Do i have asthma and how do you test for this? i have shortness of breath during the earl morning and during the early evening times until i go to bed at night. i have been waking up during the night coughing and hacking and having a hard time catching my

It : It sounds like this all came on suddenly. If so, then you are likely exposed to an allergen that is causing these symptoms. Is there something new in your life. A pet? Plant? Chemical exposure? Etc. You may want to consider allergy testing to look for clues. Asthma or bronchospasm can present at any time and may be due to an allergy (which I am suspecting in your case). Based on your clinical symptoms, your doctor may start you on an inhaler and monitor for effect, and may also order a chest x-ray. Also consider you may be dealing with a bronchitis, pneumonia, or even a foreign body in your airway. After a detailed history and physical your doctor will have a better idea of what is going on and devise a diagnostic and treatment plan. Hopefully you will find answers soon. Best of luck, .

Asthma : Asthma is a condition where the lungs are more "sensitive", and can basically spasm due to a variety of factors and make patients feel very short of breath. Asthma can be diagnosed in a variety of ways. Some patients have a family history of asthma. Some patients have a history of allergies, and are considered "atopic" or more sensitive to allergans that can affect their lungs. Diagnosis of asthma can be made in a number of ways. On examination, the patient will often, though not always, have wheezing. Some patients have a chronic cough with their asthma and some don't. There is a device called a "peak flow", which measures how well the patient can breathe out, to see if there is restriction of their lungs. There are also pulmonary function testing which measures the different capacities of the lungs. I am glad you are going in for an appointment so that you can get properly diagnosed and treated.