Attention, on the portal published a new, more detailed article about bronchitis in children.
Bronchitis - This is an inflammatory process of the bronchial mucosa. The most common cause of bronchitis in children is a postponed viral infection (for example, flu), as a result of which the mucosa of the lower respiratory tract is affected. As a rule, first there is inflammation of the throat of the baby, and then - the spread of infection further, with the defeat of the bronchi, first large and then smaller.
The second cause of bronchitis, which is much less common, is a bacterial infection. In addition, bronchitis can be caused by a mixed cause, that is, it occurs when a viral and then a bacterial infection enters the respiratory tract.
Also, the child’s bronchi may be affected by irritating chemical or physical factors, such as inhalation of gasoline fumes, tobacco smoke, etc. That is, parents who smoke, have a serious reason to think about the harm they bring to the health of their baby, not wanting to give up the bad habit.
Another cause of bronchitis in children is allergic. Some of them have an increased sensitivity to certain allergens (pollen of trees or flowers, house dust, smells of laundry detergents or soap, etc.), which can lead to a reaction of the bronchial mucosa.
In addition, this disease can manifest itself as one of the symptoms of congenital respiratory diseases accompanied by purulent processes in the lungs, as well as parasitic infections.
Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. Chronic bronchitis is usually caused by the late treatment of its acute manifestations. For example, parents, noticing that the child coughs, begin to self-medicate. The baby is temporarily relieved, and he is sent to kindergarten or school, and after a while this levity turns into a relapse of untreated bronchitis and its transition to a chronic form.
Repeated bronchitis in a child is very dangerous, as it leads to the depletion of the walls of the bronchi and creates conditions for the emergence of asthma over time. Therefore, any cough in the baby should begin to heal immediately and do not stop therapeutic measures until full recovery.
Symptoms of bronchitis in children
The main symptoms of inflammation of the bronchial mucosa include persistent cough (it can be dry or hysterical), fever, chest pain, wheezing. Cough can be with sputum, which in acute bronchitis looks like a clear liquid without pus, in chronic - with pus.
If coughing attacks are accompanied by wheezing, then most likely it is obstructive bronchitis.
Ways to treat bronchitis in children
The main thing parents should remember is that self-medication for any form of bronchitis is unacceptable. Only a doctor can prescribe an effective and correct treatment for a child, based on the age of the patient and the characteristics of the disease. For example, not every acute bronchitis should be treated with antibiotics. Such measures are justified only if there is a risk of a bacterial infection becoming a pneumonia, and only a doctor should decide on their use.
The first thing they do with bronchitis in a child is to relieve bronchospasm by taking antispasmodics or decongestants. It is possible, in addition to taking medications, the doctor will recommend soaring the baby’s feet, putting mustard plasters on the calf muscles, or doing a special massage aimed at cleansing the bronchi from the accumulated mucus. For wet coughs, a compress can be prescribed. But parents should remember that any medical event should be prescribed only by a doctor after examining the baby, since in some forms of cough and at high temperature, both massage and warming compresses on the chest are contraindicated.
Treatment of bronchitis in a child can occur at home. But when the symptoms of intoxication, high (up to 38 degrees) temperature in the evenings, shortness of breath, it must be hospitalized. This is especially true of children under the age of 3 years.
As a rule, with proper and timely treatment, bronchitis is cured within 2-3 weeks. However, in recent years, doctors have noted an increase in the duration of the disease, aggravated by a more intense and diverse manifestation of symptoms, for example, the appearance of pain in the region of the heart, an increase in the irritability of the child, etc.
Whatever it was, when making a diagnosis of "bronchitis" children need serious treatment and strict adherence to the regimen prescribed by the doctor, only then you can count on his full recovery without the appearance of complications.
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