Respiratory Disorders - General

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases offers 3 articles about the current problems of testing for different strains of the flu and information about new tests which may overcome th

Spirometry (a breathing test that measures how much air and how fast you can blow it out of your lungs), chest x-rays, and blood and sputum tests all help to determine if your problem is asthma.

The Lung Association advises: "... uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy can lead to serious maternal and fetal complications. If you have asthma and you're pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, see your doctor." Even if you think you might have asthma, you should see a doctor.

Diagosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema) is fairly easy, because the symptoms are so obvious: shortness of breath, cough, sputum (phlegm, mucus). To complete the diagnosis, spirometry testing, an ex-ray of your chest to look at any lung damage, and a blood test to measure the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood will be done.