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When asthma is suspected, the patient should describe for the doctor any pattern related to the symptoms and possible precipitating factors, including:
A number of disorders may cause some or all of the symptoms of asthma:
If symptoms and a patient's history suggest asthma, the doctor will usually perform pulmonary function tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease.
Using a spirometer, an instrument that measures the air taken into and exhaled from the lungs, the doctor will determine several values:

If the airways are obstructed, these measurements will fall. Depending on the results, the doctor will take the following steps:
The patient may receive skin or blood allergy tests, particularly if a specific allergen is suspected and available for testing. Allergy skin tests may help diagnose allergic asthma, although they are not recommended for people with year-round asthma.
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National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma Update on Selected Topics -- 2002. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2003. NIH publications 02-5074.
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051.
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Vliagoftis H, Kouranos VD, Betsi GI, Falagas ME. Probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Dec;101(6):570-9.
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