Asthma Warning Signs

Early warning signs

Early warning signs are small changes that happen in your child’s body. The changes cause problems with your child’s breathing. These changes may happen slowly over hours or days. Some of the early warning signs may be hard to see. These signs are also different for each child.

Early warning signs that your child’s asthma is getting worse may include the following:

• a cough that will not go away
• coughing until your child throws up (vomits)
• coughing at night
• wheezing
• your child has trouble catching his breath
• your child gets tired soon after starting to play or exercise
• breathing faster than usual
• seeming grumpy, cranky, or out of sorts
• signs of a cold
• sneezing

Your child may tell you:

• “I’m tired.”
• “My chest hurts.”
• “It is hard to breathe.”
• “There’s a funny noise (wheezing) when I’m breathing.”

What to do

If you see your child having any of the early warning signs, follow the instructions on your child’s action plan. If you do not have an asthma action plan, you may need to give your child his reliever medicine more often. Monitor your child's response to the reliever medicine.

If you see your child having any of the early warning signs, follow the instructions on your child’s action plan. If you do not have an asthma action plan, you may need to give your child his reliever medicine more often. Do not let your child do any physical activities such as sports until the symptoms are gone.

See a doctor right away if any of the following things happen:

• the reliever medicine does not work
• your child needs reliever medicine more than every 4 hours
• your child is not getting better

If your child does not have an action plan, talk to your child’s doctor about making one.

Danger signs

When asthma symptoms become severe, it can be dangerous. Some of the danger signs of asthma include:

• being unable to stop coughing and throwing up (vomiting)
• having trouble talking
• feeling unusually sleepy, trouble waking up
• lips or skin look blue
• skin sucking in (indrawing) on the neck or chest as your child breathes

What to do

If your child has any of the danger signs, you need to act immediately. Follow your child’s action plan and continue giving your child his reliever medicine.

Go to the nearest emergency department or call an ambulance. Continue to give your child his reliever medicine until the ambulance comes.