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It should be noted that asthma is considered a chronic lung disease, unfortunately, without a complete cure. Most patients have mild disease that’s easily managed and will have no long-term impairment on lung function. However, there are patients that are prone to disease progression. It’s important not to ignore increased symptoms if you’re a patient with asthma that was previously well controlled. Asthma is diagnosed with a combination of clinical history, physical examination, imaging studies, and laboratory tests. In straightforward cases, clinical history and pulmonary function testing is enough to make a diagnosis. Pulmonary function testing includes spirometry, which measures inhalation and exhalation airflow, response to bronchodilator medications, such as albuterol, lung volumes and diffusion capacity. Asthmatics tend to have normal to somewhat mild airflow obstruction on spirometry with a significant bronchodilator response. In patients with advanced asthma, testing for blood eosinophil levels, IGE levels and aero allergens can be helpful.
