NOW MY 8 YEAR OLD SON?

I have an almost 3 year old recently diagnosed with asthma. NOW my 8 year old son has been given a peak flow metre to use and record for two weeks. Over the last 3 months or so he has had 3 separate bouts of night coughing (and some day coughing on exertion or going outside in the cold). These bouts last for about 10 days at a time. NONE of us get any sleep. Two times they have been accompanied by ear infections and one time a throat infection. He's on his 3rd lot of antibiotics in 2 months. This week the doc gave the peak flow metre and asked us to keep a record as they want to rule out possible asthma. I have a few questions (my hubby took him to the docs!) One... what is a normal reading for an 8 year old anyway? Two... is it possible that this night coughing (which is CONSTANT, slightly chesty sounding and not helped by anything we've tried (water, propping up etc) is a sign of asthma even though he's never had trouble breathing or catching his breath as such like my other son? What I would typically think of as an asthma attack. I guess we had always assumed the coughing was due to drainage from his ear or throat infections. Would appreciate any thoughts or advice as we are so new to all of this. THANK YOU.

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Hi, ive just signed on to this and yours caught my eye because I have a nine year old son who suffers. The coughing is very common. I dont know if this will help, but if I dont keep my son's bedroom REALLY dust free, he gets bad again and doesnt sleep because I can hear him coughing and sniffing all night, then he wake's up exhausted. I have cleared his room of clutter, got rid of all fluffy toys, hoover constantly and wash his bedlinen in a hot temp as often as I can. I watched a program about asthma sufferers this time last year and my son had a bunk bed and he slept on the bottom, so all the dust would collect on the above frame/mattress and make his condition worse, I took the mattress away and wiped clean the whole frame, I cleared everything from under the bed so I could hoover more often, I washed his pj's more often and I know you shouldnt have pets but I banned the cats from his room forever. In one week he improved alot! he became better than he was which was a good start. Just this weekend we have got rid of the bunk bed and put more furniture in his room to keep clutter away, but because I have left his room a little in chaos tonight and havent hoovered yet or changed his bedding I can hear him coughing and sniffing again. It wont be a cure but it will help and I know its alot to do, but every child on that program that did this improved alot. I hope this helps a little, because my boy gets very tired if his sleep is interupted all night when he's bad. Good Luck. x S