Symptoms of a Kid with Asthma

Each year, almost half a million kids wind up in the emergency room due to asthma. Of these, roughly 300,000 children are hospitalized for at least one day because of their asthma symptoms. More childhood hospitalizations and emergency room visits than any other chronic childhood illness can be traced to asthma. It also accounts for more school absences than any other childhood illness. Add to that the days that parents lose to work, the restrictions of activities due to asthma and the many related illnesses and conditions, and you'll find asthma is one of the most emotionally and financially expensive childhood illnesses.

This doesn't even include all the kids who suffer from what is known as "hidden asthma" – asthma that shows atypical symptoms, or symptoms that are misdiagnosed as colds, pneumonia or bronchitis. Since the usual symptoms of asthma in kids can seem to be other things, kids with asthma often do not get the treatment that they need.

Wheezing is not the most common symptom of asthma, but it is the most telling. If you hear a high-pitched whistling sound when your child breathes in or out, then chances are that something is constricting or blocking the airway. Wheezing may happen in other disorders and illnesses too, but it's a definite warning signal that something is wrong. A doctor can administer breathing tests to figure out how much oxygen is getting into the lungs, and decide if your child has asthma or another condition that will need longterm treatment.

Possibly the most common symptom of asthma in kids is coughing. In fact, may times, coughing is the ONLY obvious symptom of asthma in kids. In particular, if your kid

frequently has a cough long after other cold symptoms are gone


often coughs after or during physical exercise


coughs at night, usually in the early morning hours, without cold symptoms


has a 'rattly' cough but produces no mucus


has a frequent, non-productive cough


has a cough accompanied by a wheeze

Then the cough may be a symptom of asthma.

The child may complain that their chest hurts, or that they can't get enough air into their chest. Some children can't put the feeling into words, though. Watch for signs visible of difficult breathing like flared nostrils, pursed lips, bent or hunched over posture. If the symptoms are severe enough, you may even notice the hollow of the throat moving in and out as they try to suck in enough air.