Spirometry underutilized, but essential, in diagnosing COPD, asthma

SAN DIEGO — Clinicians should be taking steps to confirm the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma in practice, according to a presentation at the ACP Internal Medicine Annual Meeting.
To confirm such diagnosis, screening spirometry is crucial and should be implemented after symptoms and risk factors are assessed, Meredith C. McCormack, MD, MHS, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said during the presentation.....

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Anatomy of an Asthma Attack

Learn how to recognize when an asthma attack is coming on, what you can do to prevent it, and how to get the right medical care.
Common asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath, can progress into a full-blown asthma attack if you don’t take the right steps early on. Learning the first signs of an asthma attack can help you make the right decisions about your care.....

Read more here: everydayhealth.com

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Breath test to detect asthma

A new breath test to detect asthma could change the way that the condition is treated.
The Niox test works by monitoring the levels of nitric oxide in the breath of the patient.
Researchers have found these are higher in the breath of people with asthma, and that changes in levels can be used to see whether or not treatment is working.....

Read more here: dailymail.co.uk