could this be asthma?

[RunsWithScissors]

My dd has a few food allergies as well as an allergy to dustmites and hay fever.

She has had bad chest colds since little (one at 4 months requiring antibiotics), as well as being prescribed a ventolin inhaler last year for a cold. The doctor stressed it didn't mean she has asthma.

She has had about seven chest colds in the past year, many of them involved using the inhaler, two of them again needing antibiotics. Both of those times the doctors we've seen asked if she suffered from asthma. We've said 'no, but her colds seems to end up in her chest/ with wheezing.' no one has Suggested looking into it further.

She has yet another cold this week. Her teacher asked if she has an inhaler, as she was really winded after pe. She said she was trying really hard, id well, didn't complain but needed a long time to 'come down' afterwards. she has two children with asthma herself.

Any thoughts/experience? Am I mad to make an appointment with the doctor to check her out? (she's not yet five years old, Wasn't sure if they diagnose asthma before five).

Thanks for any replies

[MrsShrek3]

One of my dc has a pretty similar history to your dd's, and was dx with asthma at 16 months. Apparently they prefer not to diagnose before 2yrs, I don't know why. Following her fourth hospital admission in 6 months (at 12-16mo) she was diagnosed and is on montelukast, blue and brown inhalers and antihistamines.
Her brother was diagnosed just before 2 years as he had an inhaler from 3 weeks old, had bronchiolitis and had wheezed from birth....we have a massive family history of asthma and allergies so no point trying to avoid the issue tbh!
So yes to going back for some answers imho. Some gps are good at dealing with asthma, some aren't. Ditto practice nurses, paeds, but keep going til you find one. They do exist. You should have a specialist asthma nurse in your area, if it does turn out that she has it.

[RunsWithScissors]

Thanks so much MrsShrek3!
had to call 111 last night as she was wheezing/having trouble breathing and the inhaler we had had run out.
They sent a Dr. who had the asthma kit with him. Two puffs of the inhaler made a HUGE difference. I asked about asthma, and he said there was no doubt she has it. Wrote us a prescription and agreed I should make an appt. with our GP.
Called surgery this morning and have an appointment for tomorrow morning.
Thanks again!!!!

[tobysmum77]

sounds very odd to me dd was dx at 3 ish. The only symptom shes ever had is getting coughs worse than other people and a tiny bit of ezcema as a baby which she grew out of by 18 months.

Dh has it also though which I think makes them more likely to dx?

[RunsWithScissors]

I think you're right that family history makes them more likely to dx. Pretty certain now that she has it. Can't refute how quickly the inhaler turned things around yesterday. Will be seeing our own GP tomorrow. Thanks for the replies.

[Sirzy]

DS was diagnosed at 11 months but he is a rather extreme case.

There are no set rules for when they can diagnose, but in general they don't like to diagnose young because so many little children get 'viral wheeze' and grow out of it by the time they are about 5, so they resist diagnosing to avoid misdiagnosis.

That said, there is no reason they can't treat the symptoms even if they don't wan to give it that label yet.

[kirdy]

My son is 6 now and he has had an inhaler since he was a few months old although they only properly duo gnosis his as having asthma last year after many trips to the hospital because he was hardly breathing everyone he gets a cold his asthma flares up without a doubt! He also has pet and pollen allergys which make it worse. X