How Doctors Test And Diagnose Asthma?
www.healasthma.com The next step in your visit is the physical examination. The exam will focus on your skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, and chest. The doctor will look at your skin for signs of eczema or hives. Inflammation in the ears or eyes may signify an underlying allergy. Dark circles under the eyes, called allergic shiners, and swelling in the nose are both telltale signs of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, which is often associated with asthma. The chest exam is the most important part of the doctor’s physical examination. The doctor will rely on a stethoscope to detect wheezing and gauge the rate of air movement in and out of your chest. The doctor .may ask you to take a deep breath or briefly exercise to make it easier for her or him to detect wheezing. An astute asthma doctor can often diagnose asthma by just looking at a patient’s chest and observing what is called the barrel-chest deformity. When patients with chronic asthma constantly use their chest and rib muscles to
