Childhood Asthma - Know these Symptoms

One of the more difficult things in being a parent is tomedical doctor in a different direction. Understand that
care for the health and well-being of our children. Thisboth types of coughing, indicate illness but it's the type
no doubt causes many of us anxiety and to worry ifof cough that helps a doctor accurately diagnose the
are doing the right things to care for our children. Oneproblem
of the biggest problems we have is that children simplyWheezing.
do not come with an operator's manual that explainsWheezing is a whistling type of sound that you can
everything that can go wrong.hear when your child breathes. Although most
A good example of this is found in dealing withcommonly associated with asthma, some do not
respiratory illness and disorders. Kids seem to pick upwheeze while others without asthma have a tendency
and share every flu and other illness that makes anto wheeze when ill. Again, accurate diagnosis is critical
appearance at the local daycare or school. Our job isto determine the cause and if it is asthma develop an
parents is to determine if our sick child has one ofeffective treatment plan.
those common flu-like illnesses or if the symptomsChest Congestion and Tightness.
point to something much more serious.Chest congestion is symptomatic of influenza, but can
The problem with asthma is that the symptoms arealso indicate a more serious respiratory disease like
often very similar to bronchitis and other very commonasthma.
respiratory infections.Shortness of Breath
Childhood Asthma Symptoms:Many asthma sufferers experience shortness of
Coughing.breath so profound that they feel as if they're being
Coughing is caused by a buildup of mucus in thesmothered. This is serious because asthma actually
bronchial tubes that needs to be cleared. Mucus is aconstricts air passageways making it almost impossible
good indication of a respiratory infection or irritation.to get enough air into the lungs
Coughing however is symptomatic of many childhoodThese signs and symptoms may indicate that your
and adult illnesses. Although coughing is a symptom,child is suffering from asthma. While as a parent you
the type of cough plays a role in identifying andcannot be expected to understand how these various
understanding the underlying cause. Simply put, asymptoms interact or be able to accurately diagnose
rattling or loose type cough can suggest one type ofand illness, your medical doctor can.
illness, while a tight or hacking cough can lead a