Asthma Diagnosis and Treatment

Asthma can de diagnosed with these tests: spirometry (measures how open your airways are); chest x-ray (looks at the condition of your lungs); and electrocardiogram (sees if heart disease is causing your symptoms).

While asthma cannot be cured, it can be managed. You can often control asthma by taking any prescribed medicines that open the lung airways and treat inflammation. Types of asthma medicines include bronchodilators (to prevent asthma attacks and to stop attacks after they have started) and anti-inflammatories (to help control airway inflammation and prevent attacks). Common anti-inflammatory drugs are cromolyn, nedocromil, and corticosteroids. Anti-leukotrienes are oral medicines used to treat chronic asthma by fighting the inflammatory response to allergies. If you have asthma, it is important to stay away from triggers and see your provider regularly.

If you are pregnant, it is very important to manage your symptoms to prevent an attack. Asthma tends to worsen in the late second and early third trimesters, but some women may have fewer symptoms during the last four weeks of pregnancy. Not taking care of your asthma can threaten your baby's growth and survival. Besides taking your medications and avoiding triggers, you can get a flu shot after the first three months of pregnancy, and exercise only moderately, under the supervision of your health care provider regularly.