A positive bronchodilator test is not necessarily asthma. Asthma is diagnosed when a positive bronchodilator test is accompanied by recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough, or scattered or diffuse rales in both lungs during an attack, and when these symptoms resolve on their own or with treatment.
The bronchodilator test is designed to detect the reversibility of airway obstruction, in which the patient inhales a bronchodilator and then measures the first-second forceful expiratory volume (FEV1). If the FEV1 increases by more than 12% and the absolute value increases by more than 200 ml compared to the pre-medication period, the patient has a positive bronchodilator test, which suggests that the patient’s airway obstruction is reversible, and the common diseases include bronchial asthma, acute and chronic wheezing bronchitis, and airway spasm.
When the patient has asthma symptoms, it is recommended to go to the hospital in a timely manner, under the guidance of the doctor for diagnosis and treatment.