18 month old with an asthma cough

[Sophiealicee]

My child is 18 months and has already been diagnosed with asthma. His cough has started again and is worse at night. We are giving him his inhaler every 2-3 hours and also his brown one too. Does anyone have any tips on asthma coughs?

[twinkly29]

The asthma cough is a sign the asthma is not controlled, as is having symptoms at night.

I don't know how long he's been on his inhalers or what advice you've been given as to when to seek advice, but the brown inhaler will take about 8 weeks to become fully effective. The blue should last 4 hours really - but if the brown is new he may need it (the blue) more often initially. However, it might be worth a call to your GP as he might need oral steroids to settle things as he's needing his blue inhaler a lot.

Ideally, once it's kicked in, the brown should control things when used twice a day with the blue being needed 3 times a week or less. More than that and it needs reviewing as it is not controlled. The asthma cough will only be controlled by asthma medication - but keeping him hydrated is helpful.

[Maggie_Mae]

I would advise phoning NHS 111 for advice on a child so young receiving inhaler every 2 to 3 hours, if it wasn't originally advised by GP,,? ,, also maybe worth talking to them if possibility of a chest infection etc.

[Tugun]

Hi,

Definitely needs to be discussed with a doctor regarding medicines etc.

There are a few reasons why the cough could worsens at night

It gets colder at night - I have the room heated at night and find breathing in warm air helps me. However I am old enough to take the bedclothes off if it gets too hot etc and have a drink of water if I feel dry. A heater that is temperature controlled would be important. I have even found that eating ice-cream can start my asthma because of the cold.

Is there anything that your child could be allergic to that may exacerbate the symptoms at night - could even be food or drink that is taken at dinner time? There are certain laundry detergents that I can't use as they exacerbate my asthma particularly if I put my head on a pillow slip that has been washed in it. I use the sensitive type with no added perfumes.

Wishing you all the best. It must be very difficult to see your little one upset.

[Triggerina]

I was also diagnosed with asthma at 18 months old. I have cough variant asthma(I rarely wheeze) and have allergies that exacerbate the asthma. I have had some bad bouts over my lifetime BUT am now 65 and although still on asthma medication in general good health and active and fit otherwise. Hope this gives you some hope for your child's future.

I am very allergic to dust mites so have hard floors and washable curtains etc. I have washable rugs on the floors. I also cannot tolerate air fresheners and aerosol polishes like Mr Sheen and similar. I only dust with a damp cloth and I have an air purifier in the bedroom and lounge. The mattress has an anti allergy cover on it and the duvet is a washable cotton filled one.

When pollen is high I rinse my hair and shower every evening rather than in the morning. Any soft toys go in a bag in the freezer regularly. Keep your child as active as possible.

Hope some of this helps.

I think that for such a young child a paediatric asthma consultant would be a good idea to ensure all the inhalers etc. are suitable for young children.