Statistics from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology indicate that one in 12 Americans suffer from asthma. However, new studies suggest that there are many instances in which individuals are misdiagnosed with this chronic respiratory disease.
The Gazette, a Colorado Springs news outlet, reports that during an asthma attack, symptoms include coughing, wheezing, tightening in the chest and difficulty breathing, but it's important to keep in mind that not everyone who experiences these reactions actually has asthma. The symptoms could be representative of another health problem.
"It's often underdiagnosed and sometimes overdiagnosed as well, depending on which subset of patients we are looking at," said Dr. Dheeraj Dhotre, a pulmonologist with Colorado Springs Pulmonary Consultants, in an interview with the news outlet. "Asthma is just talking about a reaction in the lungs. That's the only way we define asthma."
The source reports that from 2005 to 2008, 25 percent of the patients referred to National Jewish Health in Denver for asthma treatment had been misdiagnosed. And, when it comes to diagnosing children with the chronic respiratory disease, doctors often hesitate to give an asthma diagnosis, instead attempting to treat certain symptoms in a different way.
"With children, it's a little bit of a mystery. Other issues can make diagnoses of asthma more difficult and medical professionals don't want to get it wrong," explained Dr. Dheeraj Dhotre, a pulmonologist with Colorado Springs Pulmonary Consultants.
If you suffer from asthma, the good news is there are steps you can take to keep your symptoms at a minimum, such as purchasing bedding for allergies and an allergen air purifier from the Allergy Be Gone website.
