Although typical of asthma, these symptoms are nonspecific, making it sometimes difficult to distinguish asthma from other respiratory diseases. The definitive diagnosis of asthma requires the history or presence of respiratory symptoms consistent with asthma, combined with the demonstration of variable expiratory airflow obstruction, included in this article part A. Part B shall focus on differential diagnosis and difficulties in diagnosis of asthma.
Tools used in the diagnosis of asthma include history, physical examination, pulmonary function testing, and other laboratory evaluations. This article describes several specific strategies for making the diagnosis of asthma in adolescents and adults. DIAGNOSIS A history of intermittent symptoms typical of asthma plus the finding on physical examination of characteristic musical wheezing (present in association with symptoms and absent…
