Asthma Specialist in Hyderabad
Senior pulmonologist + interventional pulm. Allergic asthma, severe asthma, biologics. Spirometry on-site.
Reviewed by Dr. Pradyut Waghray, MBBS, MD, FRCP (London), FCCP (USA), FAMS. 35+ years in respiratory medicine including difficult asthma management. Senior Pulmonologist, Respire Airway Clinics. Last reviewed: May 2026.
Medical disclaimer. This page is educational and does not replace a clinical consultation. Severe asthma attacks (struggling to speak, blue lips, no response to reliever inhaler) are medical emergencies. Call the clinic or go to the nearest hospital. Do not stop or change controller inhalers without speaking to a physician.
In our clinic, the most common first asthma visit is the patient who has been on an inhaler for years without ever having had spirometry.
The cough that has been called "asthma" since childhood. The wheeze that arrives every February. The night-time chest tightness that disappears with a salbutamol puff. The flare every Diwali. The patient who has had three courses of oral steroids in the past year and is starting to feel the side effects.
Most of this is treatable, but the bottleneck is correct diagnosis and the right inhaler at the right dose. Asthma specialists differ from a general physician in three areas: confirming the diagnosis with spirometry, phenotyping the asthma (allergic, eosinophilic, exercise-driven), and stepping up to biologics for severe cases.
Respire Airway Clinics handles asthma as a pulmonology-led service, with same-building cross-referral to our allergy doctor for the trigger side and our ENT specialist for sinusitis driving asthma. Two locations: Basheer Bagh in central Hyderabad and Jubilee Hills in west Hyderabad.
Our asthma specialists
Two pulmonologists handle the asthma load at Respire. Dr. Pradyut sees most chronic and difficult-to-control asthma; Dr. Kunal sees severe asthma needing biologic evaluation or interventional work-up.
Dr. Pradyut Waghray
Senior Consultant Pulmonologist
MBBS, MD, FRCP (London), FCCP (USA), FAMS
35+ years in respiratory medicine. Difficult-to-control asthma, asthma in pregnancy, occupational asthma, asthma-COPD overlap.
Focus: long-term asthma control, inhaler technique optimisation, step-up and step-down decisions, comorbidity management (allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, OSA, GERD).
Dr. Kunal Waghray
Interventional Pulmonologist
MBBS, MD, DM (Pulmonology), DNB, MNAMS, EDRM
Severe asthma + biologics. Phenotyping for omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, dupilumab. Bronchoscopic evaluation when the diagnosis is unclear.
Focus: severe and refractory asthma, eosinophilic asthma, biologic therapy planning, asthma in critical illness, bronchoscopy when imaging or spirometry is atypical.
For the full pulmonology service scope, see our pulmonologists. For the treatment journey, including triggers and Hyderabad-specific advice, see asthma treatment.
When you need an asthma specialist
A GP can manage uncomplicated asthma well. A specialist becomes the right doctor when one of the following is true.
GINA 2025 (Global Initiative for Asthma) classifies asthma control by symptom frequency, reliever use, activity limitation, and night waking. Uncontrolled asthma on Step 3 therapy is the threshold for specialist work-up. Severe asthma (Step 4-5) requires phenotyping and biologic consideration.
Asthma sub-types we treat
Asthma is not one disease. Correct sub-typing changes the treatment in meaningful ways.
By pattern
- Allergic asthma
- Non-allergic asthma
- Exercise-induced bronchospasm
- Cough-variant asthma
By severity
- Mild intermittent asthma
- Moderate persistent asthma
- Severe / refractory asthma
- Steroid-dependent asthma
Asthma diagnostics on-site
Diagnosis comes before treatment. Spirometry confirms the asthma. FeNO clarifies the phenotype. The right tests in the first visit save months of inhaler trial-and-error.
Spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility
15-minute breathing test that measures FEV1, FVC, and reversibility after a salbutamol puff. A ≥200 mL and ≥12% improvement in FEV1 confirms asthma. Done at the first visit.
FeNO (exhaled nitric oxide)
Measures eosinophilic airway inflammation. Useful for stepping up or stepping down inhaler therapy, and for predicting response to inhaled corticosteroids.
Peak flow monitoring
Home device used over 2 weeks to track airflow variability, a marker of poor control. Useful for confirming diagnosis when spirometry is ambiguous.
Allergy testing (cross-referred)
Skin prick testing if allergic asthma is suspected. Done in the same building by Dr. Jyotika.
Learn moreChest X-ray or CT (when needed)
Not routine for asthma but ordered when the diagnosis is uncertain, the spirometry pattern is atypical, or there is suspicion of bronchiectasis or interstitial disease.
Sputum eosinophil count
For severe asthma phenotyping. Helps decide between biologic options when standard inhalers are not enough.
The asthma treatment ladder (GINA 2025)
Asthma management is stepwise. The right step for you depends on your symptom frequency, lung function, and trigger pattern. Step-up is not failure; step-down once controlled is the goal.
Low-dose ICS or ICS-formoterol as needed
For mild intermittent asthma. The first move is usually the right inhaler at the right dose, not more medications.
Daily ICS or ICS-LABA combination
Once-daily or twice-daily controller, sized to your symptom pattern and spirometry.
Higher-dose ICS-LABA, add-on LAMA or LTRA
For moderate persistent asthma. Step-up before stepping further. Often the bottleneck is technique, not the drug.
