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child asthma symptoms

Read and learn more about child asthma symptoms. For more, visit the Asthma website MrAsthma.com

Q: what are the symptoms of child asthma?
I’m worried that she has asthma………..after running a quater of a mile she collapsed pretty much and could barely take breaths….and when she coughs or takes deep breaths you can sometimes here her wheeze….she is in good shape…….so i dont think it is that……PLEASE HELP

A: It sounds like asthma is a definite possiblity. You should take her to the doctor. They run tests using machines that can test your lung capacity and other things to see if she has asthma.

As a person who suffers from asthma, I can say firsthand that it’s a really awful condition to have. Many people go undiagnosed because they don’t know the symptoms, and because when you’ve lived your entire life with limited lung functions, you don’t realise that there is something wrong. Children with asthma usually just think that EVERYONE loses their breath as easily as them, so they don’t say anything. And, asthma is just one of those diseases that you cannot fully understand unless you are affected by it.

I hope this helps! Good luck for your daughter too.

Q: in a child with asthma (coughing fits from bronchitis) would it be good or bad to serve hot ramen soup or some
thing cold like a PB&J sandwich. I have never dealt with this type of asthma symptoms before and not sure what would be the best or what would be harmful…he is on medication and treatments for the coughing.

A: My son had asthma when he was tiny. I would shut bathroom door, run a hot bath with menthol oil in it eg eucalyptus oil and steam up the room. I would not take him outside. I am sorry i cant help more but as for the food, give him what he fancies, soup should be fine. best wishes x

Q: What are the symptoms of asthma in children 12-15?
I have a family history of asthma: My dad, his dad and my pap. I have difficulty breathing and exercising and I sometimes cough a wheezing cough. Do I have asthma?

A: Sounds like you could possibly have Asthma also. I would recommend going to see a Doctor for that.
Asthma symptoms are pretty much what you have described (wheezing, shortness of breath, prolonged expiration and an irritated cough). The chances of developing Asthma can be increased if someone in your family has it already. This was the case for me where my father and his 2 brothers all had it, so i also then suffered from Asthma.
My parents were reluctant to put me on regular drugs from such a young age (12 years) so instead they looked at natural ways to reduce the symptoms and attacks. Basicly i was advised by a natropath that there were certain natural chemicals in foods that would reduce inflammation within the body and that changing my diet to include more of these chemicals could help, it did. By eating certain fruits and vegetables as my regular diet greatly reduced the attacks i had. It went from having an attack every 2 weeks to once every 12 months. It took a few weeks for me to notice the changes however once i did i never looked back. I still carried my inhaler everywhere with me however i was able to exercise, surf (asthma attacks while in the surf are terrifying) and do all the other things i loved without worring so much.
Obviously i would see a doctor however i would also look at your diet to see if there are other preventative things that can be done for little or no extra cost.

I just found this that may be of interest. It has a full 60 day money back guarantee and is not expensive anyway. It is not the same book that i had as a child however it sounds very similar.

http://tinyurl.com/bmsy3y

Good luck with it all

Q: What would be some of the symptoms of asthma in a 8 year old boy?
He’s having headaches, trouble breathing, trouble sleeping, coughing at night. I have brought him to the doctor for this and he says its allergies and prescribed Zyrtec which didn’t help at all. What are the symptoms of asthma, especially in a child?

A: My nephew is 6 has asthma and my 2 year old, while too young to diagnose, is on a nebulizer with asthma medications. The symptoms my nephew show when he is having an attack or trouble, is a deep chesty cough, he complains of back pains, and has trouble breathing. His face flushes as well. Now my son it was just an incessant cough since birth. His pediatrician called it everything from a cold(that lasted 9 mo) to allergies, to me being paranoid. I could hear or feel his problems if I put my hand or ear to his back (right or left side). If you know it’s not allergies than you need to be your child’s best advocate and tell your doctor that it’s not allergies, and if he doesn’t believe you, ask for an allergen test. I switched pediatricians and she said his symptoms were valid and gave me his meds to see if they relieved his cough and sure enough they did.
Good luck to you.

