Diagnosis

Factors used to make a diagnosis

As there is no single test for asthma, your GP will make this diagnosis based on:

• A family history of asthma (if there is one)
• The pattern and frequency of symptoms
• A physical chest examination
• Peak flow readings or a lung function test (children must be over 5 years old)
• A trial of asthma treatment

Before asthma can be confirmed or ruled out, your doctor may also ask you about other conditions which may be present, such as eczema or hay fever. You may also be asked to keep a diary of the symptoms you or your child have and when they occur.

Before you can be treated for asthma you must be diagnosed by a doctor.

Your doctor will check if you have asthma by asking you questions, examining your chest and performing some tests.

Questions your doctor might ask:

• How long have you had asthma-like symptoms?
• How often do you have symptoms?
• How do your symptoms affect your day-to-day life?
• Have you had an attack or regular attacks of wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath?
• Do you cough at night and
• does it disturb your sleep?
• Do you wheeze or cough after you come in contact with triggers such as pollen, smoke, cold air?
• Do you wheeze or cough with exercise?
• Do your colds go down to your chest or take more than ten days to clear?
• Are your symptoms improved by taking asthma treatments?
• Is there a history of asthma in your family?
• Does it disturb your sleep?
• How many courses of antibiotics or oral steriods for chest infections in past 12 months?
• How many visits to GP, out-of-hours
• GP or Emergency Department with respiratory problems?

Diagnosing children

There is no single test for asthma.

Children are assessed by;

• Family history of asthma
• The patterns of symptoms
• A physical examination
• A peak flow or lung function test (depending on their age)
• A trial of asthma treatment
• FeNO test (Fractional exhaled nitric oxide)
• History of eczema or hay fever
• Assessment of your symptom diary

Asthma in children 5 years and younger

Asthma is difficult to diagnose in children under five years old. Wheezing is common in very young children – more than one third of children under five years will wheeze at some point. Asthma is not often diagnosed in children under two. Most of these children stop wheezing as their airways grow, but for others it could be a sign that they will develop asthma. If your child is under five years old and their symptoms don’t go away, your doctor may decide to give them a trial of asthma medication to help make a diagnosis.

Diagnosis of asthma in children under 2

Asthma is difficult to diagnose in children under the age of two. This is because both wheezing and respiratory infections are common in young children and can have very similar symptoms to asthma.

If your child is under 2 and symptoms are persistent or severe, your doctor may prescribe a trial of asthma medication to support a diagnosis. In many cases, children may not be officially diagnosed until the age of 5.