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How do you know if your child has asthma?

About 1 in 9 Australian children have asthma. Know how to recognise the signs:

Look!
If your child gets an anxious look in the eye, draws his shoulders up and you can see the spaces between his ribs, he's struggling to get enough air.

Observe! If your child becomes tired within six to ten minutes of playing, if his playing slows down, if he avoids action sports or complains of a tight chest, there's a good chance he has asthma.

Listen! A chronic cough, whistling lungs, shortness of breath and shallow breathing are indications of asthma. In children a chronic cough is regarded as asthma until a doctor proves otherwise.

Be alert! Specialists warn that what you might think is the flu or a cold is often asthma.

Exercise often prompts asthma symptoms soon after you begin the activity, but taking one or two gulps from a reliever inhaler before you start can make a big difference.
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