ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of asthma is based on the presence of respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma, demonstration of airflow limitation, and demonstration of variable airflow with or without treatment. Evidence of airway inflammation substantiates the diagnosis and may also help in management. It is imperative that a positive diagnosis of asthma be made at some stage in the course of a patient's illness, preferably early on, to avoid significant overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis with its attendant consequences. Further, it is useful to revisit the diagnosis in every stable patient so as to be able to scale down or stop the treatment while continuing to monitor. This chapter tries to discuss various methods of diagnosis of asthma and also highlight various asthma phenotypes identified for personalized management.
