New York, May 18 (IANS): Children suffering from asthma may also have peanut allergy, but many are unaware of it because the symptoms are quite similar, says a new study.

The findings suggest that parents should get their asthmatic kids tested for peanut allergy too.

"Many of the respiratory symptoms of peanut allergy can mirror those of an asthma attack, and vice versa. Examples of those symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing," said study lead author Robert Cohn from Mercy Children's Hospital in Toledo, Ohio.

For the study, the researchers looked at 1,517 children from the paediatric pulmonary clinic at Mercy Children's Hospital. They found that about 11 percent of the kids knew they had peanut allergy.

When many of the kids (44 percent) came back for a blood test for peanut allergy, approximately 22 percent were found positive to peanut sensitivity.

However, more than half of these children and their families did not suspect there was any sensitivity to peanuts.

"This study demonstrates children with asthma might benefit from a test for peanut sensitivity, especially when control of wheezing and coughing is difficult to achieve," Cohn pointed out.

"If a physician is having this problem, or if a parent notices it in his or her asthmatic child, they should consider testing, even if they believe their child is not sensitive to peanuts," he cautioned.

The study was presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS)2015 International Conference at Denver in the US.