Breathe easy: your lungs may be fine.
There may be a good reason for you to doubt this diagnosis: A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 33 percent of adults diagnosed with asthma actually don’t have active asthma .
The researchers examined 613 participants who had been diagnosed with asthma in the past five years. After conducting a series of detailed respiratory tests on the participants – and having them consult with lung specialists – the researchers ruled out asthma in 1 in 3 of them.
The researchers reported that some were found to have minor conditions such as allergies or heartburn, which can cause breathing problems similar to asthma , and 2 percent had serious illnesses such as pulmonary hypertension or heart disease. And almost 30 percent of them had nothing at all.
In reviewing the original diagnosis of asthma in those without the disease, the researchers found that their doctors did not order an air flow test called spirometry – which measures how much they inhale and exhale – in 49 percent of cases. This is a problem since these tests are required by medical guidelines to make a diagnosis of asthma .
As a result of the study, 90 percent of those who were misdiagnosed were able to quit asthma medications and not consume them safely for a year.
As with any medication, no one wants to consume asthma treatment without needing it. Not only is there a cost involved, but they can cause side effects, says Dr. Shawn Arron, lead author of the Ottawa Hospital study in a press release.
The researchers did not ask why the doctors did not order spirometry, but if you were diagnosed with asthma without the test, ask your doctor to do it to make sure.