Wheezing in a child can be very scary as a parent. Wheezing is a sign your child is having trouble getting air out of their lungs. It usually sounds like a raspy, “sigh-like” sound that happens when your child is breathing out.

Wheezing in a child is NEVER normal. If your child is wheezing, breathing fast, or having retractions, it’s vital that a pediatric expert check them out and initiate proper treatment.

IMPORTANT:  If your child is not responding to you, looks blue particularly on the lips or inside the mouth, or has stopped breathing, make sure to call 911 right away.

What Causes Wheezing?

Asthma

Viruses

Severe allergic reactions

Foreign objects in a child's airway

How to tell if your child is having trouble breathing

Wheezing is one sign that your child is having trouble breathing, but it’s not the only one. Other signs include a fast respiratory rate or retractions of the chest wall. Retractions are when the skin under your child’s ribcage, between the ribs, above the breastbone or collar bones, or the sides of the neck tug rhythmically inward with each breath.

How do I know if my child has asthma?

Often when parents hear their child wheezing, asthma is the first thing that comes to mind.  Asthma is hard to diagnose in children under the age of 2 years.

However, if your child has any of the following, an evaluation with a pediatric expert can help shed light on a potential asthma diagnosis:

• Prolonged cough with illnesses ( > 3-4 weeks)
• Recurrent wheezing episodes
• Frequent pneumonia diagnoses
• Cough with exercise
• Night cough when not sick with a cold

Asthma is more likely in children with personal histories of eczema and/or allergies. Asthma is also more likely when a parent or sibling has or had an asthma diagnosis.

When to come to Brave Care

If your child is having trouble breathing, it’s important that our pediatric experts at Brave Care check them out and initiate proper treatment. Most of the time, if caught early, an ER visit is not necessary for these types of problems.