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Asthma is ongoing (chronic) inflammation of airways in the lungs. This inflammation makes the airways vulnerable to episodes of difficult breathing (asthma attacks). Common triggers include allergies, colds and exercise. Asthma is managed by controlling inflammation with drugs, avoiding triggers when possible and using medications to treat asthma attacks.

Diagnosing and managing asthma in children under age 5 can be difficult. In infants and young children, the primary symptoms of asthma — wheezing and coughing — may be caused by other conditions. Also, standard diagnostic tests used to measure how well someone is breathing cannot be used easily or accurately with children under age 5. Some treatments available to older children for managing asthma are not recommended for infants and preschool children.

For these reasons, the management of asthma in children under 5 requires careful and relatively frequent monitoring. You can help minimize asthma symptoms by following a written asthma action plan you develop with your child's doctor to monitor symptoms and adjust treatment as necessary.