How do I know if a 3yo has asthma ?

[fridayschild]

DS2 has caught a cold from his brother who has just started reception. Last night DS2 had a terribly barking loud cough, woke up awfully wheezy, was speaking more quietly than normal but settled back down quite quickly. This morning he was wheezy and quiet when he woke up, but got less wheezy and quiet after some Calpol.

If this is just a chest infection/cold that's fine, but could it be asthma? I have never had it so I know nothing about it. DH and his brothers all have asthma but he is abroad at the moment.

Tips, anyone?

Hi

As your DS is only 3, given those symptoms I would ring your GP and ask for an urgent appointment - With young children they can deteriorate and improve very rapidly, and can't always tell you what the problem is.

Although it does sound as though it could be asthma related with the night cough, wheeze, and quiet/reduced speaking, young children can also tend to have wheezy symptoms etc with an infection as well.

It could be an infection, asthma or something entirely different.

GPs would usually rather see a child and be safe rather than sorry.

agree with Kat, do ask a GP, much safer.

Could be croup, or asthma, dd1 has had both (her only asthma so far has been triggered by a cold or chest infection) and the GPs were v good at spotting which.

yep GP it.

With croup the cough is a very noticeable barking.

They may well prescribe a salbutamol inhaler just so you have it. No harm in having one for peace of mind.

Either way they won't give a diagnosis of asthma at this age.

Good luck, hope he's OK!

DD1 just had croup and chest infection leading to her first major wheezing attack where inhalers alone weren't enough, so was in hospital for this just 2 weeks ago. She's 4 this month.

Is your DS2 any better?

The barking cough does sound as though it might be croup. When dd had it she sounded a bit like a sea-lion.

Ds1 didn't really show any signs of asthma until he had a full-blown attack not long after his 3rd birthday. Ds2 at that age used to cough a lot after running.

Ds2 is a bit better, thank you. Managed to get him to the doctor this morning who says it is tonsilitis, and has prescribed Calpol. Obviously no complaints about that from the patient!

As predicted she wasn't going to comment on asthma, just said it might or might not be a sign that he would develop it in future. All those years at med school really helped with that

Good he's doing a bit better, the wheeze has gone and you know what it is.

But agree about GPs sometimes - have seen some very vague ones, then gone back to see a different one because i wasn't happy with what the first one had said and got an entirely different diagnosis and treatment. Really fills you with confidence