asthma symptoms in children

asthma symptoms in children questions and answers

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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: tb how dangerous is it?
in lewisham last year we had over 250 cases of tb,and lewisham is about i/50th part of london so it does not take a genius to work out how bad nationally it is,so when do you think the goverment will introduce inoculations at schools for children,symptoms are same as asthma,so doctors treat for it,my daughter has lost one lung,and at 18 that was a devastating blow,and no help given regarding help, daughter and all of family apart from me (i had innoculation in army)had treatment eventually,but how many out there are being given the wrong treatment is my real question

A: TB is highly contagious, and if a person gets TB and it is not cured it is often fatal. The new and real threat is called MDR TB, or Multiple Drug Resistant TB. In this form there are few or no antibotics that will attack the bacteria and death is the usual outcome.

Q: How long dose a asthma attack last ?
My 20 month old son is at high risk for asthma , 1. because he was born premature 2. he has acid reflux , dont know why thats linked to asthma but it is 3.He has slight allergie's ,mosty in winter.Okay It is very hard to diagnose a child for asthma because they can coperaqte during the test . If the child has extreme astma the symptoms alone are relivant enough for a diagnosis and the child will be treated.Okay my question is how long dose a attack last ? Can it last only 4 seconds? My son will take 4 fast deep breaths, then he is fine he will run off playing. My first thought was astma attack , but the more i thought about it the more unclear i was, It seems like a astma attack would last longer than 4 seconds , it seems like if it was asthma i would have intervene with medicine /inhaler to help the attack , it wouldnt be self corrected.Please dont say talk to the doctor a idiot , because his doctor is an idiot, I have a albuteral inhaler here in case of an emergency , I hadnt had to use the inhaler yet , The doctor dont seem to care , he acts like i'm wasting his time , i will be switching doctors soon. The doctor wont diagnos my son for asthma because he is to young to tell , he gave the albuteral inhaler to me to help my son get over a nasty nasty cold a few months ago , i just keep it put up incase of a emergency

A: Hi Sara If I were you I'd take him to a doctor that deals with respiratory illnesses and find out why he has acid reflux at this age. Acid reflux is not normal and should be addressed, because it can cause long term problems with the esophagus. Speak to the doctor you have and ask for a referral to see a specialist. If he refuses to take you seriously then go call or go to the College of Physicians

Q: Question about asthma in infants?
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: The mechanics of a baby's lungs complicate the diagnosis of asthma. Infants' airways are small. When a baby gets a respiratory tract infection, these already small passages get swollen and filled with mucus much more easily than an older child's or an adult's. This can lead to coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms of asthma (even if it is not asthma, but just a viral infection). Typically, I do not see a diagnosis of Asthma until age 3 or above. Depending on the specialist, they may wait until they are able to do spirometry to confirm their suspicions. It's important to remember that just one instance of wheezing isn't enough to diagnose asthma. It must happen more than once. But even when wheezing happens on a recurring basis, a doctor may still not be certain the cause is asthma, especially in young children. More time, and sometimes more tests, may be needed to confirm the diagnosis and decide on the best long-term management plan for the child. Doctors want to avoid an incorrect diagnosis, which might unnecessarily disrupt the lives of the entire family or label a child with a chronic condition he or she may not have. Fewer than one third of all infants who wheeze on a recurring basis during their first 3 years continue to wheeze into later childhood. In other words, most kids who wheeze as infants outgrow it and don't have asthma when they get older.

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...

Q: Women with asthma - did being pregnant in any way change your symptoms?
I'm not planning on getting pregnant for a little while yet but I was just wondering if being asthmatic played any role in your pregnancy? Did your symptoms change? Did it make labor harder? Does pregnancy affect what medication you are able to take to control your symptoms? I have moderate asthma, I take preventative steroids daily but still have to take my reliever inhaler on a daily basis. I've only ended up in hospital two or three times with severe attacks. I'd love to be able to have a home birth when I do have a child but am afraid that my asthma might make this difficult as obviously labor is a strain on the body which could well make my breathing more difficult.

A: I have Allergy and Exercise induced Asthma. So it is really only bad in the summer (allergies and humidity) and in the winter (dry cold air trudging through 3 ft of snow). In the spring and fall I rarely have many problems with it, sometimes if I am outside all day it bothers me. When I was pregnant with my son, my Asthma got BETTER!!!! WTF? right...I don't know...my doctor said it does happen to some women. It never once bothered me in labour either. I only had to take my reliever inhaler a handful of times and didnt take a steroid one because I felt uncomfortable with taking it while pregnant. I am now pregnant with my second child and the snow is just starting to melt (I'm in Canada) and my Asthma has been surprisingly worse already. I am 10 weeks right now and I notice I can't walk much or laugh/talk much without feeling heavy in my chest. Needless to say I am NOT looking forward to being 7, 8, and 9 months pregnant all this summer!!!

