Diagnosis with lung function tests and long-term treatment plans for asthma, COPD and allergies, to control breathlessness and prevent attacks.
Overview
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common long-term lung conditions that cause breathlessness, cough and wheezing. Asthma often starts in childhood and is linked to allergies; COPD usually develops after years of smoking or exposure to smoke and dust.
Our Respiratory Medicine department runs specialty clinics for allergies, uncontrolled asthma and COPD, using pulmonary function tests (PFT) to confirm the diagnosis and track response to treatment.
Who needs this treatment?
- Recurrent wheezing, cough or chest tightness
- Breathlessness on exertion or at night
- Frequent chest infections
- Asthma that is not well controlled despite inhalers
- Long-term smokers with cough or breathlessness
Benefits
- Accurate diagnosis with lung function testing
- A personal action plan to control symptoms
- Training in correct inhaler technique
- Fewer attacks and hospital admissions
How it is done
Before the procedure
Avoid using reliever inhalers for a few hours before a lung function test if your doctor advises.
During the procedure
Spirometry measures how much and how fast you can breathe out; it is painless and takes 15 to 30 minutes. Other tests may include chest X-ray, CT scan or allergy tests.
After the procedure
Your doctor explains the results and prescribes treatment, usually inhalers, with a plan for what to do if symptoms worsen.
Recovery and aftercare
These are long-term conditions; regular review keeps them under control.
- Use preventer inhalers every day, even when you feel well
- Stop smoking and avoid smoke and dust
- Get the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines if advised
- Seek urgent care if breathlessness does not improve with your reliever inhaler
Frequently asked questions
For asthma and COPD, inhalers deliver medicine directly to the lungs, so smaller doses work well with fewer side effects.
Asthma cannot usually be cured, but with the right treatment most people control it well and live normal, active lives.
This page gives general information. Whether a treatment is right for you, and what it involves, depends on your condition; your doctor will explain the options after examining you.