Spotting signs of asthma early could save a life
It’s important for any parent to know when repeated bouts of coughing can be the signal that your child is developing asthma
Would you be able to spot the early signs of asthma in your child? If the answer is no, you’re in good company. Few parents can.
But it’s important for any parent to know when repeated bouts of coughing can be the signal that your child is developing asthma.
The reason it’s so important is that the first attack your child ever gets can be very serious indeed, need hospital treatment and in the worst case could even prove fatal.
At this time of year, your child is probably having almost continuous bouts of colds, runny nose, coughs, even the occasional fever.
So how would you know if it means their air passages are getting sensitive and could turn into full-blown asthma?
The first sign is often a cough that comes and goes every few weeks or so with occasional bouts of wheezing.
It’s often worse at night and your child may volunteer that they feel it’s a bit difficult to breathe.
But these early signs can be dismissed as “something they picked up at school” or “just being a bit of a moaner”.
Always take it seriously when your child says they’re having difficulty breathing. And if you ever hear wheezing, take that just as seriously.
Get your child to a doctor as soon as you can to have them properly assessed and put on treatment that will prevent the first asthma attack ever happening.
Don’t wait for an asthma attack to be convinced your child is a sufferer. It’s your job to see that they never get to this point.
Be suspicious if you have a family history of hayfever, asthma, eczema or allergies. Children of such families are more likely to get asthma.
Your child is vulnerable if a smoker is in the house, they were born prematurely or had a childhood infection such as bronchiolitis with measles, whooping cough or chicken pox.
Once diagnosed, asthma needs constant vigilance and you can do this by checking daily with a very simple hand-held, peak-flow meter that measures how much air your child is breathing in litres per minute.
A low score means that the air passages could be inflamed and constricted.
Yet many children outgrow asthma and there’s an array of preventers and relievers to use as inhalers. Preventers stop attacks and relievers treat them should they occur.
But it’s important for any parent to know when repeated bouts of coughing can be the signal that your child is developing asthma.
The reason it’s so important is that the first attack your child ever gets can be very serious indeed, need hospital treatment and in the worst case could even prove fatal.
At this time of year, your child is probably having almost continuous bouts of colds, runny nose, coughs, even the occasional fever.
So how would you know if it means their air passages are getting sensitive and could turn into full-blown asthma?
The first sign is often a cough that comes and goes every few weeks or so with occasional bouts of wheezing.
It’s often worse at night and your child may volunteer that they feel it’s a bit difficult to breathe.
But these early signs can be dismissed as “something they picked up at school” or “just being a bit of a moaner”.
Always take it seriously when your child says they’re having difficulty breathing. And if you ever hear wheezing, take that just as seriously.
Get your child to a doctor as soon as you can to have them properly assessed and put on treatment that will prevent the first asthma attack ever happening.
Don’t wait for an asthma attack to be convinced your child is a sufferer. It’s your job to see that they never get to this point.
Be suspicious if you have a family history of hayfever, asthma, eczema or allergies. Children of such families are more likely to get asthma.
Your child is vulnerable if a smoker is in the house, they were born prematurely or had a childhood infection such as bronchiolitis with measles, whooping cough or chicken pox.
Once diagnosed, asthma needs constant vigilance and you can do this by checking daily with a very simple hand-held, peak-flow meter that measures how much air your child is breathing in litres per minute.
A low score means that the air passages could be inflamed and constricted.
Yet many children outgrow asthma and there’s an array of preventers and relievers to use as inhalers. Preventers stop attacks and relievers treat them should they occur.
