Asthma Symptoms and Diagnosis

Asthma usually begins in childhood. Typical symptoms include recurrent attacks of cough without apparent cause or persistent cough after a bronchitis or other respiratory infections - the first sign of hypersensitivity of the bronchial tubes. The coughing fits occur especially at night, it may be a tough, glassy mucus coughed up. Sometimes you can hear a whistling sound when breathing out already (wheezing), possibly a victim has a tightness across the chest.

Via: asthmafoundation.org.au - Asthma Symptoms

Asthma symptoms and typical complaints

Often these early symptoms are relatively mild, so the diagnosis is made only after an acute asthma attack. Here, the signs described above are pronounced much clearer. Symptoms of an acute asthma attack are:

•    Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (i.e. faster breathing) is symptoms of asthma
•    Difficulty in breathing and prolonged
•    No more air-to-talk is a sign of asthma
•    The breathing appears the victim easier if he sits hunched over, is based on the arms and shoulders pulls
•    Whistling noises when breathing (wheezing) over the chest
•    Bluish discoloration of the lips, and later of the skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood
•    Tightness in the chest is one of the symptoms of asthma
•    Tachycardia is also part of the group of symptoms in asthma
•    Fatigue, anxiety, restlessness, all poses represent symptoms of asthma

These symptoms are not adequately treated or not, can be life-threatening asthma attack - a so-called status asthmatic us, which can last for hours to days. This status asthmatic us requires intensive care.

Diagnosis of asthma

The diagnosis serves firstly, to even make the first diagnosis asthma. Secondly, it is checked with her, whether and how the treatment of asthma strikes.

At the initial diagnosis, the doctor will first check for an exact description of the symptoms, signs and symptoms. These include also possible triggers or interdependence of the environmental situation, the description of personal fitness, the question of pre-existing conditions, allergies, smoking habits and family pressures. This is followed by a physical examination of especially with the interception of the lung in order to finally make a diagnosis.

 

Asthma research is needed

Just for kids any more tests will be done, also to rule out other diseases such as cystic fibrosis and to differentiate asthma from a spastic bronchitis. Among the studies include x-ray, blood tests, pulmonary function tests and allergy testing.

With the peak flow meter, the maximum flow rate of the exhaled air are measured. This is a good parameter to the severity of asthma and also to review the effectiveness of the therapy. In addition, this study can be performed easily with the small device itself. Therefore it is well suited for self-measurement at home.