Changing symptoms over time
Asthma is a long-term condition. This means that it usually doesn't go away, but using the correct medication can control symptoms very effectively. Sometimes children...
It may take some people a long time to recognise a pattern of symptoms they have been experiencing over time. Some people didn’t notice or pay attention to their own symptoms but friends or family may have recognised the possibility and suggested visiting the GP.
In our interviews people talked about what had led to their asthma diagnosis. They had been diagnosed at different times, childhood, adolescence and later in life. The paths to diagnosis were many and varied, and not always clear-cut. It might take a series of events and possibly several visits to the GP before a firm diagnosis of asthma could be given. Typically people who went to see the GP with symptoms recalled the GP taking a history, asking if there were any instances of asthma within the family, listening to the chest, using a peak flow meter to test lung function. Sometimes they remembered being referred for other tests.
The two most common tests that are used to help check lung function are peak flow test and spirometry.
A small hand-held device called a peak flow meter is used to measure how fast you can blow air out of your lungs in one breath which indicates how much the airways are narrowed. Patients may be given a peak flow meter to take home and asked to keep a diary of measurements and symptoms. To make a diagnosis of asthma, the peak flow reading must vary over time or improve after treatment with an inhaler. The peak flow meter can also help people at home to monitor their condition themselves. (See Managing asthma, reviews and action plans).
This test helps to assess how well the lungs are functioning. The spirometer measures the volume of air breathed out in one second, and the total amount of air breathed out. The readings are compared with normal measurements for your age, which can show if your airways are obstructed.
The diagnosis of asthma is broadly based on a characteristic pattern of symptoms and signs and the absence of an alternative explanation. Most common are frequent and recurrent wheeze, cough, difficulty in breathing or chest tightness. They may often be worse at night and in the early morning, and they may be triggered by exercise or exposure to cold or damp air or allergens such as pollen or animal fur.
Asthma is more likely if there is a family history (British Thoracic Society (BTS) Guidelines). Where there is a family history of asthma the symptoms may be recognised more quickly within the family.
In some cases a confident diagnosis could be made at once, but as Val explains, testing if someone responds to treatment is often part of the diagnostic process. If an inhaler relieves or prevents symptoms, the diagnosis can usually be confirmed but it may still take a while to find the best dose and type of medication for the individual.
GPs may recognise asthma symptoms, or they may look at other explanations first. As other conditions such as anxiety, infections and even heart problems can cause breathlessness, the GP may explore these first. People may be given an inhaler to try out immediately, or they may be given an antibiotic or other medication to try before inhalers are suggested. Sometimes where symptoms are severe and persistent the doctor may prescribe steroid tablets and/ or antibiotics to improve things quickly, before moving to try inhalers, or a combination of both types of treatment.
Peter (below) went to the doctor because of a chest infection:
For some people, like Margaret, a sudden onset of severe symptoms led to a diagnosis.
Margaret had had less severe symptoms for a while beforehand, but in others like Mark who had childhood onset a sudden and frightening severe attack may be the first sign of asthma.
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose, particularly because it may not be clear whether the symptoms are caused by asthma or something else, and they often vary over time. It can improve greatly, and it can also get worse, sometimes for no obvious reason. Some people had found it hard to get a diagnosis initially. A few felt doctors were slow to realise the cause of their symptoms.
(Also see Relationships, family and friends and Early signs and symptoms).
Asthma is a long-term condition. This means that it usually doesn't go away, but using the correct medication can control symptoms very effectively. Sometimes children...
Although there's no cure for asthma, there are many treatments available which should enable most people to control their symptoms well and live a normal...