Q: reaction about this article.?
7 New Cases of 'Popcorn Workers Lung' Workers in Flavor-Manufacturing Plants Affected by Lung Disease By Miranda Hitti WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDApril 26, 2007 -- The CDC reports seven cases of a potentially deadly lung disease known as "popcorn workers lung" at four California flavor factories. The disease, bronchiolitis obliterans, is a rare and life-threatening form of fixed obstructive lung disease, says the CDC. Obstructive lung disease makes it difficult for air to flow out of the lungs. In fixed obstructive lung disease, this difficulty is not reversible. The CDC reports no known risk to consumers. "Food flavorings are designated 'generally recognized as safe' when approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; flavorings are not known to put consumers at risk for lung disease," states the CDC. The CDC describes the seven cases, which occurred between 2002 and 2006, in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Six of the seven affected workers handled chemicals including diacetyl when mixing flavorings. The seventh worker packaged powdered flavorings. Insufficient ventilation at the factories and inadequate paper dust masks worn by six of the seven workers may have been an issue, according to the CDC's report. Studies have shown that diacetyl is a lung hazard in animals. No limits have been set for safe occupational exposure to diacetyl and many other flavoring chemicals, notes the CDC. The seven affected workers were all lifelong nonsmokers. One had had asthma as a child. Their symptoms included cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath on exertion. Those symptoms began between one month and five years of working at the flavor factories. The risk of occupational lung disease has previously been identified in the microwave popcorn industry, which has made improvements to address the problem, says the CDC. The same occupational risk hasn't been established in other food-flavoring production workplaces, according to the CDC.

A: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070428152842AADLsF0&r=w

Q: Symptoms of asthma or something else?
I was just curious as to whether anyone here could tell me if the symptoms I experience might be related to asthma. My mother thinks I've started to develop it, but I'm not positive. I'm 21 and have always been healthy. I do have scoliosis, which was corrected by spinal fusion surgery at age 14 before it was severe enough to interfere with my breathing. I had to do various breathing/lung capacity tests during my treatment to ensure that everything was okay, and it was. However, in college I started to occasionally experience a shortness of breath. I'd be doing whatever I normally did and all of a sudden my next breath wouldn't be there. I'd cough and it'd come back. Occasionally it'd take a few coughs before I could breathe freely again. It seems as though these incidents have increased over the last couple of years, but they've never really interfered with anything--they just take me by surprise, but once I cough everything's fine. Occasionally I feel a little bit of tightness and even pain in my chest, often on one side or the other, or I feel like I can't really take a deep breath, but it's never too bad. I'm fairly active, at a healthy weight (probably low end average or a little below), and don't have other health issues. I seem to be allergic or easily irritated by a few particular things. There are two brands of hairspray that I can't be around--as soon as I smell them, I start coughing, my chest hurts and tightens, and I have to leave the room. It's possible that this has always been there and I didn't notice it until I went to college and my roommate used one of those brands (that I'd never used) and my suitemate used the other. Smoke now does the same thing--recently, we were burning leaves, and although my two sisters and my mother were fine, I was coughing, had trouble taking a deep breath, and began wheezing as I breathed. My chest was also hurting. Obviously I left, and after I'd been away from it for awhile, I was okay. I don't remember ever having such a severe reaction to smoke when I was younger--I've never been able to stand cigarette smoke, but was fine around campfire smoke, etc. Does this sound like an asthmatic condition? Is it possible that it has developed as I got older, since I definitely didn't have it as a child? Or is it something else? Anything to worry about? Thanks for any help.

A: First of all only a doctor can diagnose you. I would highly suggest you making an appointment with your doctor soon. I am a Respiratory Therapist and I also have asthma. I am 21, and I have had asthma for 2 years. It is possible you are developing it. I also have trouble with some hairspray! Chest pain, Shortness of Breath, and wheezing are all signs of asthma! Inhaled Corticosteroids and a rescue inhaler are what you will be given if you have it. Neither hurt. It sounds like you've had PFT's in the past. (Pulmonary Function Tests) That is how they will diagnose you. Good luck with everything!! Please make an appointment!! Like I said, only a doctor can diagnose you! You may have something as simple as an upper respiratory infection or allergies! But either way, you need to see your doctor!

