Asthma Test

About the asthma assessment tool

The above test consists of three sections that focus on different aspects related to asthma.

It is aimed at discovering whether the patient is likely to suffer from asthma (so that diagnosis methods can be employed) and if so, also provide the clinician with a checklist of symptoms, exacerbating factors and relevant patient personal history.

The first section focuses on five respiratory symptoms associated with asthma:

1. Do you ever feel like you cannot breath properly?

2. Do you experience a long lasting cough?

3. Do you produce an audible sound, like wheezing when breathing out?

4. Do you experience symptoms like a cold, running nose, sneezing etc?

5. Do you ever wake up at night coughing or not being able to breathe?

The second section lists different agents that are known to aggravate or trigger asthma attacks:

■ Respiratory infections;

■ Pollen and flowers;

■ Mould;

■ Smoking;

■ Chemicals;

■ Clothing, pillows, beds;

■ Food allergies;

■ Medicine;

■ Animals;

■ Exercise;

■ House dust;

■ Changes in weather.

The third section of the test refers to patient history and effect on quality of life:

1. Do you suffer from any allergies?

2. Do you have a family history of any of the following?

3. Are the symptoms discussed present in episodes or permanently?

4. Do you feel the discussed symptoms have affected your quality of life?

5. Have you ever experienced a severe respiratory episode?

Once the test is complete, the tool offers a result as to whether the signs experienced by the patient are consistent with this respiratory condition. Several recommendations triggered by the answers chosen may also follow.

Asthma symptoms

Asthma is a respiratory condition that is characterized by an inflammation of the bronchioles in the lungs which leads in time to their narrowing. Inflammation may be accompanied by mucus from the respiratory lining. The exact cause of the inflammation is unknown.

This condition affects 1 in 20 adults (long term) and occurs as temporary attacks in 1 in 10 children.

Asthma symptoms include:

■ Wheezing;

■ Frequent cough;

■ Shortness of breath;

■ Chest tightness;

■ Tiredness;

■ Sneezing;

■ Runny nose;

■ Nasal congestion;

■ Headache.

Symptoms range from mild to severe and can vary in intensity depending on the episode, which can be of short duration (minutes to hours) or could persist for days or weeks.

During hay fever season or when there is an underlying respiratory infection, symptoms may become more acute.

During an asthma attack, wheezing, coughing or chest tightness worsen. The shortness of breath exacerbates and this leads to an increased heart beat, paleness, sweat and tightened muscles. The patient may feel drowsy, dizzy or even prone to fainting because of oxygen deprivation.

What worsens asthma symptoms?

Most patients live with chronic asthma and learn how to avoid the factors that lead to flare ups. The table below introduces the main exacerbating factors and some recommendations:

Asthma diagnosis

Diagnosis can be put after physical examination and is based on the typical signs (especially those of severe attacks) but respiratory tests can also help:

■ Spirometry: Experimental measurement of pulmonary volumes, especially useful in this case the forced expiratory volume (FEV1).

■ Peak flow meter assessment: this test measures the speed of the air blown out of the lungs, therefore indicates the degree of narrowing of the airways.

References

1. Lemanske RF Jr, Busse WW. Asthma: clinical expression and molecular mechanisms. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010; 125(2 Suppl 2):S95-102.

2. Sykes A, Johnston SL. Etiology of asthma exacerbations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 122(4):685-8.

3. Lemanske RF Jr, Busse WW. Asthma: Factors underlying inception, exacerbation, and disease progression. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006; 117(2 Suppl Mini-Primer):S456-61.

4. WHO (2011) World Health Organization Fact Sheet Fact sheet No 307: Asthma.