Is DS going to develop chronic asthma?

[tigercametotea]

My 2.5 year old son suffered his first rather serious asthma attack near Christmas of last year. He was wheezing really badly, very lethargic, head was quite floppy, etc. On taking him to A&E at around 8 pm, his eyes were already sort of rolling up into his head. The doctors put him under observation straight away, his oxygen levels were around 85% I think. They gave him a nebuliser (which he tried to fight off, along with that clip thingy which measures his oxygen levels!). After DH managed to get him to calm down and allow them to put the mask over his face, he breathed the stuff in. He had to stay overnight that day, and was discharged round about 5 pm the next day, with a volumatic spacer and a Salamol inhaler spray, which we were told to use at least for the next 2 days, 4 puffs at a time every 4 hours, then use whenever necessary, 1 to 2 puffs at a time. Paed in hospital said they do not usually diagnose a child with chronic asthma condition until they are older and said his asthma attack was probably a one-off incident triggered by a viral infection. Prior to that, I had no idea this sort of thing could happen!

Last week my son caught the cold from one of his sisters, and I thought he was on the road to recovery only to discover yesterday that his breathing was getting quite wheezy by evening, but hadn't yet gotten to the state that he was in when he went to A&E 2 months ago. I then gave him some of that Salamol spray with the volumatic. His wheeziness improved soon after. Today he was just a teeny bit wheezy again by bedtime, and I gave him the spray before he slept.

I'm a bit concerned about the recent series of events surrounding asthma. Why would he be getting wheezy after or during every cold or flu he contracts? He's never had this sort of thing before, though since birth he's always been quite mucousy whenever he gets a cold or flu. Is this normal? Will he be likely to develop chronic asthma later? I'm now wondering if the recent discovery of a damp mouldy patch in the corner of our bedroom (where he sleeps with us) could have anything to do with this. We're renting so I think we'd probably have to move out if the landlord has to damp proof the walls because it seems like a big job.

[tigercametotea]

bumping

[tigercametotea]

Thanks pixie :)

[mloo]

DS is prone to getting wheezy when he has a bad cold, was hospitalised once with viral induced wheezing (age 3yo). It was also my first ever experience with a wheezy child (DS is my 3rd of 4 DC). I felt like a numpty, too, for not realising sooner that he was wheezing , but I simply had no previous experience.

He is now 6.5yo and whilst still a bit respy when he gets a bad cold, no signs of asthma at all, not had inhalers since, either.
Hope that sounds reassuring.

[tigercametotea]

Thanks mloo :) And its so true about feeling like a numpty. I remember feeling so guilty that day after he was in A&E, thinking "Why didn't I realise it sooner? He could have died, etc." And yes DS is 3rd of my DCs... none of my other 2 has had asthmatic conditions, though we have a family history of allergies - starting on my paternal side with several family members having history of eczema; I've got chronic eczema, hive flare-ups and penicillin allergy since I was very young, and DD1 has got chronic eczema since she was newborn which has been very hard to manage as no cream or antihistamine seems to work very long on her.