How do I know that my child has asthma?
A definitive diagnosis of asthma can be difficult to obtain in young children.
At least one child in five will have 'wheezing' at some point during their early years. Many of these children will not go on to have asthma in later childhood, so your doctor may not want to use the term 'asthma' at this stage.
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose in children under 5 years of age because tests of lung function which are key to diagnosis in older children and adults are not reliable in this age group. A peak flow meter is used for older children, but is unsuitable for children under the age of six.
The pattern of symptoms that develops over time shows whether a child has asthma or not. Your doctor may ask you to keep a record of your child's symptoms and when they happen. This will help the doctor, and you, to make a diagnosis.
If your child is under the age of two, it is even more difficult to tell if they have asthma. There are a number of different wheezing illnesses, including acute bronchiolitis, 'wheezy bronchitis', as well as asthma, which can make your baby wheezy. Also, some children wheeze after a chest infection such as bronchiolitis. They may or may not require treatment. However, if they are quite well they are known as 'Happy Wheezers'!
