What does a mild moderate asthma diagnosis entail?

A diagnosis of mild moderate asthma typically includes the presence of daily symptoms alongside exacerbations occurring more than two times a week. In this context, asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath are frequent enough to disrupt a child’s daily activities but are not as severe as those classified under more serious asthma categories.

The notion of "daily symptoms" highlights that while these symptoms are manageable, they signify an ongoing challenge in asthma control, requiring regular monitoring and management. The fact that exacerbations happen more than twice a week suggests that the asthma is not completely under control, which is characteristic of a mild to moderate classification rather than mild or well-controlled asthma where symptoms would be less frequent and less impactful on daily life.

In contrast, absence of symptoms for long periods indicates well-controlled asthma, while symptoms occurring less than twice a week aligns more closely with mild asthma, reflecting lesser impact on the patient's daily life. Symptoms only noted during exercise suggest exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, which is a specific classification rather than a general diagnosis of asthma severity. Therefore, the choice indicating daily symptoms with frequent exacerbations accurately reflects the criteria establishing a mild moderate diagnosis.