I seem to get colds a lot. How can I tell if I have a persistent cold or if I should be tested for asthma?

Asthma affects about one out of every twenty persons. Typical symptoms include cough, especially with exercise, shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing (a whistling sound made breathing out, usually associated with shortness of breath) and a lingering cough after colds. It's often inherited, so other family members might have asthma or other allergic disorders. The test for asthma is a simple and painless breathing test called spirometry (pulmonary function test) and involves blowing forcefully into a tube. Asthma specialists, such as allergists and pulmonologists, can usually perform this test in their office. If you think you might have asthma, ask your doctor to suggest a good asthma specialist for you to see.

Good luck, Dr. White

-- Dr. Martha Vetter White, MD, is cofounder and director of research at the Institute for Asthma &Allergy in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, one of the nation's most active clinical research centers devoted to allergy, asthma, and sinusitis.

First published January 5, 2004
Last updated January 31, 2007