What can cause short breath in kids?
Patient: My 5 year old son has been taking deep hard breaths for the last couple weeks. It s almost like he is gasping for more oxygen. He has no pain in his chest. He isn t coughing. I gave him a few of his breathing treatments of Albuterol, but it doesn t seem to help him. He had pneumonia last year. I was wondering if that could ve damaged his lungs some way. Doctor: Thanks for your question on HCM. I can understand your situation and problem. In my opinion you should consult pediatrician and get done1. Clinical examination of respiratory system. 2. Chest x ray. 3. PFT ( pulmonary function test ) if he can perform. Your son might be having post infectious bronchitis. So we need to rule out this in your son.PFT is gold standard for the diagnosis of bronchitis, but pediatric patients might not be able to perform , so clinical examination by pediatrician is needed.So better to first diagnose him and then start appropriate treatment.