Diagnosing Asthma in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Asthma is a common breathing condition in West Michigan, affecting both children and adults throughout the Grand Rapids area. Because of our cold, dry winters, seasonal pollen, and changing weather off Lake Michigan, asthma symptoms can flare at different times of the year. Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step to effective asthma control.

Asthma Symptoms: More Than Just Wheezing

Asthma symptoms are caused by:

  • Muscles tightening around the airways
  • Swelling (inflammation) inside the airways
  • Extra mucus production in the airways

People with asthma have airways that are more sensitive than normal. Things that set off or start symptoms are called asthma triggers.

Common asthma symptoms include:

  • Wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chest tightness or pressure
  • Coughing, especially at night or early morning

These symptoms can range from mild to severe. Without proper treatment, they can lead to a life‑threatening asthma emergency.

Common Asthma Triggers in Grand Rapids

In Grand Rapids, MI, some triggers are especially common because of our climate and environment:

  • Respiratory infections – colds, flu, and viruses (especially during fall and winter)
  • Dry, cold air – typical of West Michigan winters
  • Sudden temperature changes – going from outdoors to heated indoor air
  • Exercise, especially in cold air
  • Pollen – tree pollen in spring, grass in early summer, and weeds in late summer/fall
  • Dust mites – common in homes and older buildings
  • Mold and dampness – basements and areas with moisture
  • Cigarette smoke and vaping
  • Air pollution – including traffic and industrial areas in the metro Grand Rapids region

Knowing your triggers helps you and your Grand Rapids healthcare provider create a personalized asthma management plan.

How Asthma Is Diagnosed

There is no single test that diagnoses asthma. Instead, doctors in Grand Rapids use a combination of:

  • Your symptoms
  • Your medical and family history
  • Physical examination
  • Lung function tests (for most people age 5 and older)
  • Your response to asthma medicine

Local primary care providers, pediatricians, allergists, and pulmonologists at places like Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health commonly use these steps.

Your Doctor Needs to Understand Your Symptoms and History

During your visit, your Grand Rapids doctor will ask questions such as:

  • Do you have a family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or hay fever?
  • How often do you have wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath?
  • Are your symptoms worse at night or early in the morning?
  • Do your symptoms come and go, or are they constant?
  • Do symptoms get worse with exercise, laughter, or infections (like colds or flu)?
  • Do you notice symptoms during certain seasons, such as spring or fall in Michigan?
  • Are symptoms worse around animals, dust, pollen, or mold?
  • Do your symptoms improve quickly with a reliever inhaler (such as albuterol)?

Your doctor will also consider other possible causes of your symptoms, such as infections, heart conditions, or other lung diseases, before making a clinical diagnosis of asthma.

Keeping a Symptom Diary

If you or a family member have breathing difficulties, keeping a symptom diary can be very helpful for your Grand Rapids healthcare provider.

You can:

  • Write down symptoms in a notebook or phone app
  • Make a video or audio recording of wheezing or coughing on your phone

Include details such as:

  • When symptoms occur (during the day, worse at night, early morning)
  • How bad the symptoms are and how often they happen
  • How long symptoms last and whether they change over time
  • Whether symptoms are worse:
    • After exercise
    • When laughing
    • After a cold or flu
    • Around animals, pollen, dust, or mold
  • Whether symptoms are seasonal (for example, every spring or fall in Michigan)
  • How quickly symptoms improve with reliever medication

Bring this information to your appointment at your local clinic, such as a Spectrum Health or Trinity Health primary care office in Grand Rapids.

Lung Function Test (Spirometry)

For most adults and children 5 years and older, doctors use a lung function test called spirometry to help diagnose asthma.

What spirometry measures:

  • How much air you can blow out of your lungs
  • How fast you can blow air out

How the test works:

  1. You take a deep breath.
  2. You blow into a tube attached to a machine (spirometer) as hard and fast as you can for a few seconds.
  3. The machine measures:
    • The amount of air you blow out
    • How quickly you blow it out

Most adults and children over 5 in Grand Rapids can do this test. Sometimes the test is repeated after using a reliever inhaler to see if your breathing improves, which supports a diagnosis of asthma.

Keep in mind:

  • A cold or other infection can temporarily affect lung function results.
  • Your doctor may repeat the test when you are well for a clearer picture.

Spirometry is commonly available through pulmonary function labs at major Grand Rapids hospitals, including Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for children.

Diagnosing Asthma in Children in Grand Rapids

Asthma can be more difficult to diagnose in children under 5 years, especially because:

  • Young children may not be able to do breathing tests well.
  • Many other conditions can cause coughing and wheezing in small children.

For children, your doctor will:

  • Carefully assess your child’s symptoms
  • Ask you to describe when and how symptoms occur
  • Consider family history of asthma, allergies, or eczema
  • Look at how your child responds to asthma medicine

Sometimes, your child’s doctor will use a “treatment trial”:

  • Your child is given asthma medicine for a set period.
  • The doctor monitors how much symptoms improve.
  • The response helps guide the diagnosis.

Keep a record of your child’s symptoms, including:

  • When symptoms occur (daytime vs. nighttime)
  • How severe they are and how often they happen
  • How long symptoms last and whether they change
  • Whether symptoms are worse:
    • After playing or exercising
    • During colds or flu
    • Around pets, pollen, dust, or mold
  • Whether symptoms seem worse during certain Michigan seasons

Pediatric asthma care is widely available in Grand Rapids, especially through Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and local pediatric practices.

When Asthma Symptoms Suggest Asthma

Asthma is more likely to be diagnosed if your symptoms:

  • Keep coming back
  • Are worse at night or in the early morning
  • Are clearly triggered by exercise, allergies, or infections
  • Have a seasonal pattern (for example, every spring or fall in West Michigan)
  • Improve quickly with reliever medication (such as an inhaler)

If you notice these patterns, schedule an appointment with your Grand Rapids primary care provider or allergist/pulmonologist.

Local Resources for Asthma Care in Grand Rapids, MI

If you live in the Grand Rapids area and are concerned about asthma, you have several local options:

  • Primary Care / Family Doctors

    • Corewell Health (Spectrum Health) clinics
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids clinics
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Local independent family medicine and pediatric practices

  • Specialty Care

    • Pulmonologists (lung specialists)
    • Allergists/Immunologists
    • Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital – pediatric asthma programs and educational videos to help you better understand and manage your child’s asthma

  • Public Health Resources

    • Kent County Health Department – information on air quality, flu shots, and respiratory health programs
    • Grand Rapids Public Health and community clinics – education and support for chronic conditions like asthma

Emergency Help for Severe Asthma Symptoms

Asthma symptoms can become severe and life‑threatening.

Call 911 immediately if:

  • You are struggling to breathe or talk
  • Your lips or face look blue or gray
  • Your reliever inhaler is not helping
  • Your symptoms are suddenly getting much worse

Emergency departments at Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and other local hospitals are equipped to treat severe asthma attacks.

Key Points About Diagnosing Asthma in Grand Rapids

  • Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
  • Things that set off or start symptoms are called triggers (such as cold air, pollen, infections, and smoke).
  • Your doctor first needs to understand your symptoms and medical history before diagnosing asthma.
  • Lung function tests (spirometry) help diagnose asthma in most adults and children over 5 years.
  • If you or a family member have breathing difficulties, keep a diary of symptoms and bring it to your Grand Rapids healthcare provider.

If you suspect asthma, don’t ignore your symptoms. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can help you stay active and enjoy all that Grand Rapids and West Michigan have to offer—through every season.