Figuring out how to find a doctor for your asthma can seem challenging at first—after all, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best treatment possible while also staying within your geographic location as well as your insurance plan.
There are several different types of doctors you can see to help with asthma treatment and diagnosis. A family practice physician or pediatrician may provide a more general perspective. A pulmonologist, as a lung specialist, can also be a good option. And if your asthma is connected to allergies, an allergist could be a good choice, too.
Verywell / Zoe Hansen
1. Family Practice Physician or Internist
2. Pediatrician
For parents of children with asthma, a pediatrician (a medical professional with special training in caring for children) is the first step to diagnosing and treating asthma. Many family practice physicians also treat pediatric patients. Pediatricians can conduct preliminary tests, make a diagnosis, and recommend treatment options. They can also refer children to more specialized healthcare providers.
3. Pulmonologist
Apulmonologistis a healthcare provider who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating lung and respiratory illnesses, which include asthma as well as other breathing conditions. Pulmonologists will be able to perform more in-depth testing when needed as well as give you a more comprehensive diagnosis than primary care physicians. They have more specialized training in working with the lungs and respiratory system. A pulmonologist is either an adult or pediatric lung doctor.
4. Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor
5. Allergist-Immunologist
What kind of doctor is best for asthma?The type of asthma doctor you choose will depend on a number of factors, including any underlying health conditions or personal factors, such as age, severity, and type of asthma. For example, if your asthma stems from allergies, an allergist may be a good option. In general, it’s good to start with your primary care provider who can recommend you to specialists as needed.
What kind of doctor is best for asthma?
The type of asthma doctor you choose will depend on a number of factors, including any underlying health conditions or personal factors, such as age, severity, and type of asthma. For example, if your asthma stems from allergies, an allergist may be a good option. In general, it’s good to start with your primary care provider who can recommend you to specialists as needed.
Respiratory therapists, as opposed to the previous types of healthcare providers listed, aren’t focused on medicating your asthma. They do have special training in the lungs and respiratory system, though. Their main goals are to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who have trouble breathing.
Where to Find Asthma Doctors
You may not always find one practitioner who will treat your asthma. Many people combine the services of an allergist, primary care physician, and respiratory therapist to take both a medicated and a more therapy-based approach to treating their symptoms.
Here are some places to find a healthcare provider for asthma:
Factors
Here are some factors to consider when looking for a healthcare provider for your asthma:
Your Age
Although healthcare providers are prepared to treat patients of all ages and genders, you may want to find a medical professional who is more specialized to fit your personal identity.
For example, older asthma patients may look for practitioners who are more experienced in working with the elderly, and parents of asthmatic children will want to have a pediatrician who specializes in working with kids as well as treating asthma.
Your Medical History
If you have other conditions besides your asthma, one of the factors to consider is whether you can find a healthcare provider that has experience with those conditions and how they may affect your asthma.
Different illnesses in the body often affect each other, and a medical professional who is well-versed only in one area may not be able to predict how a medication that he or she prescribes will affect the other conditions that you have. This is one of theadvantages of having a primary care physician. A primary care physician is like the quarterback of your healthcare team.
The Severity of Your Asthma
If you have a lower level ofseverity in your asthma, you may not need to look for a specialized asthma doctor, but simply someone who will be able to prescribe medication and help you learn how to manage your symptoms. However, if your asthma is more severe and interferes with your ability to live your daily life, you may want to turn to a specialist that will be able to help with particularly severe forms of asthma.
The Kind of Asthma You Have
Depending on if you have allergic or nonallergic asthma, you will have to make a choice between the different healthcare providers you are looking at. For example, an allergist may be the best choice for treating allergic asthma; however, nonallergic asthma patients can also look to primary care physicians who work with the respiratory system in general or specialists (pulmonologist) who treat only respiratory diseases.
Your Insurance Plan
Your health insurance will cover both primary care practitioners and asthma specialists. Your plan may allow self-referral to a specialist or it might require a referral from your PCP. You may also be faced with not being able to see a practitioner of your choice or having to pay out of pocket if the specialist you want to see does not accept your insurance.
Make sure that the medical professional you have chosen will be covered under your insurance plan, and that you can move forward with treatment with the plan that you currently have.
At Your First Appointment
Once you have chosen a healthcare provider for your asthma, transfer your medical records from any previous providers or medical facilities so your new practitioner can review your information. When you meet, ensure that you’re comfortable with the practitioner’s level of expertise as well as their approach toward treating your asthma.
Summary
To find the right doctor for asthma, consider starting with a family physician or pediatrician who can diagnose and offer initial treatment, as well as refer you to specialists if needed. Pulmonologists provide in-depth testing and focus on respiratory illnesses, allergists manage allergen-related asthma. Many people combine these types of providers for comprehensive asthma care.
Key factors to consider include insurance, location, and other health conditions. Personal recommendations, online medical directories, and referrals from your primary care doctor can also help.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Asthma.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Asthma Diagnosis.Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.Schatz M, Zeiger RS, Mosen D et. al.Improved asthma outcomes from allergy specialist care: A population-based cross-sectional analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;116(6):1307-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.09.027Alford G. When Do You Need an Asthma Specialist? Asthma Magazine. Volume 8. July-August 2003.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Asthma.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Asthma Diagnosis.Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.Schatz M, Zeiger RS, Mosen D et. al.Improved asthma outcomes from allergy specialist care: A population-based cross-sectional analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;116(6):1307-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.09.027Alford G. When Do You Need an Asthma Specialist? Asthma Magazine. Volume 8. July-August 2003.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Asthma.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Asthma Diagnosis.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Asthma.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Asthma Diagnosis.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.Schatz M, Zeiger RS, Mosen D et. al.Improved asthma outcomes from allergy specialist care: A population-based cross-sectional analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;116(6):1307-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.09.027Alford G. When Do You Need an Asthma Specialist? Asthma Magazine. Volume 8. July-August 2003.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.
Schatz M, Zeiger RS, Mosen D et. al.Improved asthma outcomes from allergy specialist care: A population-based cross-sectional analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;116(6):1307-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2005.09.027
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