Coughing

[Noidea1]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can offer me and advice

My just turned 1 year old has had a cough on and off since September. I'd say with no more than 2 weeks Inbetween each cough. Each time I take him to the doctors and they say it's just a general cough, he may have asthma but they can't diagnose till he's 2.

They give him a blue inhaler which seems to help but doesn't prevent it.

This morning I was told he had a small patch of eczema which I was given a cream for.

Would you push for a second opinion or is this usual?

Thank you

[Noidea1]

Anyone?

[marzipanmaggie]

Hi, for what its worth at that age its not uncommon for children to have low-level respiratory illnesses more or less permanently. When my DD was about that age I took her to a doctor in a state of exasperation about the amount of colds she got and he said that the average child of that age can get up to 10 of those infections a year. So in and of itself the having a cough over a long period of time doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Is the cough particularly severe or accompanied by wheezing? If so it may be asthma. The blue inhaler sounds like salbutomol which is prescribed for asthma but also for more general wheeze. It won't stop the coughing or prevent it but it may alleviate the worst of the symptoms.

To be honest there's very little you can do about the cough. If its accompanied by wheeze it may be asthma but it can't be diagnoed until they are older than 2 -- my DD is five and has only just been diagnosed.

In terms of getting a second opinion it depends what you want it for. No-one is going to be able to diagnose asthma in a child that young. They may be able to give you better strategies for it and help with medicine but if you have salbutomol it sounds as if that it pretty much covered.

I would say for now use the inhaler(s) and develop the coping strategies you need and keep a close eye on it. Be prepared to go to hospital if you are concerned. If it is asthma it will probably become clear in the next 18 months or so. But no-one is going to be able to give a second opinion on the cough. Its just a respiratory infection of some kind.

[Noidea1]

Thank you so much, It does sound quite wheezy my husband had asthma (now classed as dormant) and my mil is convinced that's how he was.

I suppose it's just frustrating because you feel like you should be doing so much more for them

[marzipanmaggie]

It's quite possible that it is asthma.

My DD was prescribed a brown inhaler called Clenil as well as salbutomol which is preventative and which she uses daily and its pretty effective. Won't stop coughing but it does make it far less likely to escalate into wheeze and require hospitalisation. I was given that after two fairly acute episodes when she was a bit older than yours and in the three years since then she's only had one additional acute episode. It may be worth asking your GP about it. It's a steroid and may only be prescribed when children have had acute episodes which have required hospitalisation so don't want to get your hopes up but its definitely worth asking the question. I've found it to be brilliant.

[Noidea1]

Thank you I am definitely going to go back and see what they can do