Often your child may show warning signs. Warning signs are clues that your child’s asthma may be getting worse.

A very young child may not be able to tell you how he or she feels. So you may have to watch a younger child more closely to find out if something is wrong.

How will I know if asthma is getting worse?

Learn your child’s warning signs and catch an attack before it gets worse. While warning signs differ from child to child, parents report some common signs.

Think about the last time your child had an asthma attack. In the next section, check off the signs you noticed before the attack. Be sure to go over this checklist with your child’s doctor.

Asthma warning signs checklist

Warning signs you noticed:
_Coughed at night
_Had a cold or the flu
_Had a fever
_Had a stuffy or runny nose
_Had a tickle in the throat
_Sneezed and had watery eyes
How he or she looked or seemed to feel:
_Acted very restless
_Face was pale
_Had dark circles under the eyes
_Had tightness in the chest
_Seemed to feel weak or tired
_Seemed to have a headache

Take the time to list other signs you have noticed

Emergency Warning Signs

There are times when you need to take your child to the hospital or urgent care right away.
Ask your child’s doctor what emergency signs to look for to help you know when your child is having a medical emergency with asthma.
Some parents know their child is having a medical emergency with asthma if he or she:

• Is breathing in a different way: faster, or slower, or more shallow than usual.
• Is coughing or wheezing and can’t stop.
• Has bluish fingernails or lips.

Take the time to write down your child's emergency signs

Parent Stories

“Both my kids have asthma and both have very different warning signs before a full-blown attack. My 5-year-old daughter Kim is about to go into asthma when she gets these very dark circles under her eyes. And she gets cranky and clingy. With 13-year old Clay, I watch for times he doesn’t feel like eating and he seems to be tired a lot—real low energy. As a teen, Clay doesn’t like to admit when his asthma is getting bad. I ask him to pull out the peak flow meter right away to check for low numbers.”
—Rebecca, mom of 5-year-old Kim and 13-year-old Clay

“When Jamie starts to cough at night, I know we’re headed for trouble.”
—Carlos, dad of 7-year-old Jamie
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Next: Learn your child's triggers

Related Tips

• Allergies
• Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose and irritated skin. Sound familiar? They're symptoms of allergies.
• more

• Asthma
• Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by wheezing.
• more

• Asthma and the young child
• By Laura Gerald MD, MPH. It’s the middle of the night and instead of sleeping peacefully, your child is coughing and having difficulty breathing.
• more

• Doctor - preparing your child for a visit
• All children eventually need to visit the doctor.
• more