A cough can be one of the symptoms of asthma. And kids with asthma can often get a cough at night. But sometimes a cough can be caused by something else. Sometimes kids have coughed for so long the family can often get used to it and accept it as ‘normal’ for that child. We often hear 'yes, he/she cough, that's just them'.

The thing to remember is that it isn’t ‘normal’ for a child to cough consistently, during the day or at night. The question has to be asked, what is causing the cough? And that requires a visit to the GP to investigate.

If your child experiences asthma symptoms and you need to give the reliever inhaler, monitor them closely. The reliever should work within a few minutes. If the shortness of breath is relieved and they seem a bit better but they’re still coughing, they probably aren’t better and this could be a sign that their asthma is still not under control and could cycle back up again to a serious state. Repeat the reliever (remember 1 puff to 6 breaths with a spacer) at this point and follow your Asthma Action Plan.

Remember, a consistent and persistent cough isn’t ‘normal’. Any cough persisting for more than 4 weeks needs to be assessed by your GP.