Q: Am I the only one considering not vaccinating a child with asthma? Swine flu.?
My 5 year old child becomes asthmatic during colds and illnesses. Otherwise, she does not have asthma symptoms. She’s also on the autistic spectrum. I’m so conflicted about the swine flu vaccine. I am against it, but at the same time, I’m scared to death that she’ll catch swine flu and not be able to fight it. Am I the only one with an asthmatic child considering not getting the swine flu vaccine? I’d love some opinions here…

A: The honest answer will be no, you’re nowhere near the only person with an asthmatic child worried about the vaccine, there’s bound to be others out there with the exact same worries.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a parent, so feel free to ignore what I say, I obviously can’t truly understand the position you’re in.
I’m totally against the anti-vaccine lobby. Vaccines are a wonderful thing and time after time they’re proven to be safe. The vast majority of anti-vaccine arguments are based on poor science and exploiting the natural concerns of parents. For instance, the recent tragic death of a young girl here in Britain after she had the HPV vaccine to protect against cervical cancer. It was seized on as proof vaccines aren’t safe. It turned out she died as a result of a tumour in her chest that was destroying her heart and lungs, she could have dropped dead at any time.

The consequences of not vaccinating can be horrible. A guy I used to work with, a chap in his 40s, had measles as a child and as a result lost the use of an arm, had major trouble walking and had hearing and speech problems. The links between not vaccinating and deaths and long term disabilities are proven beyond doubt, the links between vaccinating and things like autistic disorders are far from proven (or totally debunked if you prefer).

To focus on the H1N1 vaccine specifically, the main argument against it is that it’s brand new and being rushed through testing. Thing is, that’s not really true. You see, the basis of this vaccine has been around for some time, the drugs companies have known (like the rest of the health care sector) that a major flu pandemic was a matter of when not if it would happen. And they’ve also known that any company that can offer a vaccine stands to make a fortune. So, they’ve had the base of the vaccine ready and tested for some time. When H1N1 popped up it was simply a matter of inserting the specifics to counter this exact strain, a relatively minor change that allowed for the unusually rapid testing schedule.

Of course, it’s all well and good me saying that. I’m not the one who’d have to live with the consequences of the decision. So all I can really say is I hope whatever decision you make turns out to be the right one for you and your daughter.

Q: Should I have my child checked for asthma?
At the park yesterday, my 3-year-old little boy did some vigorous running and playing. After a while, he started coughing and seemed to have a hard time breathing. His face also turned completely red with white blotches on it. It wasn’t too hot (only about 70 degrees) and there was some cloud cover and a nice breeze. Does this sound like he just overdid it this time, or should I have him checked for asthma? What symptoms should I watch for?

A: I would have him checked–does asthma run in the family? If so, then that is another reason he needs to be checked, rather be safe then sorry.
On the other hand, I got so pi$$ed at my doctor and stopped going to him.
From teh time my oldest daughter was 2, she had this nasty cough, usually happened at night and had been to the doctors office many many times due to this. He saw her countless times when she was having a coughing fit.
One night I took her to the ER because of the couging–he looked at me and said “Do you know she is having a full-blown asthma attack?”
I was in shock, I had no idea–how could her other doctor not have caught that…by the way, she was 5 by then.

Q: If you have a child with asthma, how did you recognize an asthma attack?
My 2 girls have asthma and I was recently diagnosed with it. I’ve read a lot about the symptoms and signs of asthma and asthma attacks, but I would like to hear first hand experiences.

My girls are 5 and 3, and I have albuterol for the nebulizer in case of an attack.

I have a baby monitor on all night to hear them.

