Asthma at different life stages

Asthma management principles are the same for people of all ages, however, the needs of people with asthma will change throughout their life. This section gives advice about asthma for children, teenagers and the elderly.

Asthma and children

In very small children, asthma is difficult to diagnose as it is very difficult for toddlers to communicate their symptoms and many children wheeze without having asthma. If you have very young children and suspect that they may have asthma, common asthma symptoms to look out for are:

• A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing out

• Coughing, wheezing or breathlessness with exercise

• Prolonged coughing, not because of a cold, often worse at night

• Generally feeling unwell

• Recurrent colds from which it takes a long time to recover

 

With equipment in specialized asthma clinics, the lung function of even very small children can be measured, your doctor will test your child for asthma by:

• Listening to the symptoms described by parent and child (if possible)
• Examining the child by listening to their chest using a stethoscope
• Measuring the capacity of your child's lungs with a peak flow monitor - a simple device that measures the maximum speed at which the child can blow out. The reading is reduced if the airways are narrowed
• Persistent Cough - A persistent cough (a cough which does not go away) may be a sign of asthma in children, this is not always the case. If your child suffers from a persistent cough, you should see your doctor. Persistent cough can be caused by:
• Infections
• Environmental irritants, especially tobacco smoke
• Sinusitis

 

If your child goes to nursery, school or is looked after by a child minder or babysitter, make sure that they know what to do if your child has an asthma attack. If your child has asthma, it is important to talk to their doctor about their symptoms to make sure that your child has the best possible control of their asthma. It is possible for your child to live a health, active life if their asthma is controlled properly.

Asthma and adolescents

The treatment of asthma in teenagers is the same for the population in general however, teenagers are less likely to take their asthma medication regularly than other patient groups. It is important to remember to take your medication as directed by your doctor even if you feel well and do not experience asthma symptoms. This is to make sure your asthma does not get worse and to prevent asthma attacks.

Tips for adolescents with asthma:

• Asthma should not stop you from enjoying sports or other physical activity so long as it is properly controlled. Talk to your doctor about how you can exercise safely with your asthma, or let them know if you have been experiencing symptoms which have stopped you doing things that you would like to do
• Smoking is harmful to the lungs of anybody, but can be particularly damaging with people with asthma and can make your asthma worse – don’t start!
• Make sure that your teachers and a few of your friends know that you have asthma and know what to do if you have an attack, and always remember to take your inhalers to school or college or when you are going out

For more information specifically for teenagers, see: Asthma UK (www.asthma.org.uk/kickasthma)

Managing asthma in later life

Although asthma is often associated with children and young people, asthma can affect people of all ages. Although asthma management principles are the same for people of all ages, diagnosis of asthma in later life can be difficult. This is because some of the symptoms such as cough, wheeze and shortness of breath are shared with other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease. For more information about COPD please see the COPD section of this website