What is a Pediatric Pulmonologist?
Pediatric pulmonologists are pediatricians specially trained to diagnose, treat, and manage children from birth to 18 years old with breathing disorders and lung diseases.
How do I know if my child has asthma?
Symptoms of asthma can be mild or severe. Children may have no symptoms; severe, daily symptoms; or something in between. How often your child has symptoms can also change. Symptoms of asthma may include:
- Wheezing, which is a whistling noise of varying loudness that occurs when the airways of the lungs (bronchial tubes) narrow.
- Coughing, which is the only symptom for some people. A persistent night-time cough is one common sign of asthma, even in children without other symptoms.
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath, which is rapid, shallow breathing or difficulty breathing, even at rest.
- Sleep disturbance because of coughing or having a hard time breathing.
- Tiring quickly during exercise.
Your pulmonologist may recommend a type of test called a PFT (pulmonary function test) to help diagnose asthma in your child.