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• what is asthma?
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• types of asthma
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types of asthma

Exercise-induced asthma
Physical activity is a very common asthma trigger in children. It may also be one of the hardest parts of asthma for you and your child to accept, as the need to run around and be active is simply a natural part of being a kid. If your child has exercise-induced asthma they may feel their chest begin to tighten, experience a shortness of breath, and start to cough -- often within the first few minutes of playing a sport or running around. This type of asthma tends to happen more often and more severely in cold temperatures. Generally the symptoms lessen within 30 to 60 minutes after the physical activity ends.
If your child has exercise-induced asthma, it doesn't mean that they can't play. In fact, staying active helps to strengthen the lungs. Talk to your healthcare provider about your child's symptoms. They may recommend an asthma medication before exercise to help prevent these symptoms and allow your child to participate in physical activities.

Nocturnal asthma
Nocturnal asthma occurs when a child is asleep. This can occur during the day or night. The symptoms are the same as for other types of asthma, but also cause your child to be sleepy and cranky during the day as they are likely not getting the rest their bodies need. Researchers aren't exactly sure why sleeping causes asthma symptoms, though these factors may contribute:

1. The reclining position allows more fluids to build up in the child's airways.
2. Airways tend to tighten when a child sleeps.
3. Cool nighttime air, whether from an air conditioner or open windows, causes the airways to become drier and irritated.

Allergic asthma
According to the American Lung Association, more than half of all asthma cases in the U.S. stem from allergies. This is even more common among children with asthma, as they tend to have allergies more frequently than adults with asthma. If your child is allergic to cat dander, mold or dust mites, and breathes in these substances, their body works to fight off the irritant by producing antibodies. The antibodies cause the release of chemicals such as histamines, which make the airways inflamed and swollen.

When a child has asthma, their lungs are already sensitive. The allergic reaction makes it even worse: the antibody-induced swelling causes the muscles surrounding their airways to constrict, so that your child feels a tightness in the chest, a shortness of breath, and possibly a cough.

Some common allergens include:

1. Mold spores and fragments
2. Animal dander and saliva
3. Tree, grass and weed pollen
4. Dust mite feces
5. Cockroach feces

Non-allergic asthma
This type of asthma is caused by inhaling substances that irritate the lungs, such as smoke or outdoor air pollution. These substances aren't necessarily allergens (like mold), but are simply irritants that should be avoided. According to the American Lung Association, children of parents who smoke are more than twice as likely to develop asthma as children of parents who don't smoke.

The symptoms of non-allergic asthma are the same as those for other kinds of asthma, but are not triggered by an allergic reaction.

Cough-variant asthma
Cough-variant asthma can be hard to identify because the only real symptom is a persistent dry cough. As a result, this type of asthma often goes undiagnosed and untreated. It is especially common in young children. When left untreated, the cough can inflame the airways and eventually lead to the other classic types of asthma. Because children with cough-variant asthma tend to not experience shortness of breath, the use of an inhaler does not help. If you notice a persistent cough in your child, contact your healthcare provider so that they can help diagnose the cause and find the right treatment for your child.

Gather information to help prepare you for a discussion with your healthcare provider

Here are some steps to help you work with your healthcare provider to figure out which type of asthma your child has.

• Pay close attention to what triggers your child's breathing difficulties and what his or her specific symptoms are.
• Get in the habit of recording your child's peak flow meter readings with an asthma diary.
• Track and share your observations with your healthcare provider as he tests and diagnoses your child.