Keep taking your asthma medication

To the Editor:

I want to address a recent study that found physicians in Canada have been misdiagnosing asthma. The study mentions that a large number of people have been placed on unnecessary medications.

Although misdiagnosis may sometimes occur, self-diagnosis could be dangerous. I’d like to put asthma sufferers at ease by reviewing how we determine if you have asthma.

Each patient is different, but in most cases we look at your detailed medical history, do a physical examination and test your breathing with spirometry, a quick, simple breathing test.

In other cases, when deemed necessary, a doctor might recommend you get a chest X-ray, have your blood and mucus tested, consult a specialist or have a challenge test performed in hospital. A challenge test helps a doctor tell how hyper-responsive your airways are.

If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, it’s important that you keep taking your medication. If you simply stop treatment, you could be putting your health at risk. Although you may not have asthma, you could have another breathing disorder. If you feel that you’ve been misdiagnosed, or that your medication isn’t working effectively, speak to your doctor about your concerns.

Sincerely,

Don Wescott, MD, FRCSC

President, Doctors Nova Scotia

www.doctorsNS.com