[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Asthma T-Hero Section” module_class=”hero tert” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/aafa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/AAFA-Website_Tertiary_Asthma.jpg” background_position=”top_right” custom_padding=”1%||1%||true|false” global_module=”2247″ saved_tabs=”all” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”initial” background_position=”bottom_left” background_horizontal_offset=”0%” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Nav Parent Title” module_class=”tert-parent” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”|600|||||||” header_2_text_align=”left” header_2_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_2_font_size=”32px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Breadcrumbs” module_class=”bcrumb” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”left” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”font-size:16px;||color: #fff;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Main Content” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”2%||2%||true|false” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” admin_label=”Page Title” module_class=”tert-content” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”|600|||||||” title_text_align=”left” title_text_color=”#008c99″ title_font_size=”39px” background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”contain” background_position=”center_left” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=” Intro Content” module_class=”secondary-intro” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#505050″ text_font_size=”24px” text_line_height=”1.5em” header_2_font=”|600|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008c99″ header_2_font_size=”39px” custom_margin=”||3%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Asthma<\/a> causes your airways to tighten, become inflamed (swell), and become overreactive. This makes it hard to breathe. It\u2019s a common chronic (long-term) disease that affects nearly 28 million people in the United States.1,2<\/sup><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Regular Content” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#505050″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u200bSome common symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will look at your medical history and perform a physical exam<\/a>. They may also do\u00a0lung function tests<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other respiratory conditions can have similar symptoms to asthma but require different treatments. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to get an accurate diagnosis.<\/p>\n One study showed that one out of three people diagnosed with asthma didn\u2019t actually have the condition.3<\/sup><\/p>\n Here are some other health conditions that can have signs and symptoms similar to asthma:<\/p>\n Make sure you talk with your doctor if your asthma treatment is not controlling your symptoms. Getting the right diagnosis can mean a better quality of life. For some more serious conditions, it can be the difference between life and death. These other conditions may need other specific treatments. Also, you may need other testing to rule out or confirm conditions other than asthma.<\/p>\n When asthma doesn\u2019t respond to asthma medicine, some doctors prescribe\u00a0oral corticosteroids. One example is prednisone<\/a>. This medicine is only for short-term use. Using oral corticosteroids long term due to the wrong diagnosis may have harmful side effects. This is another reason why getting an accurate diagnosis is so important.<\/p>\n If you have been following an asthma treatment plan but it isn\u2019t helping, talk with your doctor. They may have you do a test called a\u00a0methacholine [meth-uh-KOH-leen] challenge<\/a>. This test can be performed on people 5 years of age and older.<\/p>\n Methacholine is a type of drug that will tighten your airways at a lower dose if you have asthma. Your airways will tighten at a higher dose or not at all if you do not have asthma. At the beginning of the test, the doctor will have you do a baseline spirometry test (specific type of breathing test). During this test, your doctor will have you breathe in increasing doses of methacholine at scheduled periods over time. Then they will do repeat spirometry tests<\/a> after each dose to see if your lung function changes. There are guidelines to follow if there are major decreases in lung function and when to stop this challenge.<\/p>\n If your lung function goes down a lot during the test, that means you could have asthma. People without asthma should be able to go through the entire test without a major drop in their lung function.<\/p>\n If your lungs do not react to lower doses of methacholine, you may have another condition that has similar symptoms to asthma (see list above). Your doctor can help find the most appropriate diagnosis so they can create an effective treatment plan.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Medical Review” module_class=”med-rev clearfix” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#505050″ text_font_size=”16px” link_text_color=”#008C99″ link_font_size=”16px” header_5_font=”|600|||||||” header_5_text_align=”left” header_5_text_color=”#008c99″ custom_margin=”||3%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Medical Review: July 2024 by John James, MD<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion open_toggle_text_color=”#FFFFFF” open_toggle_background_color=”#f0f0f0″ closed_toggle_text_color=”#FFFFFF” closed_toggle_background_color=”#f0f0f0″ toggle_icon=”L||divi||400″ icon_color=”#FFFFFF” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”20px” admin_label=”References” module_id=”references” module_class=”accord pa-accordion” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” toggle_text_color=”#FFFFFF” toggle_font=”|600|||||||” toggle_font_size=”22px” closed_toggle_font=”|600|||||||” closed_toggle_font_size=”22px” body_font=”||||||||” body_text_color=”#505050″ body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.4em” body_link_font=”||||on|||#008C99|” text_orientation=”left” custom_margin=”||2%||false|false” custom_css_free_form=”.et_pb_toggle_title:before {|| font-size: 20px;|| position: absolute;|| color: #FFFFFF;|| font-family: ETmodules !important;|| font-weight: 400 !important;|| content: %22%924c%22 !important;|| right: 2% !important;|| display: inline-block !important;||}||.accord .et_pb_toggle_content {|| color: #008c99;|| font-size: 16px;|| font-weight: 500;||}” border_width_all=”0px” global_module=”8665″ saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Closed Accordion” open=”on” _builder_version=”4.23″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”References” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” open=”off”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][et_pb_code admin_label=”Print” module_id=”print” module_class=”clearfix” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_module=”5156″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]What Conditions Are Similar to Asthma?<\/h3>\n
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How Do I Know If I Have Been Misdiagnosed with Asthma?<\/h3>\n
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