This information is published within the "British Guideline on the Management of Asthma: A national clinical guideline" developed by British Thoracic Society & Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Please refer to the full guideline document for more detailed information.
Symptoms of Asthma
To avoid misdiagnosis it is essential to remember that people with asthma may suffer from a variety of symptoms, none of which is specific for asthma:
The hallmark of asthma is that these symptoms tend to be:
When cough is the predominant symptom without wheeze, this is often referred to as cough variant asthma.
Signs of Asthma
During exacerbations, the patient will often have wheeze and reduced lung function, either reduced peak flow or an obstructive pattern on spirometry. The presence of wheeze (usually diffuse, polyphonic, bilateral and particularly expiratory) is a cardinal sign of asthma and, if present, should be documented in clinical notes. Outside acute episodes, there may be no objective signs of asthma. Patients who present with chronic asthma may have signs of hyperinflation with or without wheeze.
Additional information which may contribute towards a clinical suspicion of asthma includes: