Toddlers are becoming verbal, but may not always be able to tell you when something is wrong. If your toddler has been diagnosed with asthma, you have to rely on your knowledge of his symptoms to help you determine if he is having an asthma attack and if he needs a breathing treatment or a puff from his inhaler. Make note of some of the early signs of an asthma attack. These include lowered peak flow numbers, breathing changes or increased coughing, trouble sleeping, feeling tired, darkened circles under the eyes and throat or chin itchiness, according to Children's Hospital Boston.
Step 1
Listen closely to your child's breathing. You may be able to hear her wheezing. This is a whistling sound, caused by air rushing through her narrowed airways, writes Children's Hospital Boston.
Step 2
Monitor your child's coughing. He may cough more frequently during an asthma attack, according to What to Expect. He coughs because he is trying to get more air out of his lungs, but because his airways are narrowed, he is having trouble doing so.
Step 3
Unbutton your child's blouse and look at the skin over her ribs. If she is having an acute asthma attack, the skin covering her ribs might pull in when she takes a breath. Look at her nostrils--as she breathes in, they may flare out, writes Baby Center.
Step 4
Ask your toddler if he is having a hard time breathing. If he tells you yes and adds that it hurts him to breathe, this is one sign that he's in the middle of an asthma attack. If he has a hard time talking, this is one more sign of an asthma attack, writes Children's Hospital Boston.
Step 5
Look at your child's lips or the beds of her fingernails, suggests Children's Hospital Boston. If they have a bluish or grayish tinge, she's definitely in the middle of an asthma attack and needs an emergency breathing treatment.
Tips and Warnings
- Children whose parents have a family history of asthma, who have allergies, or who have been exposed to secondhand smoke are at risk of developing asthma, according to Children's Hospital Boston.
- If your child doesn't receive a breathing treatment or medical attention right away, he could suffer respiratory failure.
