Can asthma go away?
Ask the doctor
Q. I was diagnosed with asthma five years ago, and my doctor prescribed an inhaler to use daily. I haven't had any symptoms for a year now, even though I stopped using my inhaler. Can asthma go away?
A. Asthma can go away. But this happens more often when asthma starts in childhood than when it starts in adulthood. When asthma goes away, it sometimes means it wasn't there in the first place.
Asthma can be surprisingly hard to diagnose. The three main symptoms are
- wheezing
- coughing
- shortness of breath.
But not all people with asthma have all three symptoms.
The best way to diagnose asthma is with lung function tests, not by symptoms. An instrument called a spirometer measures how much air you can exhale and at what rate. You will then take a couple puffs of an inhaler and see if this improves your air flow. Narrowed airways that open up with an inhaler is the classic feature of asthma.
A peak-flow meter is a simpler instrument that you can use at home. It measures how fast you can exhale. A peak-flow test is a good first step. But to get a definite diagnosis of asthma, you usually need a more comprehensive breathing test.
If you start having breathing problems again and you haven't had lung function testing, ask your doctor about it.
Image: © Nitat Termmee/Getty Images
About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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