A: i have asthma and so does one of my daughters. hers is not typical in that she doesn’t wheeze, at least not that you can hear without a stethoscope. but she coughs and you can see her struggling to breathe. she’ll have trouble talking normally because she has to take extra breaths.

to gauge how bad it is we sometimes have her sing the abcs on one breath. if she doesn’t make it through, we pull out the inhaler….

for yourself, you’ll just know. i always feel like i have a brick on my chest.

it’s a pretty stressful thing. my daughter was really ill a lot until she got put on daily medications. best of luck for all of you.

Q: my wife has symptoms of asthma/bronchitis would our child inherit it (she’s carrying)?

A: Congrats on your baby! You said she has symptoms of such, but wonder if perhaps could be thyroid problems. Initially Dr. told me that I had adult onset asthma. Put me on spray for my lungs, which hurt with use, and did not help my breathing. Problem continued getting worse until finally they did further testing, revealing hypothyroid. Worth checking into. Hope all goes well!

Q: Child asthma questions
I have some slight asthma experience as one of my older daughters had asthma Now my 3 year old son is having asthma symptoms and has been for a few months– ie high pitch coughs and occasional wheezing.
On Monday he woke up very groggy, low energy and I noticed the familiar retractions and shallow breathing I’d seen in my daughter and decided to take him in. His o2 was 93% pre treatment and 100% following. The dr sent us home with flovent and ventolin. The following day he again was low energy, but I just watched him Then on Wednesday the retractions returned and he was refusing to eat as well, just laying around so back we went, his o2 was 97%, still he got another treatment and oral steroids to be used for 5 days. He still seems to be having a bit of trouble. We are supposed to be hearing from a pediatrician following the referral and I’m waiting on that. He’s definitely got more energy and his appetite is pretty well back but any burst of energy or tantrum is followed by a pretty scary (much congested) coughing fit.
So my questions are
Are the coughing fits a normal asthma thing? My daughter didn’t have these kinds of symptoms.
On Monday he woke up very groggy, low energy and I noticed the familiar retractions and shallow breathing I’d seen in my daughter and decided to take him in. His o2 was 93% pre treatment and 100% following. The dr sent us home with flovent and ventolin. The following day he again was low energy, but I just watched him Then on Wednesday the retractions returned and he was refusing to eat as well, just laying around so back we went, his o2 was 97%, still he got another treatment and oral steroids to be used for 5 days. He still seems to be having a bit of trouble. We are supposed to be hearing from a pediatrician following the referral and I’m waiting on that. He’s definitely got more energy and his appetite is pretty well back but any burst of energy or tantrum is followed by a pretty scary (much congested) coughing fit.
So my questions are

Are the coughing fits a normal asthma thing? My daughter didn’t have these kinds of symptoms she reacted much differently.
How long will it take for the flovent to get this under control?
Should he still be having these coughing fits while using the oral steroids?
As hard as it would be, should I be restricting his activity?
Mornings seems to be much worse than afternoons, is that normal as well?

What can I do to make him more comfortable until we get in to see the pediatrician?

It seems to me that this is not even close to being under control, I’m a little freaked out and feel left to just deal ya know?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer, I just feel so helpless and want to help him to feel better

A: Cough, not wheeze is the most common symptom of asthma. especially If the asthma is centered in the small passageways or in a child. It takes more air space for wheezing to occur..if there is too much constriction or if the passageways or too small coughing occurs instead. One thing to keep in mind is that flovent takes 7 days to start working and up to 30 days to reach theraputic levels & it can take up to 72 hrs for a prednisone burst to control the mucus and bronchospasms
Try putting vicks vapor rub on him at night, it will help to soothe the bronchials and a caffeinated drink will also help as caffeine is a weak natural bronchodialator.
I have had asthma since infancy, so have two of my sons..and my dd was diaged at age 7…none of us wheeze..we all cough…cough until we are gagging and dry heaving…
check out the urls below for good reliable info:

Q: does your child have “asthma”?
my son got terribly ill the autumn after his 3rd bday. and again during the spring after. went round and round with “specialists” all of whom wanted to prescribe different inhalers and meds. from the beginning our family doctor remained calm and suggested we treat him when he needs it only as many kids have asthma like symptoms that they later grow out of or find that there is something else triggering these episodes. other doctors and parents have ridiculed myself and the doctor for not taking asthma seriously and putting my son on a regime of drugs that he would take daily probably for the rest of his life. its been 8 years since then, my son does not take asthma medicine. he does not have asthma. he is however sensitive to high levels of mold in the air, and prone to bronchitis. millions of children are being treated for asthma. its called an epidemic. does your child have asthma? R U SURE?

