Asthma

[TwinkleStars15]

The doctor thinks my 11 month old might have asthma I had it as a child and luckily grew out of it. She has an inhaler and spacer but she didn’t really say when/how often to use it....
She’s coughing a lot when she’s asleep and it’s waking her (and us!) up and I feel so sad for her.
How do we even know it’s asthma? And how can we figure out what triggers it?
It started about a month ago but she’s been wheezy/had a cough previously, usually during and after a cold.

Shes too young to really be diagnosed with asthma, and possibly too young for the blue inhaler (salbutamol) to actually help as normally children need to be older to have the receptors in their body that the salbutamol works on, although occasionally it can help.

If its been after a cold then ita more likely a viral induced wheeze. Its basically the same as a wheeze in asthma and treated the same but most kids with this grow out of it.

In terms of using the inhaler and spacer, you should start with 2 puffs when you feel she needs it. Shake the inhaler before you use it, put it in the end of the spacer and put the mask bit of the spacer on her face then press the pump once and count to 10. Then shake it again and repeat. She might not like it so you might need help to help her still, or swaddle her so she cant wriggle away. If you feel it helps you can give it as needed. You can go up to giving 10 puffs 4 hourly but if you feel shes wheezy enough to need that i'd say best to get her checked out. Like i said, you might find it doesnt help and its all just viral/post viral cough and wheeze that will go away in time.

In terms of diagnosing asthma, theres no one single test. Its generally diagnosed as a pattern of symptoms, so a recurrent wheeze needing salbutamol with interval symptoms inbetween an attack. Its normally not diagnosed until a bit older as a lot of children who get a viral induced wheeze as children and dont have any symptoms inbetween having colds, often grow out of it.

Hope shes better soon!

I would maybe try 2 puffs (as IwillrunIwillfly described) before bed if she's coughing at night. Or perhaps later in the night when she's coughing. If she's a deep sleeper, you could give it while she's asleep before you go to bed.

Coughing at night could also be reflux or something like that so might be worth easing the head of her cot? Although if after a cold then may indeed be viral wheeze. Agree that if she's needing it regularly she needs seeing again and definitely if she's needing in more than every 4 hours.

Thank you IwillrunIwillfly and DottyGiraffe

She has an appointment with the asthma nurse this afternoon so you’ve me some good ideas to discuss - I’m hoping it is a post viral wheeze as you say, although the cold was quite a while ago now.... s’pose it could be lingering as these things tend to do with children.

I had really bad asthma as a child, had a nebuliser at home and brown and blue inhalers. Mum said mine didn’t start this young though, so there’s hope.

Thanks for the tips on how to use it, she’s been pretty good and just smiles when she’s got it on but I think once the novelty has worn off it’ll be different!