Is 4 years old too young to be tested for asthma?

[Magentaandcream]

My 4 year old always seems to have a cough and snotty nose. He’s got a cough at the moment that he’s had for a week, along with being snotty. Just two weeks before that he had another one and that was just after he’d had chickenpox.

The coughs seem to go on and on, but they don’t seem to bother him hugely. But it’s becoming such a regular thing.
He had bronchiolitis as a baby (8 weeks old) that he was hospitalised for, on oxygen and feeding tube for 24 hours, but the doctor at the time said there would be no long lasting impact of this.

I’m just wondering if I should get him tested for asthma and whether he’s too young at present?

They wouldn't formally diagnose DS with asthma until he was 8, but he's been in inhalers since he first got croup at 4 months old.

Yes, they won't test until at least five. Small children can't do the peak flow test - we were told probably more like 7/8, if he hasn't grown out of it by then.

I would request an appointment with the GP or maybe asthma nurse and let them know your concerns. My 4 year old has been on asthma medication since 2 due to multiple A&E visits, it sounds like yours isn't as serious but needs investigating.

Similar here - child diagnosed at age but had inhalers since age 4.

*age 8

Does it sound like he needs inhalers? I just don’t know, he doesn’t seem to have a problem breathing or with exercise , we did a long walk today, he did cough a bit, but not excessively.

They don't like to formally diagnose too young because it can have an impact on career choices later in life if asthma is on their medical records.

DD always had an inhaler for a cough that she always had November - March, as she got older she got tightness in her chest when exercising in the cold but otherwise was fine and never needed a hospital admission. She's being investigated now at 13. Not saying everywhere is the same and I'm sure had she shown more serious signs or full blown asthma attack she would have been picked up earlier.