Sometimes the terms reactive airway disease and asthma are used interchangeably. However, there are important differences between the two.

This article explores how reactive airway disease differs from asthma, its symptoms, and potential causes. It also considers what treatments are available for reactive airway disease.

Some scientists argue that the term reactive airway disease is vague and confusing. They believe that doctors should wait until they reach a diagnosis before labeling a set of symptoms.

A 2001 paper described the use of the term as having “no clinical meaning” and an “annoyance” to doctors seeking “diagnostic clarity”.

However, some doctors continue to find it useful to use the term until they have made a diagnosis.

In pediatrics, doctors use the term reactive airway disease to describe a set of symptoms that may indicate a child has asthma.

Further tests help the doctor diagnose or rule out asthma. But it can be difficult to diagnose asthma in early childhood. Below the age of 5, tests for asthma may not give an accurate result.

Last Updated on: Jun 18, 2025