Bronchitis In Children

Bronchitis in children

        Bronchitis in children can appear after a convulsive cough or after measles. Children who live in a house where the parents smoke are more likely to develop this problem because cigarette smoke irritates their airways but also the nose and the eyes.

       Bronchitis in children may also appear due to a bacteria or a virus usually accompanied by cough. Allergies can also lead to bronchitis if they are not treated. Bronchitis can appear after an asthma attack or it can be the cause of such a crisis. Children who suffer from chronic sinusitis, polyps, who have heart conditions or who suffer from ear infection are predisposed to this affection. Babies who are born prematurely have a high risk to develop bronchitis and they have to be supervised by a specialist.

       The infections that lead to bronchitis in children are viral, similar to flues. In case of children, the symptoms are the same as those of adults. Only the doctor will decide if the child suffers from an acute bronchitis or a chronic one. Children are likely to be affected by acute bronchitis than by chronic bronchitis. Children may experience a sore throat, fever and a violent cough. All this signs are similar to a common flu.

       At the beginning the cough is dry but in a couple of days it becomes expectorant. In extreme cases the expectoration is accompanied by small amounts of blood. The cough can be so severe that can prevent the child from sleeping. If the cough persists it may be accompanied by a back pain. Other symptoms are: low grade fever that persists, chills, noisy breathing, chest pain and muscle aches.

       There is not an universal treatment for children suffering from bronchitis, as each child has to take treatment according to its age, other health problems, immunity or other factors determined by the doctor.

       If the child is not allergic to honey the parents may give him a teaspoon of honey at night before going to bed because honey ameliorates irritation. Bronchitis caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics. In case of bronchitis caused by viruses this pills do not have any effect and they should not be administrated. The dry air from the room may aggravate the state of the child so the room must be provided with humidifier.

       Give your child lots of liquids for example water, teas, soup. Rest is also very important so the parents should keep the child in bed. Use an expectorant. If the child has a productive cough he must expectorate.

       In case of bronchitis in children it is very important to fortify the child's immune system. In this way you avoid the reappearance of bronchitis. Certain vitamins help the body to recover faster. Zinc is very important for the immune system as a low level of zinc makes certain functions of cells to collapse. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps the body to fight certain viruses. Vitamin D also has an important role. In case your child has a deficiency of vitamin D he is more likely to develop respiratory infections. The child should also consume a lot of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C such as: parsley, pomegranate, kiwi, lemons. Vitamin C can be an essential factor when it comes to treating bronchitis as it helps the body to heal having antibacterial role.

       There are many complications that can appear after an untreated bronchitis. Also if the symptoms persist even after the treatment, this treatment may not have been the right one. In this case the child must see a doctor in order to prescribe something else.