Diagnosing asthma is based on a physical examination and a personal history.

The personal history will include any history of breathing problems you may have had, as well as a family history of asthma, allergies, a skin disease called eczema, or other lung disease. It is important that you describe your symptoms in detail (coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness), including when and how often these have been occurring.

A physical examination looks for signs of wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing.  Next, tests may be done to evaluate the overall condition of the lungs, including:

• Chest X-ray - X rays are a form of radiation that can penetrate the body and produce an image on an x ray film.
• Pulmonary function tests
• Spirometry -is a simple breathing test that measures how much and how fast you can blow air out of your lungs.
• Peak expiratory flow - The peak flow meter measures how fast you breathe air out of your lungs.  People with asthma need to know when their lungs are not working well. Using this small device, peak flow meter, they can monitor how well their lungs are working anywhere, anytime.
• Methacholine challenge test is more commonly used in adults than children.  The test is designed to identify those people who may have sensitive airways or bronchial tubes or who may have asthma.  The test lasts about an hour.

Additional tests may also be performed to rule out the presence of other conditions that may mask asthma symptoms.

Atopic Dermatitis (eczema) - commonly referred to as eczema, is a chronic skin disorder categorized by scaly and itching rashes. People with eczema often have a family history of allergic conditions like asthma, hay fever, or eczema.