What symptoms mean that my child has reactive airways disease?

Cough, wheeze: The 2 most common symptoms are cough and wheezes. These mean he/she may have reactive airways disease (asthma).

Cough/wheeze: We all have airways that have a protective apparatus that reacts to keep noxious gas or debris from filling the sensitive air blebs in our lung. When this works correctly, as soon as the triggering event is gone, the "gate keeper" opens it and normal breathing ensues. RAD is a condition where the gate tends to remain closed, producing wheezing or cough. Meds work to reduce the keep airways open.