Asthma and Cough

“ All that wheezes isn’t asthma – and most of what coughs and wheezes is viral” 6/ 10 infants wheeze at some point with a cold but much less than this turn out to have asthma. Clearly then not all wheezers are asthmatic. Those with true asthma may also lack the smooth muscle in their airtubes that helps them to respond to the asthma medicine which may onylo help as they get older. Diagnosis therefore can be very difficult in the under threes as they can’t cooperate on any easily available tests. As a consequence asthma in young children can be both under and over treated.Agaian experience is invaluable in pattern recognition and picking up all the clues that help a paediatrician make or break the diagnosis. It is vital that incorrect or inefficient delivery of the inhalers doesn’t happen as this will further cloud the picture. Inappropriate use of inhalers and poor training in the care of spacers is a common theme in those who are eventauilly admitted

Asthma Spacer - Medication trapped inside a statically charged
spacer is likely to lead to poor control of asthma symptoms

Picture of cloudy spacer
This shows a spacer with a high static charge which will affect delivery of the salbutamol mist in the inhaler