Asthma Symptoms?

Obviously, if she has much trouble breathing, an accompanying fever, or any other scary symptoms, take her to the ER. If its a dry, barking cough, it's likely croup. This usually occurs at night because the sinuses drain down little one's throats while they sleep or else they're mouth breathers and dry out easily. My pediatrician had me take my son into the bathroom with a steamy shower running or outside in the humid air at night. It literally moistens dry air passages and eases the hacking sort of cough. This is why so many parents get to the ER and the symptoms are gone. The night air clears things up on the way there. Asthma is more of a struggling (sucking in) in the chest and/or wheezing you can hear if you listen closely near the mouth. Look for signs that her cold went into her chest rather than her head. Is her chest rattling? My nieces don't have asthma per se, but they get seasonal allergies twice a year that are bad enough that the doc gives them inhalers. I hope I haven't confused you further. When in doubt, take her for a visit to the doc and tell him exactly what her symptoms are. She's awfully young to try and guess what's going on. Blessings.

Thank you, T. The nurse suspects it may be bad allergies so I have been giving her benadryl before bed and that seems to help out. We are also going to put a purifier in her room to see if that helps. Thanks again!!

[FONT="]My daughter has been diagnosed with asthma. When she is in respiratory distress, you can literally see the effort she is putting into her breathing by the sucking in of the skin at the base of the neck and under her ribs. It is really scary and she coughs a lot. However, it is not the hacking cough it is a very shallow cough. I hope this helps.[/FONT]

Thank you, Fans. That must be so scary when she goes into respiratory distress! I have heard that a lot of kids "outgrow" childhood asthma, and I hope she does and that you have it managed well. Thanks for sharing. I am thinking more and more that DD's cough may be allergy-related.

One of the main identifiable symptoms of asthma is wheezing - check your child when she is quiet of sleeping and see if she sounds like she is weezing - a hacking cough does not in itself sound like asthma. With an infant there is no easily identifiable way to diagnose asthma - my son has asthma and is now 7 appears to have outgrown it. He was diagnosed as an infant because of wheezing usually brought on by colds. Don't be afraid to go to your pediatrician frequently when your child has a cough so they can check her breathing. Better safe than sorry - if you can see if their is any family history of asthma or smoking while pregnant as these 2 factors could be important to an asthma diagnosis. Hope this helps, Mary

My son's history listed that he had asthmatic broncitis. He was in the States for a year with no symptons. But the last 2 years have brought on 2 episodes after a cold. And, it's the wheezing that you notice. I thought he needed an antibiotic, the put him on a nebulizer in the office and an inhaler for 2 weeks. I learned after that first episode. It he sounds like his cold moves to his chest, off to the ped. My ped doesn't want to make a firm diagnosis of asthma just yet, since it's only 2 episodes in 2 years. But he is getting worse, so I'm sure this winter he get a full diagnosis.

Thanks, guys. I am going to check DD's medical history again. I know that birth mom did not smoke. It's still lingering, but it hasn't turned into wheezing. Just a harsh cough. I am going to keep watching it.Thanks again for the advice!

Well, we got a nebulizer machine today, because DD's cough is not clearing. Poor boo!! Dr. doesn't know what it is, but thinks its likely she's having an asthmatic response. I really hope this clears and doesn't become chronic.....I just feel so bad for DD.

Yep, the wheezing is a dead giveaway in an asthmatic child. My daughter doesn't necessarily wheeze loudly though - with her, I can always identify (even a hint) it by placing my hand sort of under her arm but on her ribcage. You can actually feel the vibrations in her little lungs. And as an above poster stated, you can SEE the distress in a child having an asthma attack - the struggle to pass air through the lungs is really frightening - especially if you've never seen it.

Our daughter's pediatrician was very reluctant to diagnose her as asthmatic and didn't do so until she was 5. By that point, she'd had fourteen hospitalizations, actually admitted into the hospital for RSV, severe croup, which would lead to an asthma attack, severe allergic reactions which would lead to asthma attack, etc. She uses a nebulizer as needed, as well as inhalers and takes Singulair and Advair daily. She now recognizes when she's having trouble breathing, so we canstart her on the nebulizer before he gets out of control. Her birthmom grew out of her asthmatic condition by the time she was a teen, so we're hoping our daughter follows suit. It really is terrifying to watch your child struggle. And, just our luck, she's most allergic to the change of weather.... Good luck to you.

Thanks, guys, for the support.