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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffChildhood asthma can be very disruptive, causing bothersome daily symptoms that interfere with play, sports, school and sleep. In some children, unmanaged asthma can cause serious or even life-threatening asthma attacks.
Common childhood asthma symptoms include:
- Coughing
- A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
- Shortness of breath
- Chest congestion or tightness
Other signs and symptoms of asthma in children include:
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
- Bouts of coughing or wheezing that get worse with a respiratory infection such as a cold or the flu
- Delayed recovery or bronchitis after a respiratory infection
- Fatigue or trouble breathing during active play or exercise — signs of exercise-induced asthma
Asthma signs and symptoms vary from child to child, and may get worse or better over time. While wheezing is most commonly associated with asthma, not all children with asthma wheeze. Your child may have only one sign or symptom, such as a lingering cough or chest congestion.
Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether your child's symptoms are caused by asthma. Wheezing episodes and other asthma-like symptoms may be caused by infectious bronchitis or other respiratory problem.
When to see a doctor
Take your child to see the doctor as soon as possible if you suspect he or she may have asthma. Early treatment will not only help control disruptive asthma flare-ups, it may also improve breathing every day.
Make an appointment if you notice:
- Coughing that's constant, intermittent or associated with physical activity
- Wheezing or whistling sounds when your child exhales
- Shortness of breath or rapid breathing that may or may not be associated with exercise
- Complaints of chest tightness
- Repeated episodes of suspected bronchitis or pneumonia
Pay attention to cues from a child who says, "My chest feels funny" or "I'm always coughing." Asthma can be worse at night, so listen for coughing during sleep or coughing that wakes your child in the night. Crying, laughing, yelling, or strong emotional reactions and stress also may trigger coughing or wheezing. If your child is diagnosed with asthma, creating an asthma action plan can help you monitor symptoms and be ready if an asthma attack does occur.
When to seek emergency treatment
Even if your child hasn't been diagnosed with asthma, seek medical attention immediately if he or she has any trouble breathing. Although episodes of asthma vary in severity, asthma attacks can start with coughing, which progresses to wheezing and rapid breathing.
In severe cases, you may see your child's chest and sides pulling inward as he or she struggles to breathe. Your child may have an increased heartbeat, sweating and chest pain. Seek emergency care if your child is:
- Breathing so hard that he or she has to stop in midsentence to catch his or her breath
- Using abdominal muscles to breathe
- Widening the nostrils when breathing in
- Trying so hard to breathe that the abdomen is sucked under the ribs when he or she breathes in
