Non-specific code 2015 ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 493.9
Asthma unspecified
  • 2015
  • Non-Billable Code

  • There are 3 ICD-9-CM codes below 493.9 that define this diagnosis in greater detail. Do not use this code on a reimbursement claim.
Clinical Information
  • A chronic disease in which the bronchial airways in the lungs become narrowed and swollen, making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and rapid breathing. An attack may be brought on by pet hair, dust, smoke, pollen, mold, exercise, cold air, or stress
  • A chronic respiratory disease manifested as difficulty breathing due to the narrowing of bronchial passageways
  • A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (respiratory hypersensitivity), airway inflammation, and intermittent airway obstruction. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, wheezing, and dyspnea (dyspnea, paroxysmal)
  • Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.symptoms of asthma include
    • wheezing
    • coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
    • chest tightness
    • shortness of breath
    not all people who have asthma have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn't always mean that you have asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests.when your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms
  • Form of bronchial disorder associated with airway obstruction, marked by recurrent attacks of paroxysmal dyspnea, with wheezing due to spasmodic contraction of the bronchi
Applies To
  • Asthma (bronchial) (allergic NOS)
  • Bronchitis:
    • allergic
    • asthmatic
ICD-9-CM Volume 2 Index entries containing back-references to 493.9:
  • Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic) 493.9
    • with
      • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 493.2
      • hay fever 493.0
      • rhinitis, allergic 493.0
    • allergic 493.9
      • stated cause (external allergen) 493.0
    • cardiac (see also Failure, ventricular, left) 428.1
    • cardiobronchial (see also Failure, ventricular, left) 428.1
    • cardiorenal (see also Hypertension, cardiorenal) 404.90
    • croup 493.9
    • due to
      • detergent 507.8
      • inhalation of fumes 506.3
      • internal immunological process 493.0
    • endogenous (intrinsic) 493.1
    • exercise induced bronchospasm 493.81
    • exogenous (cosmetics) (dander or dust) (drugs) (dust) (feathers) (food) (hay) (platinum) (pollen) 493.0
    • heart (see also Failure, ventricular, left) 428.1
    • Millar's (laryngismus stridulus) 478.75
    • millstone makers' 502
    • Monday morning 504
    • New Orleans (epidemic) 493.0
    • pneumoconiotic (occupational) NEC 505
    • psychogenic 316 [493.9]
    • pulmonary eosinophilic 518.3
    • Rostan's (see also Failure, ventricular, left) 428.1
    • sandblasters' 502
    • stonemasons' 502
    • tuberculous (see also Tuberculosis, pulmonary) 011.9
    • Wichmann's (laryngismus stridulus) 478.75
  • Bronchitis (diffuse) (hypostatic) (infectious) (inflammatory) (simple) 490
    • allergic (acute) (see also Asthma) 493.9
    • summer (see also Asthma) 493.9
  • Catarrh, catarrhal (inflammation) (see also condition) 460
    • asthma, asthmatic (see also Asthma) 493.9
    • suffocating (see also Asthma) 493.9
  • Croup, croupous (acute) (angina) (catarrhal) (infective) (inflammatory) (laryngeal) (membranous) (nondiphtheritic) (pseudomembranous) 464.4
    • asthmatic (see also Asthma) 493.9
  • Dyspnea (nocturnal) (paroxysmal) 786.09
    • asthmatic (bronchial) (see also Asthma) 493.9
      • with bronchitis (see also Asthma) 493.9
      • cardiac (see also Failure, ventricular, left) 428.1
  • Obstruction, obstructed, obstructive
    • airway NEC 519.8
      • with
        • allergic alveolitis NEC 495.9
        • asthma NEC (see also Asthma) 493.9
        • bronchiectasis 494.0
          • with acute exacerbation 494.1
        • bronchitis (see also Bronchitis, with, obstruction) 491.20
        • emphysema NEC 492.8
      • chronic 496
        • with
          • allergic alveolitis NEC 495.5
          • asthma NEC (see also Asthma) 493.2
          • bronchiectasis 494.0
            • with acute exacerbation 494.1
          • bronchitis (chronic) (see also Bronchitis, chronic, obstructive) 491.20
          • emphysema NEC 492.8
      • due to
  • Status (post)
    • asthmaticus (see also Asthma) 493.9
ICD-9-CM codes are used in medical billing and coding to describe diseases, injuries, symptoms and conditions. ICD-9-CM 493.9 is one of thousands of ICD-9-CM codes used in healthcare. Although ICD-9-CM and CPT codes are largely numeric, they differ in that CPT codes describe medical procedures and services. Can't find a code? Start at the root of ICD-9-CM, check the 2015 ICD-9-CM Index or use the search engine at the top of this page to lookup any code.