Can anyone tell me some early signs of asthma or at least a mild case of it. Does it start out as something small and then gets bigger? I just need lots of info and fast.

Thanks

Suzie

Sometimes it is hard to diagnose asthma in children, what to look for: a cough that seems to last for a long time, sometimes it is after a cold and hard to distinguish, shortness of breath, more coughing at night, wheezing.

If your child has allergies there is a greater chance for asthma. The coughing will be hard to describe but it is like a series of coughs, either in the night or day, especially if exposed to allergens.

If your child is over 5 there is a test that can be given to see if they have asthma, your best bet would be to go to the doctor. Not everyone's asthma is the same. I was not diagnosed until I was an adult, the doctor was surprised that I had never been diagnosed. Well...it never crossed my mind that I has asthma, I just thought every few months I would get a chest cold that would last for a very long time. I knew about my allergies but never put 2 and 2 together until I had a full blown attack and ended up in the hospital.

Again, when in doubt, go see the doctor. You can also do a search of asthma symptoms and see if your child has them.

What symptoms is your 6 year old having?

Well, when she was younger she was always getting coughs after colds that lasted too long. She would get croup just out of the blue at night and have trouble catching her breath. all I would do is, well sometimes I panicked but I got her into the bathroom and put the shower on and just sat in there with her until she was better. The weird thing is was that she never had any symptoms she would just wake up like that. I would take her to the doctor and they would just say it was a cold or allergies which she has. They would always ask me if she had asthma and I would say I don't think so but that's all they would do. None of the over the counter meds worked on her for colds or allergies. So, which brings me to today, now remember she has had the colds or coughs and I would take her into the docs office and they always asked me if she had asthma. Anyway, she started with a cough and nothing else no symptoms what so ever, it's been 3 weeks now and it's basically sounds awful like there is a lot of phlem (sp?) I'm just tired of the doctors asking me if she has it, like i would know. I start to think " I don't know you tell me if she has it " that's what I think when the doctors ask me. Anyway, please someone help me here. I know everyone reads these but not everyone responds. Why?? I don't mean to sound rude it's just that I'm worried about my baby and I don't want her to end up having a bad attack and we don't know anything about asthma. Thanks for listening.

Suzie

Sounds like a very real possibility to me. Take her to the doctor when she is well and straight-out ask about the possibility of it. If he dodges you, ask for a referral to a board-certified allergist. These allergist know myriads about asthma. They are not as good as a pulmonologist, but at least they can help and they can identify triggers like allergies. I would also start asking for pulmonary functions testing.

Mom, you can look up tons of sites here on asthma, but the only way to know is to take her to the doctor, if that doesn't work, try another doctor.

No one can predict when a bad asthma attack will occur, but if you suspect it, go to a doctor and have them confirm it and put her on medications to prevent an all out attack.

Your situation sounds somewhat similar to mine. Last year my 6 yr. old got a cold and he coughed and coughed nonstop. I took him in twice to have his chest listened to and the dr. said it sounded good. The cough finally went away but he was left with a croupy loud barky sounding cough that occurred usually a few times in the morning and always when he first went outside in the cold winter. So after about 8 weeks of this sporadic barky cough, he started getting another cold so I took him again. This time the dr. heard wheezing said he had asthma and gave prednisone, flovent, and albuterol. None of this made any difference and he coughed more as what usually happens as a cold progresses. A week or so later he was coughing so much I tried the albuterol and he only stopped coughing for about 10 minutes so I took him to the ER. The dr. there said he had a bit of a wheeze but didn't think it was asthma, called a pediatrician who specializes in asthma who then gave an antibiotic and said come back in 10 days. After the 10 days he told me to stop all the asthma meds, said he didn't know if he has asthma and sent me on my way. That loud short barky cough has continued periodically over the last (almost) year. My family dr. tells me that he doesn't have asthma and I say but....he coughs when he goes out in the cold, he has a barky cough....etc. Dr. says that some kids get croupy with every cold. The pediatrician's main concern was if he ever has trouble breathing and I said not to my knowledge. I didn't even know he was wheezing. So now I watch him like a hawk all the time, I bought a stethoscope and listen for wheezing, and am basically a worried wreck! I do think this is asthma, maybe mild or just starting but something is not right. They have never done any tests and I went to the only asthma guy in the city so I just have to wait and hope this doesn't get worse or that he grows out of it. In the meantime, worry, worry, worry.

Originally posted by mommieof2girls:
Can anyone tell me some early signs of asthma or at least a mild case of it. Does it start out as something small and then gets bigger? I just need lots of info and fast.

Thanks

Suzie

I would take your child to a dr. if you think so. When my son first got asthma and I was educating myself on it I was shocked w/ how many children have asthma and more than that the statistics on how many children die each year from it. Once diagnosed it will take some time but it's manageable. I've also had friends whose kids, during upper respitory infection had very asthma like symptoms but it was an isolated situation. I hope she doesn't. Also go here for good basic info: http://www.aanma.org/ ... a very informative asthma site dealing esp w/ childrens asthma.

[This message has been edited by austin4 (edited 10-09-2003).]

[This message has been edited by austin4 (edited 10-09-2003).]

I am curious as to what you find out. I also was gonna say that Croup or croup type cough is more of a restriction in the throat area, not usually in the lungs. My son has had croupy cough a few times and his lungs usually sound fine...that is why they ruled out asthma. He is only 5 & just started a croupy cough real bad again last night. My hopes are that it isn't some sign that they will have definate asthma or breathing problems the rest of their lives.

Try running a mile with your nose pluged and breathing threw a cocktail straw. Ask him if it is like that. If he says yes than he has asthma

To all you coughing people out there. Check your water supply. You may be ingesting chlorine tap water.
It can make for a nasty long term cough if you are sensitive /allergic to it. I know, my children experienced 10 months of coughing. Yes, ten months. Severe coughing! So much my 3 year old took hours to fall asleep.
The doctors we saw many many times were suggesting they were getting asthma. Gave them asthma drugs antibiotics over an over because the cough would get so bad with congestion and stuff (and wheezing), they would need those drugs or risk worse illness with the lungs. They'd get a little bit better then they'd be done with the drugs and the cycle would start all over. Cough Cough Cough. As soon as I stopping letting them drink any water or water jucie combination with any and all chlorine tap water their coughs stopped within a couple days. Why could'nt the doctors have figured it out. I have since researched this information in Libraray medical books on how chlorine can effects humans. Now only colds make them cough . A couple of times over the last nine years they have accidently started using some new source of chlorine tap water (school, friends home etc) and they start coughing again. As soon as the chlorine source is stopped the coughing stops.
Check into it, Maybe you or your child or friend doesn't really have asthma at all.