A: My husband used to get the same bollocks off the doctors in his area as a child. Prescriptions came and went and none of them did a bloody thing. He had one miserable summer that induced his parents to move up by the sea where the air was fresh, and boom! No more problems. In the end we can only guess what was in the air that affected his body like that, but it could have been anything from pollen to pollution.

Finding a good doctor is hard, and finding other parents to accept your method of thinking is even harder. You know your child better than anyone else, so don’t let them influence you to the point you’re second guessing yourself. They may be feeling sensitive because of what they would do, or what they THINK they would do if presented with the same situation. They may be relying on their own personal experience with their children, and taking that experience as a rule that all must live by. However it’s not the same, all children are different and no two will have the same condition.

It makes you wonder about all the prescriptions out there that are being taken needlessly.

Q: Question for moms whose child was diagnosed with asthma?
My LO is 4 months old next week and has been having respiratory issues since she was 2 months. They have tried protozoan, antibiotics and now she is on a nebulizer. My doctor said she is too young to be diagnosed with asthma so they just call it reactive airways and see where it goes from here. If she gets wheezy and can’t get rid of a cold on her own every time she gets sick then they will go on to diagnose her with asthma.

So here is my question when did your child start showing symptoms of asthma and was it similar to my daughters case?? When were they diagnosed?

A: Ive never heard of asthma in a newborn. I am asthmatic started about age 6, pretty average age, cousin has asthma diagnosed age 5, both mild, aunt has asthma sometimes severed, diagnosed age 8.
I would look to irritants in your household.
Pets, put them with a friend for a few weeks, vacuum well and see if this is the cause.
Dust, really give the house a good cleaning, and cover things with a sheet that are older when baby is on it and see if this helps.
Mold, walls, floors, window frames, old mattress, or used baby crib mattress or wood furntiture, remove from her room see how she does.
Use a dif laundry soap, no softners.
There are lots of things to see if you can help identify the irritant possibly.
Does anyone have asthma in your family?
Was baby born low birth weight, premature? Were you healthy during pregnancy?
There are so many varients. Could be the time of year where you live, the weather, the dust, the pollen.
The more things your able to eliminate on your own, the more closer you could be to stopping these reoccuring problems. Good luck hun, I know its scary when newborns arent feeling well. Really check into the age of furniture, mold spores can be hidden in old furniture.

Q: What type of doctor should I see for asthma/respiratory issues?
My child has had a cough for months that hasn’t responded to antibiotics, steroids, or allergy meds. I don’t believe my family practitioner is providing appropriate care and would like to see a specialist but I’m not sure what type to contact. Do I need an interal medicine doc or a pediatric allergist or…??? The FP is beginning to suspect asthma at this point but my child is not wheezing or having difficulty w/physical activity or any of the other asthma symptoms, just a chronic cough.
To add more details, I don’t need referals, can see any doc I like who accepts my insurance. Even though he’s not responding to prednisone, singular & claritin, FP said keep treating & come back in Oct (coughing since June 1) for recheck. It’s gotten worse in last 2 wks even w/meds. With school starting I believe more aggressive evaluation & treatment is in order!

