Do you always have to have a wheeze with asthma?

[mummytopebs]

DD is 2 and has some health problems. The newest thing is the gp believes she has asthma. She has always got very out of breath and even when just playing, and has a cough on exertion and always had a night time cough. She seems to get swollen airways (she does have allergies) but no wheeze. She has been on the brown inhalor for 2 months and is much less out of breath and the cough has subsided so it is definitly working for her. But was just wondering if this does sound like asthma as she has never really wheezed. She does get stridor and grunt when breathing but no wheezing. Thanks.

You can have asthma without a wheeze, my DSis coughs rather than wheezes and was diagnosed with asthma in adulthood.

Ds1 aged 4 does not audibly wheeze, coughs a dry cough and get's out of breath. he started being treated at 9 months.

DD is chronically asthmatic, she doesn't wheeze ever.

Thanks for the replies. Dh has bad asthma and he has a terrible wheeze but doesnt really cough so just wasent sure if it could go the other way. So if there is no wheeze when should I give the reliever?

DSis takes it when she coughs.

Ds is 5 and has only ever wheezed once. He just coughs. And coughs. And coughs.

Ds is currently in hospital with his asthma and isnt wheezing at all this time. He does wheeze sometimes though.

If he is breathless and resting doesn't help i give his inhaler, or when he is coughing uncontrollablly I would give the inhaler generally

Dd is old enough to know when to use hers now but when she was small we used it when her cough was out of control, when she seemed a bit breathless, before any running around or when she was not able to speak in full sentences.