Unpicking asthma vs panic vs exertion

Children with asthma can find it difficult to tell the difference between feeling breathless from asthma, normal breathlessness from exercise, or anxiety, because all three can cause similar sensations - such as tightness in the chest and faster breathing. This can lead to worry or overuse of inhalers, or sometimes underuse if they assume the symptoms are anxiety. There can also be an overlap with breathing pattern disorder, where a child’s natural breathing pattern becomes more inefficient, often making them feel short of breath even when their asthma is well controlled.

Parents can help by gently teaching their child to notice when and how their symptoms start. For example, breathlessness from exertion usually eases with rest; asthma often comes with wheeze or coughing and responds to inhaler use; while anxiety-related breathlessness may come with feelings of panic or dizziness and improve with slow breathing or reassurance. Please speak with your child’s clinical team for more information.

Tips for parents:
✨Keep a symptom diary noting what your child was doing before feeling breathless and what helped the symptoms pass.
✨Practise relaxation or breathing exercises with your child when they’re well, so they can use them confidently if needed (sometimes these will be part of your child’s asthma plan, speak to your child’s medical team for more information about this)
✨Help them talk about how their body feels with different types of breathlessness to help them to build their awareness of the symptoms in their body.
✨Work with their asthma nurse, physiotherapist or psychologist to create a clear plan for recognising symptoms and knowing when to use medication or calming strategies.