How Asthma Is Diagnosed
An allergist is a doctor with special training and experience to diagnose and treat allergic diseases such as asthma. If you think you might have asthma, talk to your doctor or an allergist to see if you get an asthma diagnosis.
During a visit with an allergist, you can expect the doctor to:
- Take a medical history that reviews if any members of your family have asthma or allergies, such as hay fever, hives or eczema
- Ask you about your attacks, how often they happen and what seems to trigger them
- Perform a physical exam
- Measure airflow entering and leaving the lungs
The doctor also may order other tests such as chest X-rays, blood tests or allergy tests.