Symptoms and diagnoses of asthma in children - how to recognise it

With Covid-19 still rampant, and the cases still so high, I think the fear of unknown underlying health issues have been on all of our minds. What if there’s something wrong that we don’t realise until it’s too late? What if there’s signs or symptoms that we’re not seeing?

These are the nightmares that keep us up at night, especially those with small children. What if they can’t tell us something is wrong?

The Asthma Society of Ireland have released a helpful guide to help parents detect any possible underlying breathing issues in their children that need further investigation by a GP.

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Asthma is a far more prevalent disease than one might think; Ireland actually has the fourth highest number of cases of asthma in the world. It is the most common chronic disease in Ireland and around 1 in every 5 children have asthma.

And while asthma cannot be cured, it can be regulated, monitored and controlled. Despite this, 60% of people with asthma do not have it under control and commonly experience symptoms pre-empting an attack.

What is asthma?

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Asthma is an inflammation of the airways, which causes the thin tubes carrying air in and out of the lungs to constrict. This inflammation is caused by oversensitive airways reacting to triggers such as colds and flus, dust mites and even family pets. When these triggers occur, the airways become tightened and the lining swells while a sticky mucus is produced. Between the constricted airways and the clogging mucus, it becomes difficult to breathe.

What are the Symptoms of Asthma?

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Varying symptoms can present themselves and can differ depending on your child’s age. They could be one or any combination of the following:

• Wheeze

This one can be misleading; The Asthma Society of Ireland warns ‘A wheeze is a whistling sound that happens when air is breathed through narrowed airways. Regular wheezing is a symptom of asthma, but not all children with asthma wheeze and not all children who wheeze have asthma. This is why it is important that asthma is diagnosed by a doctor.’

• Coughing

A persistent, dry cough, that isn’t overcome and often occurs at night or during exercise can be a symptom of asthma.  

• Chest tightness

Chest tightness is a symptom of asthma. Children may describe it as chest pain or even a tummy ache.

• Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is another symptom of asthma and may be triggered by exercise or excitement.

Diagnosing Asthma

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There is no singular asthma test that will confirm or deny the condition. What a doctor can do to give a diagnosis, is examine:

• Family history of asthma

• The pattern of symptoms

• A physical examination

• A peak flow or lung function test

(depending on their age)

• A trial of asthma treatment.

You may be asked to keep notes of their symptoms or about other conditions your child may have, such as eczema or hay fever.

Asthma in Children Under 2 Years Old

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As they can neither tell you their symptoms nor communicate their discomfort, asthma can be very difficult to diagnose in children under two years old.  Asthma Society of Ireland says, ‘Wheezing is common in very young children- more than one third of children under two years will wheeze at some point. Most of these children stop wheezing as their airways grow, but for others it could be a sign that they will develop asthma. If your child is under two years old and their symptoms don’t go away, your doctor may decide to give them a trial of asthma medication to help make a diagnosis.’

The Asthma Society of Ireland is the national charity dedicated to empowering the 470,000 people with asthma in Ireland to take control of their asthma. Asthma cannot be cured but it can be controlled.

They are working to reduce the number of deaths and hospital visits caused by asthma and to increase the number of people receiving the right information and support to allow them to control their asthma. They support people with asthma and their families by providing a wide range of high-quality information and education services – all completely free of charge.

For information about diagnosing and controlling asthma, see here.

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