Few people manage to raise a child without hearing the diagnosis of bronchitis from doctors. But at the same time, few people know what kind of disease it is, where it comes from and how it should be treated. We will talk about this in our article.
How Acute Bronchitis Occurs in Children: Symptoms
Bronchitis is an inflammatory process in the bronchial mucosa, which is caused by viruses that have entered them (for example, the influenza virus or adenoviruses).
There are three manifestations of the pathological process that affected this respiratory organ.
- Swelling of the mucosa lining the bronchial tubes from the inside as a result of inflammation.
- Excess mucus production.
- Bronchospasm. It provokes the appearance of mucus, which the bronchi try to get rid of in this way, pushing it out.
All this leads to a narrowing of the diameter of the tubes through which air passes, and, accordingly, to difficulty in the breathing process and severe coughing, combined with other symptoms of the disease: lethargy and fever.
Bronchitis: symptoms in a child with a mixed typediseases
As mentioned above, bronchitis is mainly caused by viruses. But there are both bacterial and allergic types of this disease.
Bronchitis type 1 is caused by staphylococci, streptococci and pneumococci. The course of the disease is extremely severe, with high fever, shortness of breath and hoarse breathing. Often the disease can begin as a viral infection, which over time opens the gates to bacteria, creating conditions for their reproduction. Then we are talking about a mixed type of disease (viral-bacterial).
If the house is smoked, or the child has encountered something that causes him allergies, allergic bronchitis may occur. The symptoms in children in this case are the same as with a viral infection.
How to help a child with bronchitis
By the way, whether a sore throat or a runny nose is complicated by bronchitis depends only on what kind of virus they are caused by. If it easily multiplies in the bronchi, then the named disease can begin, and if not, then everything will cost only a runny nose.
When diagnosed with bronchitis, the child's symptoms will not be acute, and the baby will recover faster if you maintain sufficient humidity in the room. This will keep the mucus from drying out, causing a hacking dry cough. It is also obligatory to drink plenty of water for the patient (it can be compote, fruit drink, tea, or just water). With temperatures below 38 ° C, do not fightnecessary. It prevents viruses from multiplying.
Bronchitis: symptoms in a child. How can I help?
In order to make it easier for the baby to get rid of the mucus accumulated in the bronchi, there are several ways. But please note that at high temperatures, the massage, which will be described below, is not done!
- Place the baby so that the ass is above the head, and tap with your fingertips, starting from the waist, along the spine. Then sit your baby up hard and ask him to clear his throat.
- Let the child take a deep breath. Then invite him to cough and at this moment squeeze his chest - this will help the phlegm to move away.
When diagnosed with "acute bronchitis", the symptoms in a child with a favorable course of the disease look like this: dry hysterical cough at the beginning of the disease and wet, with clear sputum discharge - at the end of the first week. Stay he althy!
