Asthma

[MegGriffin]

Hello. Is it possible for a 7 year old to develop asthma or are you born with it? I ask as DD has had an ongoing cough which is worse at night for weeks. She has now developed another cold and is wheezing and her chest is rattling a bit ( I can feel it if I put my hand on her chest) This evening she was coughing so much she could not catch her breath which was a bit scary and has not happened before. She is now asleep.

Has anyone got any opinions or advice please?

It could be a viral wheeze rather then asthma, the treatment is the same; ventolin inhaler. She could do with being seen by the out of hours tonight to be honest. I wouldn't leave a wheezing child. Is she wheezing/coughing in her sleep?

I was diagnosed with asthma at 12, no problems at all untill earlier this year at 32. Now I've been told I have type 1 brittle asthma.

DD(9) has viral wheeze currently and is on inhalers for it. We're both due back at the GP tomorrow.

The last few nights she has been coughing quite a lot but what I would call a normal cough. She is fine in between. SHe went to school today and was cheerful even though she has a cold. The coughing this evening started the minute she lay down.

It was just a different type of coughing with no real gap in between, does that make sense?
It was something I have never heard her do even though she is nearly 8.

She otherwise does not seem ill in herself and has no temperature. Just full or cold.
She has been asleep for about half an hour and has stopped coughing so I will keep a close eye on her. I will sneek in and have a listen to see if i can hear a wheeze still.

That sounds like what DD was doing.
I didn't do hour of hours for her, I didn't think she needed it but did get her to GP asap.

She needs popping to the GP, it does sound like a viral wheeze but a ventolin inhaler will relly help. She could do with sleeping slightly raised so try propping her up with a couple of pillows.

I hope she's on the mend soon

Yes I too was diagnosed with asthma aged around 7. I'd take her to the GP and explain the situation and they may prescribe an inhaler and possibly a visit to the asthma clinic.
Hope she feels better soon.

Right, I have been in and had a listen but she is snoring/ breathing really loud so I don't think she is wheezing.

I assume a viral wheeze is just that? A virus that makes you wheeze?

Yup, it's the same as asthma but it should go away. The ventolin really will help.

I have propped her up with extra pillows but she just slides down the bed to the flat bit [hmmm]. In the day time she is hardly coughing, just displaying signs of a cold.

Thanks for all your replies everyone.

My dd has something similar. Has been going for six weeks now. We have seen the GP numerous times, who keeps saying it is a virus, nothing you can do, chest is clear etc. Yesterday, he did say she could have a steroid inhaler but that it would take approx six weeks before it would really work and by then she would probably be fine anyway, plus steroid inhalers have been found to suppress growth (apparently 1.5 cm per year less than otherwise would have been), so he recommended to wait and see. Very difficult though when she is getting very upset and anxious during those coughing attacks.

Agree with others, would see GP to check that chest is clear and no need for anti-biotics.

Go back and get the inhaler dik. It's bollocks that they take 6 weeks to work, people with asthma use them and they work immediatly. I've had a viral wheeze and the inhaler that my GP prescribed worked immediatly. If they are needed then they are needed. A short term use shouldn't restrict growth but I don't know about this 100%.

If she's sliding down the pillows, a couple of large books under the legs at the head of the bed may help a little. Or put a fat pillow under the mattress where the pillows normally go - does that make sense? I'm a bit tired and struggling to describe it properly!

It is possible to develop asthma at any time. I hope your DD hasn't got it, but it really isn't as serious these days as it used to be, as long as you are sensible about taking prescribed meds etc.

Thanks all, will see how she goes over night and will take her to GP if it happens again.

Thats a good idea Horton, I used to do that when they were in cots so I know what you mean

My ds had a cough for 6 months when he was a baby. I was back and forward to the GP too and I kept getting fobbed off until he went into hospital for something else and I mentioned it to the paed. She got him into her clinic and I was given an inhaler for him. After only a couple of days he was better and he's been a lot better since.

Viral wheeze is less common in older children (ie not toddlers/preschoolers).

You can develop asthma at any age - even in your 30s/40s/50s/60s!

The best thing would be to take her to see a GP or nurse practitioner. They should be able to carry out some diagnostic testing at her age which would give a pretty definitive diagnosis.

(As an aside, dikkertjedap your GPs advice is very out of date! Inhaled corticosteroids usually have an effect within 1-2 weeks and have little to no effect on growth at normal doses).

steroid inhalers have been found to suppress growth (apparently 1.5 cm per year less than otherwise would have been)

This sounds really odd to me. I have only just noticed it! If I had grown 1.5cm a year more than I actually did while I was on steroid inhalers as a child, assuming that I stopped growing at about 16, I'd be 9 cm taller than I am. That's nearly four inches taller. I'd be 5'9". It sounds very unlikely, given that my mum is 5'9" and my dad's 5'5"!!