How to Diagnose Child Asthma

Asthma is a chronic but controllable illness that afflicts all age groups. A tightening of the airways that obstructs breathing, asthma can be fatal if not properly medicated and monitored. Children at risk for asthma require special attention. Learn how to diagnose a child with asthma to help him breathe better.

Instructions

1. Observe the signs of asthma in your child. The more common symptoms of asthma are a persistent cough that intensifies at night, nostrils that flare when your child breathes, pale skin, poor posture coupled with labored breathing, exhaustion not due to lack of sleep or excessive exercise, clearing of the throat and a wheeze in the chest. If your child suffers from any of these symptoms, contact your primary care physician.

2. Make an appointment with your family doctor. Expect the doctor to take a medical history, including the child's history of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The number of colds your child comes down with per year and any medicines that you've used during the cold is also asked. Any history of asthma or allergies in your immediate family should be disclosed to the doctor.

3. Realize that to diagnose a small child is more difficult than diagnosing the disease in older children and adults because a small child can't express symptoms clearly. As the parent, be observant of symptoms and disclose anything that might be relevant to your doctor.

4. Understand that the doctor might order a chest x-ray to see if the lungs are clear and to rule out other possible causes for symptoms. Older children can take a lung function test which uses a machine called a spirometer to measure air output and how fast the lungs empty completely. A difficult test to perform accurately, the spirometer is not used on children under age 5.

5. Expect the doctor to prescribe a medicine to the child to manage symptoms and control attacks if he diagnoses the child with asthma. A follow-up appointment two to three months after the initial diagnosis is common, to ensure the medicine is sufficiently controlling the asthma symptoms.

6. Know asthma triggers and avoid or eliminate them. Secondhand smoke, allergens like mold, dust and pollen, chemical cleaners and sudden changes in temperature can trigger asthma symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child is diagnosed with asthma, find an allergist or pediatric pulmonologist who specialize in asthma treatment to care for your child.

• Asthma is a very serious disease that must be controlled for optimum health. Be prepared with the proper rescue medicine if your child suffers from an asthma attack and inform anyone who cares for the child how to use the medicine properly.

• Always follow the directions of the doctor for medicating your child with asthma.