Asthma symptoms in children under 5

Common asthma symptoms in children under 5 include:

• Coughing.
• Wheezing.
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath.
• A tight, uncomfortable feeling in the chest.

The seriousness and patterns of symptoms may vary:

• Symptoms that become worse at night or in the early morning.
• Short periods of coughing and wheezing between periods of time with no symptoms.
• Frequent or ongoing symptoms with bouts of worse wheezing and coughing.
• Seasonal changes based on common infections or allergy triggers.

Asthma symptoms may be triggered or made worse by certain events:

• Colds or other respiratory infections.
• Things that cause allergies, such as dust, pet dander or pollen.
• Activity or exercise.
• In babies, feeding.
• Exposure to cigarette smoke or other irritants in the air.
• Strong emotional reactions, such as crying or laughing.
• Stomach acid that flows back up into the tube that connects the stomach to the mouth, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux.
• Changes or extremes in weather.

Asthma emergencies

Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening. These need to be treated in the emergency room. Symptoms of an asthma emergency in children under age 5 include:

• Gasping for air.
• Breathing in so hard that the stomach area is sucked under the ribs.
• Trouble speaking because of restricted breathing.
• Irregular rapid breathing.
• Flaring nostrils.
• Chest pulling in with each breath.