The key to controlling asthma is the ability to recognize the typical early warning signs of an attack and to take appropriate steps to try to prevent it. Although these warning signs vary depending on the individual, the most common include coughing, shortness of breath, and complaints of chest tightness. For many children, wheezing and chest tightness are the first indications of an attack. Asthma and allergies are often found in the same individual since both of these conditions may be inherited. These antibodies attach themselves to cells within the body causing the cell to release histamine.
Histamine causes a child to react by wheezing, sneezing, having runny eyes or itching.
This can trigger an asthma flare up. Early asthma can start 1-2 hours after exposure. The child could complain of tightness or shortness of breath. Usually a child can be treated with his theophylline inhaler. Later stages can include inflammation of the lungs and can last 12-24 hours.