The test might be done if you have unequal wheezing in the lungs or a poor response to asthma therapy.

The following is the manufacturer's recommended dose based on prior asthma therapy:

Skyepharma has sickened this morning, tumbling 18.5pc to 35p, after the drug delivery specialist encountered a further delay to approval of its asthma therapy, Flutiform.

One important recent advance in asthma therapy is the use of inhaled steroids, not to be confused with inhaled bronchodilators that offer symptomatic relief.

Even the company's big-selling asthma therapy, the Advair Diskus, combines two old asthma drugs.

An assessment of quality of life is essential to gauging the success of asthma therapy.

Indeed, chronic, long-term, continuous treatment with anti-inflammatory medications - which are also generally given via aerosol inhalers - is the new hallmark of asthma therapy.

"The whole goal of asthma therapy with each patient is to allow them to conduct their daily activities unfettered," says Dr. Georas.

Many VCD patients are diagnosed with asthma, but are unresponsive to asthma therapy, including bronchodilators and steroids.

These steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, the cornerstone of asthma therapy.