at what age can asthma be diagnosed.

Have heard from others that asthma can't b properly diagnosed untill about age 6 or 7? incase the child outgrows their symptoms.

So children younger than this will be 'treated as asthmatic' but not actually diagnosed as having it?

is that true?

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Not too sure but I was told by my mum that when I was a baby they said I seemed to have asthma symtoms and thought I may have been born with it but I wasn't properly diagnosed until around age 11 when my symptoms returned with a vengence after a s chool trip!

Know this doesn't answer your question exactly but its the best I can do!

Also I had exzema in between being a baby and later being diagnosed with asthma. Don't know if your child has had the same

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I think they said they said they could not diagnose asthma in under 2's but would treat the symptoms which looked like asthma as asthma until his 2nd birthday when he offically had asthma. Yes I know I did a bit of an ""egh"" over that one too.

Bex

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yeh thanx for the replies

he is 3, Dr suspects asthma now, even tho we have suspected it for a while,

but before it was always put down to croup etc. oh just wait and see how he gets on.

has bn taken to hosp in the past and sent home on oral steroids to clear his wheez before, gp was still very wait and see how he goes.

have to go back in 3 weeks to see how we have got on with the ventolin and see if he should have other meds.

have noticed a great diff already though. so thats good, better than being up all night.

i know his asthma is not as bad as others, but its good to see him less tired, and able to run about a lot more, sleep better etc

oh and he does have eczema, and pretty certain he has hayfever as well, along with other allergies too.

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they dont like to give it a label

My son is 3 and I had problems getting him diagnosed even though he had more than 8 asthma attacks a year that needed a trip to the hospital. In fact 1 consultant was adamant he had viral induced wheese, but what about when he does not have a virus? He could not answer me!!! Went to a different hospital. Chances are it is asthma but you are spot on Drs do not like to say a child under 5/6 is asmatic.

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hi hope all is ok i think diagnosis depends on the doctor when my daughter was in hospital a few years ago one doctor told me it was an asthma attack and another on the round the following day said it was just viral the same as they told u the thing is at the end of the day whatever they call it its the same they still both have attacks the same they have ventolin the same just with asthma its harder to control rather than just when they are ill .i hope this helps u and puts your mind at rest a bit but whatever they want to call it the treatment is the same so dont worry yourself about it let the doctors argue it out amongst themselves normally its at age 5 they will properly diagnose though im sorry if this message comes across as a bit stressy i dont mean it to be but i do get annoyed with doctors who dont believe or wont except earlier diagnosis when all thats stopping them is age isnt that discrimination?

take care

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thanx for your replies

will let u kno how we get on when i go back in 3 weeks,

hopefully keep him on ventolin anyway as its saving being up all night with a coughing wheesy child

also nice for him to have more energy and for me to b able to do something to help him, running around etc can be an issue.