Pediatrician’s Role in Asthma Diagnosis

If you’ve been noticing your little one wheezing after a game of tag at the park, or if they have a cough that just seems to linger long after a cold is gone, you might be wondering if asthma is the cause. In a state like Kentucky, where the pollen and seasonal changes can be a real challenge for our lungs, asthma is something we keep a close eye on.

At Lexington, KY’s A Caring Touch Pediatrics, Dr. Moria Bush and Dr. Shanda Morris know that an asthma diagnosis can feel a bit scary at first. But the truth is, once we know what we’re dealing with, we can get a plan in place to make sure your child is breathing easy and staying active. Here is how we work together to solve the mystery of your child’s cough or wheeze.

Reasons for a Twitchy Airway

To understand asthma, you have to look at what’s happening inside the chest. Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways in the lungs get inflamed and swollen. This makes them extra sensitive or twitchy.

When a child with asthma encounters a trigger, like cat dander, cold air, or even just regular exercise, the muscles around their airways tighten up. This makes the tubes narrower, making it harder for air to get in and out. As your pediatrician, our job is to figure out if that tightness is a one-time thing or a pattern that needs ongoing management.

How We Solve the Mystery

There isn't a single blood test that says "yes, this is asthma." Instead, Dr. Bush and Dr. Morris use their clinical expertise to look at the whole picture. Our role in the diagnosis involves:

• Listening to the History: We’ll talk about when the coughing happens. Is it mostly at night? Does it happen during soccer practice? Does it run in the family?
• Physical Exams: We’ll listen to your child’s lungs for wheezing (that whistling sound) and check for other related signs, like eczema or hay fever, which often go with asthma.
• Lung Function Testing: For older kids (usually 5 and up), we can use a tool called spirometry at our Lexington, KY, office. It’s a professional way to measure how much air they can exhale and how fast they can do it.
• Monitoring the Response: Sometimes, the best way to confirm a diagnosis is to see how your child responds to a trial of asthma medication. If their "lingering cold" vanishes with an inhaler, we have strong evidence of asthma.

Your Pediatrician’s Role in the Partnership

At A Caring Touch Pediatrics, we believe that an asthma diagnosis isn't a stop sign, but a way of understanding what is necessary to “go.” We help teach you and your child how to stay ahead of the symptoms.

We’ll help you create an Asthma Action Plan. This is a professional, step-by-step guide that tells you exactly what to do when your child is feeling great, when they are starting to flare up, and when it’s time to give us a call or head to the ER. Our goal is to empower you so that asthma never feels like an emergency you aren't prepared for.

Keeping Lexington Kids Active

Whether your child is a future star athlete or just wants to play in the backyard without coughing, we are here to support them. We monitor our asthma patients regularly to make sure their medication is at the lowest effective dose and that they are meeting all their developmental milestones without being slowed down by their lungs.

If you’re worried about your child’s breathing or a persistent cough, give A Caring Touch Pediatrics a call today at our Lexington, KY, office to schedule an evaluation. You can reach us at (859) 264-0660.