Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide– A tool for measuring asthma severity There is a new tool that is showing to be very helpful in measuring asthma called Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO). This is a machine that you breathe into and it gives you a number based on inflammation in the lungs. This value can help you and your doctor understand if your asthma is well controlled. It significantly correlates to hyperactive airways and allergic triggers. It is helpful to:
- Measure response to steroid therapy and level of inflammation control
- To determine allergy exposure
- Help predict exacerbations
- Identify comorbid conditions that underlie non-specific respiratory symptoms
- Predict steroid response
- Optimize therapy through early recognition of loss of control
- Monitor adherence with ICS
- Monitor treatment
- Assist in the diagnosis and management of childhood asthma
If your value is elevated, it may mean that your asthma is not as controlled as it could be. It tells us that you would respond well to an inhaled corticosteroid treatment or a maintenance inhaler to reduce the inflammation present in your lungs. It can also help us determine if there may be something else other than asthma that may be contributing to your respiratory troubles so we can be sure to address that as well. We are excited to have this new tool available to our patients to help guide us in providing the best therapy for our asthmatic patients.
Want to learn more about Asthma? Read our Asthma Resource Guide
The allergy group has released a resource guide on asthma. This resource guide covers everything you need to know about asthma, and provides resources on topics like what you should do if someone has an asthma attack, what are the risk factors of asthma, and how do you know if you have asthma.