-treating-asthma. Accessed October 23, 2019.

Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) global strategy for asthma management and prevention. GINA 2018.

Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD