TEXT US: (203) 539-0399
ALLERGY & ASTHMA Dr. Leslie Coleman
Open Saturday
Associates of Stamford
Asthma Tests
Diagnosing Asthma Requires Testing
Unlike other diseases, asthma is not a condition that is easy for doctors for asthma to diagnose. One of the reasons is the latest thinking that asthma, rather than being a single disease, is actually different but related ones, depending on their specific trigger. These include
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exercise-induced asthma
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allergic asthma
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occupational asthma
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nighttime asthma
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cough-variant asthma
If you suspect you have any of these types of asthma. The good news is that each type responds well to a specific type of treatment, but before our doctor can treat it,she must know which type of asthma it is. And so she will order asthma tests to determine the specific type of treatment to prescribe. She will probably start you off with a spirometry test which is a lung function test.It requires breathing into a device called a spirometer that measures the volume of air a patient is capable of breathing out, and how long it takes to do so. She may also prescribe skin tests to see if you have allergy-induced asthma, as well as a blood test or two.
The reason doctors for asthma order several types of asthma tests is because there are several types of lung diseases that display the same symptoms as asthma and they want to rule them out before beginning treatment. So the sooner you call for an appointment, the sooner the doctor can administer asthma tests that allow her to formulate a treatment plan to manage your asthma.