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 You:

• 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 exercise?
• Do you wheeze or cough after you come in contact with triggers such as pollen, smoke, cold air etc.?
• 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?

If you suspect that you or your child may have asthma, your G.P. will be able to give you a diagnosis based on: 

• Whether there’s a family history of asthma;
• The pattern of the symptoms;
• A physical chest examination;
• Peak flow/lung function test (child must be over 5 years old);
• A trial of asthma treatment.

Before confirming or ruling out asthma, your doctor may also ask if there are any conditions, such as eczema or hay fever. You may also be asked to keep a diary of which symptoms you or your child has - and when you have them. The following tests may be performed by your doctor to confirm the correct diagnosis. 

Spirometry; a simple breathing test that gives measurements of lung function including a reversibility test that measures lung function before and after a dose of reliever to see if it has improved your lung function. This can be helpful with asthma diagnosis.

Peak Expiratory flow rate measurements (PEFR); another simple breathing test which may be measured over a period of time, when one has symptoms or even when symptom free, performed in a GP surgery, hospital or even at home.

An exercise test to check if exercise worsens the symptoms

Children under 2

Asthma is difficult to diagnose in children under the age of two. This is because wheezing and respiratory infections, such as bronchiolitis, are common in young children and the symptoms are often very similar to asthma.

If your child is under two and the symptoms are bad or persistent, your doctor may decide to give them a trial of asthma medication to help make a diagnosis.