How is allergic asthma diagnosed?

How is allergic asthma diagnosed?

There are several tests that your healthcare provider can do to diagnose allergic asthma. To pinpoint allergies, your provider may do a blood test or a skin test. In these tests, your provider is looking for the effect of the allergens on your body. For a skin test, possible allergens may be applied to small areas of your skin to see how you react to each one. This can be uncomfortable, but it will show your provider what might be causing the reaction.

Your healthcare provider may also do a few tests to diagnose your asthma. These tests are used to make sure that it’s asthma that’s causing your symptoms and no other medical condition. Tests to diagnose asthma can include:

• Spirometry: This breathing test involves taking a deep breath in and then exhaling into a tube. This tube is connected to a computer that will collect information about how well the air moves when you breathe in and out. Spirometry can also be done with a bronchodilator. This version of the test looks at how well your airways relax before and after taking medication. The peak expiratory flow test can also be done during a spirometry test. In this test, you will exhale as hard and as fast as you can into the tube.
• Exhaled nitric oxide test (FeNO test): In this test, your provider will measure the amount of nitric oxide in your breath when you exhale. This may be used in more mild cases of allergic asthma where you might not feel extreme symptoms. In those cases, the test will still detect the nitric oxide.
• Bronchoprovocation test: This test is similar to the allergy tests that may be run on your skin in that your provider will introduce possible allergens to see what causes you to have a reaction. This is done in a controlled environment and your provider will use small samples to avoid a serious reaction. You’ll breathe in possible allergens to see what’s triggering your asthma.

If you have allergic asthma, your symptoms are typically triggers by something you breathe in. Determining what allergen triggered your symptoms is another part of the diagnosis process for allergic asthma. Try to keep a journal or notes of what happened when you experienced asthma symptoms. If you were outside by freshly cut grass, it could be a pollen allergy. If you were petting a dog, it could be pet dander. Figuring out what you inhaled when your symptoms started can help your provider create a plan to control your allergic asthma.