Cough-Variant Asthma
A methacholine challenge test may be performed if your symptoms and spirometry test do not clearly show asthma. When inhaled, methacholine causes the airways of everyone -- even non-asthmatics -- to spasm and narrow. However, it will indicate asthma if it triggers symptoms at a low dose. During this test, you inhale increasing amounts of methacholine aerosol mist before and after spirometry. The methacholine test is considered positive -- meaning asthma is present -- if the lung function drops by at least 20%. A bronchodilator (airway-opening drug) is always given at the end of the test to reverse the effects of the methacholine.
Another way health care providers diagnose cough-variant asthma is by treating the cough with asthma medications. If the cough improves with treatment, you will be diagnosed with cough-variant asthma.
Cough-variant asthma is treated in the same way that typical asthma is treated. You may be given an asthma inhaler with albuterol, ipratropium, and/or inhaled steroids (anti-inflammatory agents). You should see a gradual improvement in asthma symptoms over six to eight weeks.
Signs of a Pending Asthma Attack
In this article
- What Is Cough-Variant Asthma?
- Who Gets Cough-Variant Asthma?
- What Causes Cough-Variant Asthma?
- How Is Cough-Variant Asthma Diagnosed?
- How Is Cough-Variant Asthma Treated?
How Is Cough-Variant Asthma Diagnosed? continued...
A methacholine challenge test may be performed if your symptoms and spirometry test do not clearly show asthma. When inhaled, methacholine causes the airways of everyone -- even non-asthmatics -- to spasm and narrow. However, it will indicate asthma if it triggers symptoms at a low dose. During this test, you inhale increasing amounts of methacholine aerosol mist before and after spirometry. The methacholine test is considered positive -- meaning asthma is present -- if the lung function drops by at least 20%. A bronchodilator (airway-opening drug) is always given at the end of the test to reverse the effects of the methacholine.
Another way health care providers diagnose cough-variant asthma is by treating the cough with asthma medications. If the cough improves with treatment, you will be diagnosed with cough-variant asthma.
How Is Cough-Variant Asthma Treated?
Cough-variant asthma is treated in the same way that typical asthma is treated. You may be given an asthma inhaler with albuterol, ipratropium, and/or inhaled steroids (anti-inflammatory agents). You should see a gradual improvement in asthma symptoms over six to eight weeks.
Signs of a Pending Asthma Attack