Newly diagnosed

[Robbosnest]

Good morning everyone.

I was diagnosed with asthma last winter when I had a really bad cold/cough i couldn't shift. I was wheezing also. I couldn't believe if was asthma and just assumed it was a chest infection . .y doctor did my peak flow and it was 250 which surely it could be this with a chest infection with or without asthma? Any way I've been on inhalers since. I do have allergies but not sure what i am allergic to. Is it my right to ask for allergies test? I also want a spieomtry test as surely peak flow is not the most reliable test for asthma?

[Chokit]

Like you, I was diagnosed last year at 59 with late onset asthma after a chest infection and I wasn’t really convinced at the time it was asthma either, it took months of medication & patience to get it all settled down then it all flared back up again this year when I suffered another chest infection in February, thankfully, it’s all settling down again now, but I can understand you having doubts. I actually went to see a Respiratory Specialist and it was him that did all the breathing tests etc again ( after the ones at my gp surgery) and he confirmed it was asthma I was suffering from...maybe you should push for spirometery etc just to be sure...good luck!

[Hidden]

Chest infection and asthma sounds completely different. Also unable to get your breath fully back and be a sign of asthma. So that is why the doctor did a peak flow. I got asthma though hayfever

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

If you’re unsure about your diagnosis then it’s definitely worth asking about getting a spiro with reversibility test done. As you say PF isn’t a diagnosistic tool for asthma, but it is a measuring tool for it (if that makes sense). If you had never done a PF before than that first one isn’t necessarily a good identifier for issues (they compare you to average not your PB - some people PB higher than average, others lower so...)

A good way to test yourself tho is to do reversibility. If you take your PF, have 2x vent, wait 10 mins and retake PF. If significant change you’re more likely to have asthma, if no real change then it’s less likely.

You can ask for an allergy test too, but ask for the blood test as that’s usually more reliable than the skin prick test.

Unfortunately it is quite common for people to be diagnosed as asthmatic when they have a virus/infection mimicking symptoms, when technically they aren’t, so if you don’t feel like you’re having issues breathing it’s worth asking them to ‘prove’ the diagnosis 😉

Hope that helps and good luck x