How To Tell If Your Child Is Dealing With Asthma

A viewer asks how to tell when their child’s asthma is flaring. Doctor Lacy Anderson has some tell-tale signs of asthma.

An asthma exacerbation can be a scary thing to witness for a parent, and even scarier for a child. If your child is old enough, they may be able to tell you that they aren’t breathing as well or have started wheezing.  

But in young children, they may not be able to verbalize how they’re feeling or know enough about their asthma to determine whether their symptoms are worsening. 

There are several signs of asthma flares to watch for in children. You may notice a worsening cough, which can occur day or night. They may appear short of breath while running or playing. You might hear a wheezing or whistling sound while they’re breathing. They might also complain about chest tightness or fatigue. 

All patients with asthma should have a rescue medication like an albuterol inhaler to use as needed for wheezing. But if they are needing this every day, their asthma is uncontrolled. They will need a second daily inhaler to keep their asthma under control. These preventative inhalers often have an inhaled steroid as well as medication to enlarge the airways.  

During a severe asthma flare they may also need oral steroid pills. Be sure and call your doctor if you think your child’s asthma is flaring.