Biologic therapy (severe asthma)
Monoclonal antibodies tailored to the asthma phenotype: omalizumab (allergic), mepolizumab/benralizumab/reslizumab (eosinophilic), dupilumab (T2-high). Injection every 2-8 weeks depending on agent.
For the full treatment journey including triggers, controller types, and Hyderabad-specific guidance, see asthma treatment in Hyderabad.
The main asthma triggers in Hyderabad
Asthma management in Hyderabad is different from Mumbai or Delhi because the trigger mix is different. Knowing which ones drive your symptoms changes the plan.
Parthenium pollen
February to May. Major Hyderabad allergen. Most allergic asthma patients react to it.
Dust mites
Year-round, humidity-driven. Bedding and upholstery are the main reservoirs.
Construction dust
ORR, HiTech City, Gachibowli, Kondapur corridors. Not strictly allergic but a major irritant trigger.
Monsoon mould
June to September. Affects ground floor and damp buildings.
Diwali and Ganesh immersion smoke
Acute PM2.5 spikes (3-5× baseline) cause asthma flares for 1-2 weeks. Pre-emptive controller dose adjustment helps.
Cold air and AC transitions
Common in offices in HiTech City. Carry a reliever inhaler.
What to expect at your first visit
Your first consultation is 45 to 60 minutes. Here is what happens, in order.
History
Symptom pattern (day, night, exercise, triggers), inhalers tried, control level, emergency visits, family history of allergy/asthma, occupation, smoking history.
Examination
Chest auscultation, upper airway exam, oxygen saturation.
Spirometry with reversibility
Done in the same visit if you have a breathing complaint. Bronchodilator response confirms or excludes asthma.
FeNO testing if available
Adds eosinophilic inflammation data. Useful for biologic decisions and step-up/down calls.
Inhaler technique check
We watch you use your inhaler. 60-80% of patients have technique errors that explain poor control before drug failure.
Allergy referral if indicated
If the pattern suggests allergic asthma, same-day or same-week referral to Dr. Jyotika for skin prick testing.
Written asthma action plan
Daily controller, reliever instructions, what to do during a flare, when to come back, when to go to A&E. Printed and emailed.
What to bring: all inhalers you are using (including spacers), any previous spirometry reports, allergy test results, recent chest X-ray or CT, and your current asthma action plan if you have one. A symptom diary covering the past 4 weeks helps.
Where we see patients
Asthma consultations and spirometry are available at both Respire clinics. Severe asthma evaluation by Dr. Kunal is based at Basheer Bagh.
Basheer Bagh clinic
Central Hyderabad. Dr. Kunal Waghray consults here, including severe asthma evaluation and biologic therapy planning.
Basheer Bagh clinicJubilee Hills clinic
West Hyderabad. Dr. Pradyut Waghray consults here, with a long-running practice in difficult-to-control and longstanding asthma.
Jubilee Hills clinicFrequently Asked Questions
What does an asthma specialist treat?
An asthma specialist is a pulmonologist who focuses on the diagnosis and long-term management of asthma. They handle allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma, exercise-induced asthma, severe and refractory asthma, occupational asthma, and asthma overlap with COPD or allergic rhinitis. Asthma specialists also manage biologic therapy decisions for severe asthma (omalizumab, mepolizumab, dupilumab, benralizumab).
When should I see an asthma specialist instead of my GP?
Three rough rules. One: you have been on an inhaler for a year and still get attacks. Two: you have been told you have asthma but never had spirometry to confirm it. Three: you are stepping up steroid doses each year or needing oral steroid courses more than twice a year. Severe asthma, frequent emergency visits, or hospital admissions for asthma always warrant specialist review.
What is the difference between an asthma doctor and an allergy doctor?
Significant overlap. Asthma specialists (pulmonologists) handle the airway, lung function, inhaler regimens, and biologics. Allergy doctors handle the trigger side: skin prick testing, immunotherapy, allergen avoidance. Most adult asthma in Hyderabad has an allergic component, so both perspectives are often needed. At Respire the asthma and allergy services work together in the same building.
Do I need a referral to see an asthma specialist at Respire?
No. You can book directly. If your GP, allergist, or paediatrician suggested specialist review, bring the referral note and any earlier reports (spirometry, allergy tests, chest X-ray, asthma action plans). They speed the consultation but are not required.
Is spirometry done at the first asthma consultation?
Usually yes. Spirometry takes 15 minutes and is done in the same visit if there is a breathing complaint. It measures FEV1, FVC, and the FEV1/FVC ratio. We also test bronchodilator reversibility (improvement of ≥200 mL and ≥12% in FEV1 after a salbutamol puff) to confirm asthma. FeNO testing for eosinophilic airway inflammation can be added when relevant.
What if my asthma is severe and not controlled by inhalers?
Severe asthma is a recognised sub-type that needs specialist work-up: phenotyping (allergic, eosinophilic, neutrophilic), assessment for comorbid conditions (allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, reflux, OSA), and consideration of biologic therapy. Biologics are monoclonal antibodies given as subcutaneous injections every 2-8 weeks. The right biologic depends on your phenotype. Dr. Kunal leads severe asthma evaluation at Respire.
How much does an asthma specialist consultation cost in Hyderabad?
Consultation fees in Hyderabad range broadly. Respire publishes the current fee at booking. Spirometry cost, if done at the first visit, is stated before the test is done. No add-on charges appear later.
Most adult asthma can be well-controlled with the right diagnosis, the right inhaler at the right dose, and proper technique. Specialist consultation matters when control is poor, steroid courses are stacking up, or biologics are on the table. A 45-minute first visit with spirometry usually reframes the plan.