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cough variant asthma children

Read and learn more about cough variant asthma children. For more, visit the Asthma website MrAsthma.com

Q: What do you know about Cough Variant Asthma?
My son is 10 months old and has had a cough for about 6 weeks. I have taken him in to the doctor 3 times and every time they say his lungs sound fine. At times over the past 6 weeks, he has had other symptoms that coincide with other illnesses (colds, stomach virus, etc) The cough is there both when he has other sicknesses going on and when he’s healthy.
At a recent appointment, I spoke with his doctor about it and he mentioned something called “cough variant asthma” but said it was too early for him to be diagnosed. I would like more info if anyone else has a child with this.

My husband and sister both had asthma as children, and speaking with my mother, it sounds like my sisters may have been more along the lines of cough variant asthma. Does this run in families?? Does anyone know how young children are when they can be diagnosed? Will they typically outgrow this type of asthma?

A: cough variant is a chronic cough with no corelating chest constriction or bronchial spasms…and normal pfts.

However the most common symptom of ASTHMA is cough. With or without wheezing. Especially in young children and infants. Also in people whose asthma is centered in their SAP’s (as opposed to large airways) this is because it takes more airway to allow wheezing so the smaller the opening (like with younger children or SAP (small air passages) centered asthma you get coughing instead of wheezing. Also with this type of asthma excessive mucus is common which can also cause gagging and/or vomitting/dry heaving and fevers (my oldest son still runs up to 104 degree fever with a severe flare..has had a few flares with over 105 (hospital verified)..my youngest son routinely runs 102 with bad flares). This is because the body can not differentiate between mucus caused by infection and mucus caused by asthma, so reacts as programmed..with a fever to burn out the infection…

I have had asthma since infancy..my oldest had his first flare at 6 days of age..finally diaged at 10 mths (now 27 yrs)…..my youngest son had his first flare at 2 mths of age (now almost 14 yrs)..diaged immediately…and neither have ever wheezed even though both have severe persistant asthma…

my grandson has an appointment at my kids pedi pulmo on Apr. 8…he will 10 mths old…and I fully expect that he will be officially diaged with asthma at that time…he has been on a neb off and on since an emergency room visit in Feb.

Asthma can and is diagnosed from birth on..based on symptoms and family history…but it takes a specialist..a pediatrician or general doctor is not qualified to diagnose or treat asthma. Ask for a referral to a pediatric pulmonologist. The sooner the proper treatment plan is began the less risk of permanent irreversible airway remodeling and/or scarring(which raises the risk of COPD and lung cancer in later life)

for now go to http://www.nationaljewish.org and http://www.keepingkidshealthy.com

also http://www.lungusa.com (or http://www.lungusa.org I never can remember which) and http://www.ginasthma.com

ETA: infant onset asthma is genetic and is not usually outgrown (the only asthma that is *outgrown* is RAD that is from RSV which can cause asthma like symptoms for up to 6 yrs after the infection). However many people do have periods of remission as they age during which time (sometimes for years) they have few if any asthma symptoms or flares. And often they will assume asthma flares in adulthood are allergies, chest colds, bronchitis, etc instead of asthma. Also because asthma is a chronic condition most people with asthma do not recognize that they have constricted breathing. Because to them it is *normal*. The more severe the asthma the less likely the person is to recognize the chronic constriction.

Q: What do you know about Cough Variant Asthma?
Question Details: My son is 10 months old and has had a cough for about 6 weeks. I have taken him in to the doctor 3 times and every time they say his lungs sound fine. At times over the past 6 weeks, he has had other symptoms that coincide with other illnesses (colds, stomach virus, etc) The cough is there both when he has other sicknesses going on and when he’s healthy.
At a recent appointment, I spoke with his doctor about it and he mentioned something called “cough variant asthma” but said it was too early for him to be diagnosed. I would like more info if anyone else has a child with this.

My husband and sister both had asthma as children, and speaking with my mother, it sounds like my sisters may have been more along the lines of cough variant asthma. Does this run in families?? Does anyone know how young children are when they can be diagnosed? Will they typically outgrow this type of asthma?

I also posted this on the respiratory illness page…

A: I have this. I was diagnosed around 5 years old. I am not sure if I was coughing when I was as young as your son. I had terrible coughing bouts throughout my life until I was around 30 year old. I even coughed so hard once when I was 25-26 years old that I broke a rib, very painful. Now, I am 35 and I no longer have the extreme coughing fits, but, I do use an inhaler now which I did not use until recently. No one else in my family has asthma, but I was born with severe respiratory problems. I have always thought that may have led to my asthma, but, I have no proof of that. I will add that the only thing that has EVER helped my coughing was a cool mist humidifier and to sleep completely upright. Try holding your son upright when he starts coughing. I don’t know about your son, but my symptoms were way worse at night. If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.
I would like to add that I do have bad allergies as well as terrible sinus problems. All three are linked with asthma.

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