Why does asthma sometimes go undiagnosed?

Asthma
In many people, asthma appears to be an allergic reaction to substances commonly breathed in through the air, such as animal dander, pollen, or dust mite and cockroach waste products. The catch-all name for these substances, allergens, refers to anything that provokes an allergic reaction. Some people have a genetic predisposition to react to certain allergens.

When these people breathe in the allergen, the immune system goes into high gear as if fighting off a harmful parasite. The system produces a molecule called immunoglobulin E (IgE), one of a class of defensive molecules termed antibodies. The IgE antibody is central to the allergic reaction. For example, it causes mast cells, a type of specialized defensive cell, to release chemical "weapons" into the airways. The airways then become inflamed and constricted, leading to coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing -- an asthma attack.

The symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, troubled breathing or any combination of these. Yet people typically identify asthma as just wheezing. The truth is that for a fair number of children who have asthma, a cough is the only symptom. The asthma often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as bronchitis.
Another part of the problem is that an asthma attack is most commonly triggered by a cold. So when your child gets a cold with a fever — and he or she is coughing — you might think that the cough is related to the infection. But it could be an asthmatic reaction triggered by the cold.
Excess mucus is common in asthma. In an asthmatic reaction, the muscles that surround your child's air passages either spasm — leading to a cough — or narrow — causing wheezing. These actions commonly stimulate the air passages to produce extra mucus. As your child's condition improves, the cough shifts from being tight to being wet (productive of mucus). This mucus is typically clear or thick white.

Homoeopathic medicines for asthma:

Blatta orientalis
Arsenicum album
Phosphorus
Yerba santa
Antimonium tart
Calc. Carb.
Bryonia
Ipecac
Sulfur
Nux vomica
Carbo veg
Natr. Sulf