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A surprising new research revealed that most adults who thought they have asthma don't have it. Researchers reveal that cough and wheezing are often misinterpreted as asthma, when in fact, it can be tagged as a different respiratory condition.

Researchers mentioned that most adults who thought they have asthma could end up with self-medication. The team used random dialing, wherein the research that they did was participated by 613 men and women who were previously diagnosed with asthma over the past 5 years according to New York Times.

The research published in JAMA mentioned that the participants went through a series of tests wherethey were given drug challenges and spirometry. They were also given physical tests of their breathing capacity for the researchers to rule out any symptoms that are not applicable.

As the tests came to an end, the researchers were able to rule out 203 patients who were diagnosed with asthma. These participants are only a third of the total subjects who were regularly taking asthma maintenance. Aside from the 203 participants, 181 didn't exhibit any asthmatic symptoms over the 15-month follow up.

Aside from misdiagnosis, researchers also came across another respiratory condition that is often misdiagnosed with asthma. It was mentioned that the presumed assumed asthma cases turned out to be false if they were diagnosed with just the symptoms, and no proper testing was used.

"If you have shortness of breath, wheeze or a cough, you should suggest that the doctor orders a spirometry test," he said. "It's a quick test with no risks or side effects that can predict asthma or other respiratory conditions."

It is important to consult a physician if one is going through breathing difficulties and not just assume that it is asthma. There are countless chronic diseases, thus getting the right diagnosis is important.