A: When my son was five years old (he is 18 now) he got a terrible cough every time he stepped into the hockey arena. We would take him to the doctor and it was always bronchonitis. He would get an antibiotic and then get better. One summer he had a really bad cough, and the pediatrician said he had asthma. He wanted me to get a nebulizer for him. I went to the pharmacist (small town) and he said I should get a second opinion because this doctor said everyone had asthma or allergies. I took him to an asthma/allergist specialist. He did not have asthma, but the doctor tested him for allergies and said he had those. He started taking the shots but did not get better. I am not big on filling a child up with medication so took him to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. He x-rayed his sinuses (front and side view–the allergist only x-rayed the front). The ENT said that his adenoids were so big that they were causing the constant pressure in his sinuses. He ended up having his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. He was a totally different child after that. He did not take any more allergy shots. He used to snore really bad before he had this surgery, but now you can hardly hear him. Before you start giving her child all kinds of drugs, get different opinions. I think doctors are really quick to say people have allergies and asthma. Good luck.

Q: How can I help stop my asthma problem?
I haven’t had an asthma problem since I was a small child but today the temperature was in the single digits and unfortunately I had to be outside for awhile. I was completely bundled up but just breathing in the cold air has caused asthma symptoms. I was given some Advair but that didn’t really help and I have nothing else available. Are there any home remedies to help this?

Thank you!

A: cold dry air is irritant.S warm miost air is less so. Try that. Ideally a reliever lle Salbutamol would do the trick

Q: what is the earliest age a child can start to develop allergies and asthma?
my daughter is 11 months and has frequent problems with her sinuses and congestion, both my husband and myself have allergies and asthma, is it too early to tell if she has it as well? if so at what age will the symptoms start if she does in fact have it?

A: My daughter’s food allergies were diagnosed by blood test (after several severe reactions) at 10 months (16 total food allergies with major allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, egg, dairy, wheat, and soy – yes, she was breastfed until 13 months and yes it was a pain for me to have to get rid of all those things from my diet in order to feed her). At 16 months we did a scratch test for environmental allergens as well as to challenge some of the weaker food allergies. In addition to frequent ear infections (she has constant fluid in her ears because of the allergies, but we opted against tubes because we insisted on a hearing test and it isn’t affecting her hearing), she has been hospitalized for lung infections and gets fluid/mucus in her lungs every time she gets a cold. We treat her with albuterol (using a nebulizer) to keep her lungs open every time she gets the slightest bit sick. She can also get really wheezy when running around chasing her brother. The allergist says that it’s asthma brought on by her allergies. We have no family history of allergies, so yes, I would recommend pushing your pediatrician for a referral to an allergist and getting testing. So far, my little one has responded to Benadryl when she has reactions, but since she has several level 4 and 5 allergies, we carry epi pens too.

Q: What has your experience been using Advair for your child’s asthma?
My daughter has been seeing an allergy and asthma doctor for 6 weeks and her allergies that would cause her to wheeze had gotten better, at first. Then she started having a cough that wouldn’t go away. She has seasonal allergies and wheezing and this year she has been going to her dads who lives in the country and every time she comes back she has allergy and asthma symptoms. I took her to her general doctor and he said she had pneumonia and gave her antibiotics and said she was ok to go to school. We went to see her allergy doc and I told him I stopped giving her the advair because she was coughing so much while using it. I got scolded for stopping and than he told me to keep giving it to her. Well I gave it to her for 4 or 5 days and she started having coughing fits where she couldn’t breathe like her lungs would close up on her. So I stopped giving her the advair but kept giving her her allergy medicine and albuterol inhaler. We went to the allergy doc a third time 3 weeks later and he raised the dose on her advair even after I told him she would cough still. I gave it to her twice a day for 5 days and she has had 2 coughing fits in one day. I thought I was going to have to call 911 cause she couldn’t breathe it was the worst one yet. I am through giving her advair!

A: STOP USING IT. I think your gut reaction is best. I was yelled at by mine for stopping it and guess what I did? I yelled back, left, and found a better allergist. Some of them get huge kickbacks for pushing meds. Advair as a side effect can cause astha symptoms to worsen ( go figure for an asthma med…) and for me it simply didn’t help anything. I saw no improvement in my asthma, so I stopped. Ste3riods like that aren’t good for long periods of time anyway…

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