What You Need to Know About Asthma and Your Child

If your child has asthma, they are not alone. Currently, about 4.5 million children in the U.S. have asthma. In fact, asthma is responsible for more missed days of school than any other chronic condition in children.  The most common type of asthma is allergic asthma. Allergic asthma describes a condition when allergens, like pollen, dust, mold, or animal dander trigger asthma symptoms. About nine out of 10 children who have asthma have allergic asthma. Typical signs and symptoms of allergic asthma include: Shortness of breath Wheezing Coughing Chest tightness/pain Waking up at night due to asthma symptoms  Early Warning Signs of an Asthma Episode You may be able to tell when an allergic asthma episode or attack is about to start before your child has trouble breathing or experiences other typical signs and symptoms of an asthma episode. Knowing their early warning signs (or mild symptoms) can be helpful so they can begin asthma treatment as soon as possible. Early warning signs are different for everyone and can vary for each asthma episode. Some common early-warning asthma signs include:  Changes in breathing Changes in mucus (sputum) Runny/stuffy/congested nose Sneezing Itchy/sore/scratchy throat Itchy neck or chin Itchy/watery eyes Dark circles...