People who are suffering from asthma and allergies often do not know that they themselves are having it until the asthma attack and allergies strike. Therefore, if you feel that you could be down with asthma, you should go for a check up immediately. Tests and procedures will be carried out to ascertain the diagnosis. The type of diagnostic studies that the doctors carry out depends on the results of your physical examination and your medical history.
These are some of the tests and procedures that doctors usually carry out:
Skin testing for allergy
Skin testing is a highly recognized standard for identifying sensitivities to certain types of allergens that would normally trigger the symptoms of asthma. This is because allergy skin testing can effectively indicate the level of sensitivity of the skin to any particular allergen. It is very useful in identifying the patient's sensitivities to pollen, food hypersensitivities, insect stings, molds, dust mites or even animal dander.
Skin testing involves applying drops of allergen on one's skin, and puncturing or pricking the skin with a device to see if the skin shows any signs of adverse reactions. The skin will usually react and forms a lump similar to a mosquito bite if one is allergic to the allergen.
Carrying out spirometry
For patients who have symptoms which include cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, the doctors will normally assess his or her lung functions by performing a spirometry to examine whether asthma is the main cause of the condition.
A spirometer is a sophisticated machine that can measures the airflow from one's airway before and after inhaling with a short-acting bronchodilator. This method is the most accurate way of determining whether airway obstruction exists and whether the patient has a high chance of recovery. Doctors may also carry out other lung-function tests if they feel that other respiratory conditions exist, which may aggravate the underlying medical condition.
Radioallergensorbent Testing (RAST)
The doctors may carry out RAST to diagnose the allergic sensitivities and the possibilities of triggering one's asthma symptoms under specific circumstances. The doctors will examine the severity of one's condition before deciding whether to conduct this test.
Alternative procedures for diagnosing asthma and allergies
Below are some of the other alternative tests to confirm the diagnosis of an asthma or allergy:
- Oral food challenges
- Elimination diet
- Thyroid function test
- Tympanometry
- Blood test
- Nasal smear
- Rhinoscopy
- Chest and/or sinus X-ray
- CAT (Computed Axial Tomography) scan
- Bronchoprovocation
No comments:
Post a Comment