Weakened immunity, poor ecology, bad habits of parents - all these and many other factors cause various diseases in newborns and older babies. Recently, doctors are increasingly faced with viral and bacterial infections, as well as allergic diseases, one of which is allergic bronchitis in children.
Mechanism of development of allergies in children
Allergy is an abnormal, excessive reaction of the human immune system to a substance called an allergen. Children are particularly susceptible to this condition for two reasons:
- Hereditary predisposition. It is not entirely correct to assume that allergies are inherited. Rather, the likelihood of the disease in a child depends on the presence of the disease in the next of kin (parents). So, if one of the parents suffers from allergies, the risk of the baby getting sick is up to 40%. If both parents are allergic, the baby will get sick with a probability of up to 75%.
- Immune system not fully formed. In addition to the appearanceallergic reactions to foods that are not appropriate for age, drugs or aggressive detergents, children can also be allergic to completely harmless things. These include household dust, dairy products, plant pollen, etc.
As a rule, allergies begin with minor manifestations: a slight runny nose, skin redness, tearing. If a cough is also connected to these symptoms, we can talk about allergic bronchitis in a child, reviews of which indicate the severity of the disease.
Types of allergic bronchitis
Allergic bronchitis is the body's reaction to the presence of allergens, which is accompanied by a strong hacking cough without sputum discharge.
There are several types of allergic bronchitis in children.
- Atopic - this type is characterized by sudden onset, rapid deterioration and pronounced symptoms, giving rise to the possibility of rapid diagnosis.
- Infectious-allergic - the nature of the disease lies not only in the presence of an allergen, but also in the infection of the body.
- Tracheobronchitis - affects the bronchi and trachea of a child.
- Allergic obstructive bronchitis is characterized not only by an inflammatory process in the bronchi, but also by a violation of their patency, which causes difficulty in breathing and, without treatment, can lead to serious negative consequences.
If a child has a strong cough, do notself-medicate. Only a doctor can confirm or refute the diagnosis and determine the form of the disease.
Causes of disease
Factors of allergic bronchitis, like any other disease of an allergic nature, is the impact on the body of an aggressive substance - an allergen.
Provoke illness in children can:
- household chemicals (air freshener, washing powder, dish detergent, etc.);
- pet waste products (saliva, wool);
- cigarette smoke;
- foods considered particularly allergenic (chocolate, peanuts, citrus fruits, strawberries, chicken eggs);
- hygiene products (cream, shampoo);
- household dust;
- mold;
- plant pollen;
- vaccines (the most common reaction to DTP vaccination).
Provoke the onset of allergic bronchitis can not be cured to the end of respiratory tract infections (SARS and others).
Symptoms of the disease
Already the first symptoms of childhood allergic bronchitis should alert parents and become a reason for a visit to the pediatrician.
Symptoms of disease:
- Child complains of frequent sneezing and itchy nose.
- Shortness of breath, most often at night. This sign is explained by edema and spasm of the bronchial tree. With absenceallergen in the immediate vicinity, the symptom becomes weaker.
- Watering, redness of the eyes.
- Nose discharge.
- Cough without sputum production, sometimes there may be expectoration of viscous yellow secretion.
- Wheezing and whistling when breathing. Also, the baby may complain of shortness of breath, exhalations are especially difficult.
- There may be complaints about difficulty swallowing. This is due to swelling of the throat mucosa.
- Painful sensation and tightness in the chest area are typical.
- In obstructive allergic bronchitis, there is a sinking of the spaces between the ribs with each breath.
Distinctive features of bronchitis of an allergic nature are the absence of hyperthermia and seasonality. Unlike bronchitis caused by a viral infection, with allergic bronchitis, low-grade fever (not higher than 37.3 ° C) can be observed, and the disease manifests itself depending on the time of year when the allergen is present.
Diagnostic Methods
After visiting a doctor with suspected allergic bronchitis in children, the diagnosis of the disease plays an important role in prescribing the correct treatment.
Methods for diagnosing allergic bronchitis:
- bronchoscopy, or tracheobronchoscopy, is a study of the respiratory tract using a tube (bronchoscope) to detect diseases of the bronchi, trachea and larynx;
- peakflowmetry - measurement of airflow rate during exhalation;
- allergy tests, or allergic diagnostic tests, - a techniquediagnostics, which determines the body's sensitivity to various allergens;
- bronchography - assessment of breath sounds;
- pulse oximetry - determination of the degree of blood oxygen saturation without invasive intervention;
- blood gas analysis;
- pulse oscillometry - assessment of the patency of bronchial branches;
- analysis of respiratory function (external respiration function) - measurement of the amount of air that enters the respiratory tract during inhalation and exits during exhalation.
Allergy testing and the FVD method are not performed on children under the age of five.
