Today, bronchitis is considered to be one of the most common diseases of the lower respiratory tract. In addition, children are often susceptible to such a disease. That is why all parents are interested in what are the main causes and first symptoms of bronchitis in a child. After all, timely medical care can save you from a lot of possible complications.
What is bronchitis and what are its causes?
Of course, before you find out what are the main symptoms of bronchitis in a child, it is worth understanding what such a disease is and why it occurs.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchi, which is accompanied by their swelling and, accordingly, difficulty in breathing, as well as the appearance of thick, difficult to discharge sputum.
In most cases, the cause of the inflammatory process is a viral infection that enters the respiratory tract from the nasopharynx. In addition, the symptoms of bronchitis in a child may appear against the background of activation of bacterialmicroorganisms - this form of the disease is accompanied by more pronounced and at the same time dangerous symptoms.
In some cases, the cause is pathogenic fungi, but, fortunately, this phenomenon is extremely rare. It is worth noting that bronchitis of fungal origin is extremely difficult and difficult to treat.
Risk factors also include a weakened immune system, hypothermia, dampness in the room, the presence of chronic diseases, a runny nose and infections of the nasopharynx.
Main symptoms of bronchitis in a child
Signs of the disease directly depend on the nature of the infection, as well as the characteristics of the body of a small patient. Nevertheless, in the initial stages, you can notice the main symptoms of intoxication - weakness, drowsiness, muscle aches. Quite often there is a fever with bronchitis in children.
Along with this, a cough occurs - in the initial stages it is dry, sometimes even suffocating. In some cases, the child wakes up at night from an acute attack. But, as a rule, after a few days, the baby's condition improves, as sputum discharge is facilitated. Symptoms of the disease can also include shortness of breath.
It is extremely important to take your child to the doctor as soon as the first symptoms appear. In any case, you should not self-medicate, since the risk of recurrence is not excluded. In turn, recurrent bronchitis in children can lead to airway obstruction, asthma and other complications.
How to treat bronchitis?
Only a doctor after examination and necessary research will be able to choose the right treatment. After all, therapy here depends on the intensity of the symptoms and the general condition of the child.
For mild bronchitis, bed rest, warm drinks, and antipyretic drugs are usually sufficient. In some cases, doctors also prescribe expectorants that alleviate the condition of the baby. Warming ointments and warm foot baths with mustard will be useful. Experts recommend taking vitamins and some immunomodulators, especially if the disease is caused by a viral infection. Antibiotics are sometimes used for bacterial bronchitis.
