worried dd may have asthma

[tortoiseSHELL]

Dd is in general a picture of health - robust, energetic, lively. But in the last 6 months or so she has had 3 episodes of 'wheezing' in the night - she wakes up, a bit panicky, coughs, has a 'rasping' sound when she breathes. We've so far just calmed her down and she has settled. But last night I began to wonder if this is the beginning of asthma. She isn't wheezy if running or exercising, and is very fit - she does gymnastics and swimming with no breathing problems.

Has anyone any experience of this? I will see a doctor about it at some point - it's not 'urgent' as only sporadic, but any advice would be welcome. Thanks!

She is just turned 4 btw, and just started school, so extra tired at the moment!

could it be croup? I only ask as Ds has had similair and a barking cough. Lasts a couple of nights thealn goes again for a couple of months. Generally well in the day, first couple of times I did think it was asthma as myself and dd1 are asthmatic but it wasnt.

That's a though nemo, although it's not so much of a 'barking' cough - she had croup as a baby, and that seemed to be a very characteristic cough. This is more of a 'trying to clear her chest' type cough.

JUst to add, she is a little snivelly today - slightly blocked nose. IT was the 'panic' in her breathing that made me think it might be the start of asthma. Neither dh or I have asthma, though my mum and brother both do. Dh has quite bad hayfever though.

TortoiseSHELL, my dd (nearly 4) recently had a cold - didn't seem like a bad one, but I noticed her wheezing a bit, and breathing fast. She gets very mild eczema, and dh has bad hayfever (neither of us has ever had asthma) - so I got her checked in case of asthma, the next morning.

It turned out she had the start of a chest infection (first one ever, she's also very robust) which had in turn kicked off a bit of 'bronchospasm' (quoting GP there) ie mild asthma. She was given an inhaler to use while the infection cleared up, alongside antibiotics, and is now fine. GP said it was triggered by the infection, and wouldn't carry on once she was better - but that she might have a pre-disposition to some degree of asthma when she has chest infections etc in future.

Personally, I would take dd to the GP for a check-up - because if it is a touch of asthma, at least you'd know and have an inhaler handy to use if ever the need arose. Hopefully its just viral though!

Thanks Elibean - I will take her when we get a moment (hard with starting school), that's good to know - sounds very like dd tbh!

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bump - any more thoughts?

Thanks for the reply KM - allergies - I don't have any, dh has hayfever, my mother has asthma and very severe anaphalaxis (sp) reaction to bees (as severe as it's possible to be really - she was stung when I was a small child and within 30 secs was unconcious and within 8-10 mins her heart had stopped, but fortunately my dad got her to hospital in time to be revived).

Dd doesn't have any allergies at all, she did have quite nasty croup as a child, and has a mask thingy from then when she was given an inhaler to use. I think I will take her to be seen, although there have literally only been 3 incidents in 6 months or so.

Any more thoughts anyone?

Is she panicky because she can't breathe properly? Is it because phlegm is getting in the way of her breathing or does she mention a tight feeling at all? Do the instances coincide with a cold or anything else obvious?

I would certainly take her to docs next time it happens, get him/her tolisten to chest for any wheeze. Get your daughter to describe to you and doc what the feeling is that's causing the panic.

There are different triggers for asthma - physical exercise rarely affects my dd's asthma.

dd2's asthma came on pretty suddenly, result of cold, great difficulty breathing at night.

Last night she did have a blocked nose, and she said her side hurt - left side, by her ribs, but that may be unrelated. the 3 times it's happened it's come on in her sleep.

She panics because she feels like she has to cough and the cough doesn't go away, but it's like a tickly cough that doesn't shift anything.

I mean, obv, it might just be a cold. But get it seen for peace of mind, as you say.

I will pointydog. It was only this morning that I thought it might be something like asthma - when she breathed it sounded like she was trying to clear her chest, but I guess that could have been a wheezing - I thought she had got a cough, but she hasn't this morning.

Will go to GP.