Regimen for allergic bronchitis
Recovery and prevention of recurrence of the disease in the first place does not depend on the medications taken or the procedures performed, but on the desire and discipline of the patient. In the case of treatment of allergic bronchitis in children, parents need to monitor their lifestyle.
Mandatory activities for allergic bronchitis:
- regular wet cleaning;
- maintaining in the room where the allergic child is located, the optimal temperature and humidity;
- avoiding allergens - unfortunately, if necessary, you will have to give up keeping pets and walking in spring gardens during the flowering period;
- the use of vitamin complexes and the use of hardening to strengthen the immunity of the crumbs;
- a warm atmosphere in the family is very important, wherebaby being raised.
Another important place in the daily routine of an allergic child is a diet for allergic bronchitis in children. It consists in eating hypoallergenic foods, as well as observing the drinking regime.
Medicated treatment
Unfortunately, the treatment of bronchitis with an allergic nature of origin is impossible without the use of medications.
Prescription drugs for AD:
- Antihistamines ("Suprastin", "Fenistil", "Diazolin").
- Drugs that thin and remove sputum (Ambroxol, ACC).
- Adsorbents, the action of which is aimed at removing the allergen.
- Antilecotriene drugs that reduce the strength of the inflammatory process.
- Broncholytic drugs that dilate the bronchi and thereby facilitate the release of sputum (Berodual, Volmax).
- Alkaline inhalations, including mineral water.
One of the most popular anti-allergy remedies is Suprastin, the instructions for use in children of which are as follows:
- ages 1-6 take 1/4 tablet 3 times a day or 1/2 2 times a day;
- from 6 to 14 years old, half a tablet of the drug is prescribed 2-3 times a day.
Physiotherapy treatments
In addition to the use of drugs to achieve the desired therapeutic effect in allergic bronchitis, physiotherapy procedures are widely used:
- massage, includingdotted number;
- exposure to sinusoidal modulated currents (SMT) - normalizes external breathing in a child;
- pulse low-frequency magnetic field - improves the baby's immunity, normalizes bronchial patency;
- dynamic electrical nerve stimulation - a method of influencing biologically active points in order to relieve the inflammatory process.
Combination of drug treatment and physiotherapy usually shows good results, returning the child to a normal life.
Folk remedies for bronchitis caused by an allergen
To enhance the effect of the prescribed treatment, it is permissible to use folk methods for the treatment of childhood allergic bronchitis.
For this purpose, the following means are used:
- vegetable juices (carrot, black radish with garlic) - effectively relieve severe bouts of debilitating cough;
- herbal decoctions (coltsfoot, linden flowers, calendula, yarrow, marshmallow root) - help get rid of the inflammatory process and remove thick sputum from the bronchi;
- agave juice - buried in the nose to relieve swelling;
- onion honey is recognized as a good remedy for bronchitis, including allergic one: for 1 liter of water, you need to take 2 onions and 1 tablespoon of honey, cook all this over low heat for 2-3 hours, 2-3 tablespoons after meals.
Even folk, at first glance, absolutelyharmless products, can be used to treat children only after consulting a pediatrician.
Behavior during an acute attack of illness
A characteristic feature of all allergic diseases, including bronchitis, is their sudden exacerbation when an allergen to which the patient is sensitive appears. In the event of a sudden attack of coughing or choking in a child, it is important for adults to respond in a timely manner in order to alleviate his condition, and possibly save his life.
Actions for exacerbation of allergic bronchitis:
- give your child an antihistamine previously prescribed by a pediatrician or an allergist;
- eliminate the allergen if possible;
- do inhalation with Berodual and Pulmicort - the action of these medicines is aimed at relieving obstruction.
Even if a decision is made to stop an attack with the most harmless drugs, such as Suprastin, instructions for use in children should be studied before use.
Prevention measures
Any disease, including its exacerbations and relapses, is easier to prevent than to treat. Is no exception to this rule and allergic bronchitis in children.
Preventive measures:
- exclusion from the baby's diet of highly allergenic foods;
- preventing contact with an allergen, whether it be cigarette smoke or pet hair;
- keeping the house clean and with optimal humidity andtemperature;
- careful treatment of any infectious diseases, even frivolous, at first glance, SARS;
- harden a child to strengthen the immune system;
- to heal children at sea, in the mountains, arrange trips to nature, preferably to a coniferous forest.
If you follow these simple rules, the child will be able to live a full life without the unpleasant manifestations of allergies.
Possible Complications
The lack of adequate treatment of obstructive allergic bronchitis can lead to a number of negative consequences.
Possible complications of the disease:
- development into bronchial asthma;
- systematically elevated blood pressure;
- problems in the cardiovascular system;
- pneumonia;
- emphysema.
Timely diagnosis and treatment of childhood bronchitis caused by allergens will help prevent serious complications.
