How Is Asthma Diagnosed?

Allergy Testing

Allergy testing might be done as one of several tests while a doctor is confirming the presence of asthma. Allergy tests won't confirm the presence of asthma itself, but they will confirm whether allergies might be causing asthma flareups. For example, if an individual is allergic to cats, they might experience more asthma attacks while living with a cat than they would if they lived alone. There are several allergy tests available, and the one a doctor uses will depend on the allergen being tested. One is a skin test, which is done by placing a small amount of allergen underneath the skin. If the skin reacts with an allergic reaction, patients know they have a heightened immune response to that allergen. Certain blood tests can also be used to test for allergies.