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: Does it have any relation between heavy sweating of head, coughing and vomiting in the night by children?
My son often gets the problem of waking up from sleep with chocking or cough, invariably will have heavy sweating of the head irrespective of the climate, coughs vigourously and vomits fully. various diagnosis include chocking due to nightmares,asthma (mild bronchitis) nothing conclusive he is using aerosoles for relieving asthma symptoms and the incidents go down. He also become poor eater however no weight loss associated with it. He is aged 6

A: Well, from the sound of that get him some cough drops, tell him that nightmares aren't going to hurt him and not to worry. Also, make sure he eats meat and vegtables. If you continue to have this problem talk to an expert or take him to a pediatrision.

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: My girlfriend needs advice for her 3 year olds health, please help.?
Our situation before I get started is this: My girlfriend and her ex husband have joint custody, 1 week at our house, 1 week at the ex's. The ex has been taking the 3 year old to the doctor(which in my opinion is the quick fix office) and has been diagnosed with "asthma" and have given the child a nebulizer and albuteral inhaler. These are the symptoms of the child: Runny nose, bed wetting, wet and dry cough, bad breath, fatigued. We have gone to our doctor and they have prescribed amoxicilan, keflex, and sulfa, none of these have worked. Our doctor also suggested that the child does NOT have asthma, but has asthma like symptoms, saying that the child has a resistant infection. The ex and his girlfriend say that they have NO problems whatsoever when the child is in their care, but they also have 6 kids in the household that they have to manage. I was told that he might have a serious sinus infection by a friend who's daughter went through the same thing. Please help. Would it be advisable to do a chest xray for the "asthma" or ct scan for the sinus infection? Also there is possible allergies that might be contributing to his condition. We live in the high desert. We do not have any pets. The carpets were cleaned already. However, now that I think about it, we should probably take away his stuffed animals and rewash all his blankets and sheets. Thank you all so far with all your answers.

A: OH MY LORD. The three year old should NOT be taking ALBUTEROL! The other dr is a whack job, first off. I would go to a specialist. Start trying new things around the house in the meantime-- like getting all of the stuffed animals out of the child's room-- They are a breeding ground for sooo many things in a young child's environment. If you can afford it (and eventually it will have to be done anyways) get the carpet cleaned. The child may not be directly responding to these things, but they all aide in the issues at hand, and can set the symptoms off. The bed wetting is probably just a "3 year old thing" you know... I really recommend taking the child to a Children's hospital and seeing doctors that specialize in children and child disease. And dont worry to the point that your child can sense that youre upset... this wont help. Good luck!

Q: Childhood asthma medical records?
I had asthma when I was a child around the age of 3 starting. It then went away around age 5 or 6 for me. I know this isn't disqualifying for me in any way, but I have some questions. Do I need to get all the medical records concerning my asthma? Or do I get only some of them that verify that I had asthma in the military? I ask this because I got an inhaler prescription at the time from a doctor whom I don't go to anymore, and I nor anyone in my family remember where this doctor is or his name. I can only remember the hospital where I would go to in an emergency for the asthma attacks. I know some of my medical records are there, but none documenting the prescription for an inhaler. Also, since I can't go to my old doctor anymore, I got a new doctor last year(I'm 16 years old now) that can't sincerely put in writing that I never had any asthma symptoms past my 13th birthday. My question is, am I screwed for joining the military since I can't get all medical records or anything? I'm not sure if I can get medical records from my insurance company either, It's Healthnet and I was enrolled into it 3 years ago almost exactly, but I'm covered ultimately by medic-aid, so I think my family was being switched from insurance company to company while the expenses were really covered by medic-aid. Could anyone help me with this? Thanks.

A: if you didn't have any attacks after age 13, your fine.. DON"T BRING IT UP!

Q: I have asthma, but what can I do for it while I'm pregnant?
I have asthma. I am not trying yet, but I'm 28 and will be thinking about having children at some point in the future. What can I do to control my asthma symptoms while I'm pregnant? It's impossible for me to get through even mild exercise without my asthma kicking in. I noticed on my Advair package today that it is a "category X" for pregnancy. Out of curiousity, I looked up my Proventil and it's a "category C." Does anyone here have asthma while pregnant? How do you deal with it? What does your doctor recommend? As I said, it's not an issue now, but I will be pregnant in the future so I'm a little concerned, especially since not exercising is not even an option for me. Thanks for your help!

A: It's perfectly safe to use your albuterol inhalor while pregnant. The only time I've really needed mine is during pregnancy & it's my ob/gyn that prescribes it for me. All of my kids have turned out perfectly healthy, so don't worry! That's something you can always openly discuss w/ your doctor when the time comes for you to start having children.