QuestionI have a 9 year old son who has difficulty breathing. This has been going on for about 1 year now. I took him to his Pediatrician and he could not find anything wrong. He tried a machine (for asthma) to see if it helped his breathing, but it did not. He will have a few normal breaths and then he feels like doesn't get enough air and has to take a deep breath. This happens repeatedly. He could be reading a book, or outside watching his brother's football game. Pretty much anytime/anywhere. I am at a loss and he is frustrated. Any ideas as to the cause or any help would be greatly appreciated.
AnswerThis still could be asthma, but since he has had symptoms for this long, he needs further testing to look at several different possibilities. Asthma is only one. He should be checked for anemia (low blood counts) Also, a good cardiac exam to make sure there is no valve problems in his heart, or other heart defects like a hole between the chambers.
Asthma sometimes is very difficult to diagnose in kids. He is getting to be the age where your doctor could get pulmonary function tests (breathing into a tube and measuring lung volumes and capacities) in addition to other tests, including a chest xray and the blood counts.
Overall, he needs a thorough evaluation to sort it out.
hope this helps...
