Asthma. Are there clinical test that PROVE are person has it?

So you know, this is something I'm trying to find out for school. We were asked as part of an assignment to list the clinical tests that prove a person has the disease. I've researched a bunch and can only find a few tests that might suggest it, but not any better than asking the patient a few questions. The only sure fire tests deal with testing for allergies, but being allergic just confirms a likely trigger, not the asthma itself. I'm tempted to say it's a subjective diagnosis. Anyone know any different.

Asthma. Are there clinical test that PROVE are person has it?
Simple, do a peak flow test first, then provide an asthma treatment such as ventolin, repeat the peak flow test, an asthmatic will have a much improved result.
Reply:A pulmonary function test. You breath into this apparatus and voila! the computer puts out some results that ur pulmonologist can read and tell if u have asthma or not.
Reply:The best way to see if a patient is asthmatic is to perform a methacholine challange. What this is, the patient does a FVC (Forced Vital Capacity) test by blowing into a PFT device and you measure the flow-volume loop. This is done three times and you want to get the three best samples. Give the patient a bronchodilator such as Albuterol via a nebulizer and wait 15 minutes and have them repeat the FVC. If there is a 15% or more increase in the FEV1 and the FEV1% then the patient has had a positive response to the bronchodilators and most likely has asthma.





Ashtma is a form of COPD. Don't get stuck on the diagnosis of asthma perse. Asthma is simply the inability to be able to control breathing from sometimes unknown triggers. The way to diagnose is done by peak flow, methacholine challage, and patient status: airway narrowing, increase in eosinophils, wheezing, coughing, and patient history.





I hope this helps.
Reply:Hi,


A breathing test or a lung function test may also be done. This may be done before and after taking medication to measure the response to medication. A single attack of wheezing or difficulty in breathing is not always asthma. Certain infections and some chemicals can cause wheezing, which lasts for a short time and then does not occur again.