questions about asthma from over anxious mummy

[pleaserewind]

what exactly is an 'asthma attack' ? is it when you can't breathe or would coughing and a bit of wheezing be called this too?

at what point do you panic and go to a & E?

and if child was sleeping but sounded a bit wheezy or noisy with breathing would you worry?

does your child have asthma do u have inhalors?

Coughing and wheezing is usally a sign that the asthma isn't properly controlled. You can have an asthma attack without wheezing though.

When ds1 is having an attack the most obvious signs are that his breathing is fast and his shoulders are moving up and down quite noticeably in an effort to breathe. Luckily both attacks have been during the day so I've been able to get an emergency appointment with the GP rather than worry about whether or not to take him to hospital.

Do they have a cold or chest infection at all? How old is the child?

i think he has allergic asthma, well doc told me he did after sounding wheezy along with hayfever. He gave us the brown inhaler but have recently been told by another doctor to stop giving him that and use a blue one.

pleaserewind: the best place to read up on all this is Asthma UK in particular What To Do During An Asthma Attack but the whole site is invaluable.

Oh also meant to say that there's a contact number on the site which puts you through to experienced Asthma nurses who are fab. Give them a call, they may well be able to put your mind at rest.

Hope your little one is feeling better soon.

My ds has just been diagnosed with Allergic Asthma - he has brown inhaler twice a day, but the blue one as well, at the moment about 4 times a day.
We were told to give him the blue one whenever he was 'chesty' - but we tend to rely on him asking us for it.

We were given a really great little booklet from Asthma UK which explains everything really simply - I don't know if you can get it via their website.

how old is your son bluebear and what were his symptoms (if you don't mind me asking)

thanx for the link georginaA, i'll have a look.

Just seen your question pleaserewind -He is 3 and about 10 months - looking back he has had the asthma symptoms for a long time but it was hidden by other medical problems for quite a while (which are now resolved -he had an operation) - it all came to light due to a really bad allergic reaction.
Basic symptoms are coughing - often coughing up 'gunk', wheezing if he's having a tantrum (only noticed this yesterday - normally not noticeable above the screaming!) - tiredness - can't walk as far as his friends without needing a carry /buggy.
He was diagnosed after having a series of allergic reactions - swollen eyes, face, lips, tongue, red face - and being admitted to A and E with breathing difficulties (due to swollen airways) - we are waiting for an appoint with the allergy dr (will be on Friday) but in the meantime he is taking:
morning - brown (steroid) inhaler (preventer); blue (salbutamol) inhaler (reliever)
during day - blue inhaler when required - he asks for it when his 'tummy hurts' (tummy hurting is a common description of a tight chest in young children); Piriton - only if his eyes begin to swell; we also have epipen (adrenalin injectors) in case his face swells and he has an anaphylatic (?sp) reaction - we don't know what he is allergic to yet
evening - brown and blue inhalers plus loratidine (it's a once a day anti-histamine which doesn't make them as drowsy as piriton)
during night -blue inhaler if he is coughing.,

My GP actually wanted us to give him piriton 3 times a day on top of the loratidine but we phased that out as he was wiped out on it and we think we are on top of the main allergy.

We were in a total panic when this all started happening - a few weeks ago - but with the support of a lot of great people on-line and a fantastic allergy/asthma nurse - life is feeling almost normal again now .

We got an urgent referral to the allergy nurse via our Health visitor so that might be worth a try for you.

Happy to answer any other queries or just chat if you want - hope your ds is feeling OK.

When your son has his inhaler do you use a spacer... My 4 year old nephew has asthma and my brother never uses the spacer with him... brother said that nephew doesn't like it ! ... Now my son has asthma and the asthma nurse said that we must use the spacer or simular device till he is about 7 when they have the right technique....

myself... I think its a bad asthma attack when son's inhalers aren't working.. he gets no relief from them... can't talk without coughing... short of breath.. he then has steroids and nebuliser. This hasn't happened for about a year, he takes flixotide inhaler...
RumMum

Mine uses a spacer - although I'm looking forward to him growing out of it - It's a bit bulky to carry around all the time.