Has my daughter got asthma?

[Sillymistake05]

My 5 year old has a tickley bark type cough, it's constant. She has had it before and wen I took her to the doctor they gave her a blue inhaler. She was seen by the asthma nurse who was to be honest pathetic!
She has had a cold and is once again bark coughing. I've been giving her antihistamine as told to and have just started to use her pump again. The cough is worse at night.
Could this be asthma?

[caregiver222]

Tammy2009 provided a good answer.

Children often have periods when their lungs are super-sensitive and often outgrow this. I had serious asthma between the years seven and ten and it disappeared for three decades.

Insure she keeps the emergency inhaler with her at ALL times. Make it part of a "checklist". Speak with her school. Incredibly, sometimes they take the inhalers away. Make sure the school nurse does not hesitate to call 911 if she has difficulty. They often CALL THE PARENTS instead of 911. Put nthis in WRITING to yhe principal.

[Tammy2009]

There is asthma and reactive airway disease (basically similar to asthma but a bit more mild).  It also could mild asthma that only flares during colds (mine only flares during colds and allergy season, rest of the time I don't use any meds).

You have done the right thing - continue to use her "blue inhaler" aka ventolin or rescue inhaler until her symptoms are gone.  If she gets worse or the inhaler is not working or lasting at least 4 hours, its time for a doc visit.
hope that helps and she feels better soon