Asthma in the older person

7) Confirming an asthma diagnosis

asthma_diagnosis_triangle

From the information that you have given, the breathing tests and how you respond to any treatment, your healthcare professional will be able to confirm if you have asthma. It is like putting together pieces of a jigsaw to make the full picture.

  • The majority of people are treated by their GP (as shown in the blue section on the diagram opposite).
  • People who are having difficulty controlling their asthma may be referred for further testing in hospital as an outpatient (as shown in the pink section on the diagram opposite).
  • Fewer people need more detailed hospital tests for their asthma (as shown in the yellow section on the diagram opposite).