A third of adults treated for asthma 'may not have the disease'

Conclusion The study results show being diagnosed with asthma at one point in your life doesn't necessarily mean you need to take asthma medication forever. This study has some limitations. It was carried out in Canada, where the health service is different and doctors may use different practices to diagnose asthma. That means we don't know if the results are applicable to the UK. Also, many people invited to take part did not do so, which means the participants may not be representative of the general population of people with asthma. Not all doctors provided records of diagnosis, so we don't know how many people actually had asthma tests. A third of people without asthma were not taking daily medication anyway, which indicates that they did not have current symptoms of asthma. UK guidelines suggest people should have their need for asthma medication checked regularly so they don't take more than they require to keep symptoms under control. Some people may be able to decrease their doses and then stop taking medication completely with medical supervision. But it's not something you should do without your doctor's advice, as asthma attacks can be dangerous. While tests like spirometry can help doctors make a diagnosis, they're not foolproof. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently looking at its advice on the diagnosis of asthma, and is expected to make new recommendations about the use of tests.  At present, spirometry is recommend...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medication Source Type: news