Wheeze, night cough or breathlessness deserve a proper look, and a plan that works
Asthma is common in children and, once recognised, very manageable. A pediatric asthma evaluation checks whether your child's symptoms point to asthma, how well it is controlled, and what to do day to day.
Cough with a cold or fever? A short-lived chest illness is different from asthma. See the respiratory infection page.
See Respiratory Infection Consultation →With the right plan, children with asthma can play, learn and sleep well
Asthma isn't a reason to hold a child back. Most children with asthma lead active lives once their triggers are known and treatment is matched to their needs. The evaluation is about getting that match right.
What an asthma evaluation covers
Diagnosing asthma, and then keeping it controlled.
Symptom pattern
Wheeze, cough, tight chest or breathlessness, and when they occur.
Night and exercise
Waking at night or struggling with play are important clues.
Triggers
Colds, dust, smoke, pollution, pets, cold air and exercise.
Breathing examination
Listening to the chest and assessing how easily your child breathes.
Allergy and family history
Eczema, hay fever and asthma in the family are associated.
Control and plan
How well things are controlled, and a written plan for flare-ups.
Get urgent help if a child with asthma
Don't wait for a routine appointment.
- Is struggling to breathe, or can't speak a full sentence
- Is breathing very fast, or with the ribs pulling in
- Has lips or face turning blue or grey
- Has no relief, or short-lived relief, from the usual reliever
- Is exhausted, drowsy or confused
- Has a quiet chest with severe breathlessness
- Has a sudden attack after a likely trigger and is getting worse
- Needs the reliever more often than every few hours
The pillars of asthma care
Control is built on a few steady habits.
Know the triggers
And reduce them where possible.
The right treatment
Reliever and, if needed, preventer, chosen and explained by your doctor.
A written action plan
What to do every day, and during a flare-up.
Regular review
Treatment is adjusted as your child grows and symptoms change.
What your child's visit includes
A detailed conversation
Symptoms, triggers, sleep, activity, past illnesses and family history.
Examination of the chest and breathing
A careful look at how your child breathes at rest.
Tests, where appropriate
In older children, breathing tests may be used. Services offered should be confirmed with the clinic.
Diagnosis and a treatment plan
Whether it is asthma, how severe, and what treatment is suitable.
Teaching and follow-up
How to use any device correctly, the action plan, and when to review.
What to bring
Helping the doctor see the full picture
A symptom diary
Cough, wheeze, night waking and what seemed to bring it on.
Inhalers or medicines in use
Bring any devices, so technique can be checked.
Past reports
Previous prescriptions, X-rays or hospital visits.
Family history
Asthma, allergy or eczema.
Dr. K. Sushma
Dr. Sushma wants every child with asthma to have a plan, understood by the parents and the school, so flare-ups are handled calmly.
Questions parents often ask
Some do, especially those whose wheeze began with colds in early childhood. For others it continues. Either way it can be well controlled.
Yes. Used as advised, inhaled treatments are an effective and safe way to treat asthma, because the medicine goes straight to the lungs.
Yes. Exercise is encouraged, and with good control most children can take part fully.
In small children it relies on the pattern of symptoms and the examination, as breathing tests aren't possible. Your doctor will explain how it is judged.
Wheeze or night cough? Let's get your child breathing easier
Book an asthma evaluation with Dr. K. Sushma at our Pragathi Nagar clinic.
