Bronchitis in children: symptoms and treatment

Winter is most often associated with New Year's holidays, snow, frost and winter entertainment. But for parents this is a rather difficult time, as the kids begin to get very sick, and going to the doctor becomes an unpleasant tradition. But, if an ordinary cold or cold is not a big danger with timely and proper treatment, then bronchitis can seriously harm your child's health. In order not to face the unpleasant consequences of this disease, you need to know its main symptoms and find a good pediatrician who will prescribe the correct treatment.

Signs and symptoms of the disease

In order to prescribe the correct treatment, the doctor must necessarily determine the nature of the occurrence of bronchitis and its main causes.

The most common pathogens are various viruses (parainfluenza, adenovirus, etc.). But as they weaken the body, bacteria can get into the bronchi and the bronchitis from the viral turns into a viral-bacterial one.

Among the main symptoms are the following:

• A sharp rise in temperature to 39 degrees
• There is a runny nose and cough
• Each breath or exhalation is accompanied by whistling or even gurgling sounds
• The child becomes sluggish, moves little and can refuse to eat
• In viral bronchitis, sputum, which the child expectorates, looks transparent or slightly yellowish, and the general weakness is not pronounced. Symptoms may even go away on their own, but this does not mean that a doctor's consultation should be canceled, since complications after an untreated illness can be very serious.
• Bacterial bronchitis is expressed by the strong weakness of the baby and complete refusal of food. If you do not go to the doctor on time, the fever can last for several days, and the phlegm will look purulent.

Treatment and prevention of disease

In addition to the medicines prescribed by the doctor, the parents of the sick child must follow certain recommendations so that the baby will soon recover.

The air in the room should be moistened. This is ideal for modern humidifiers with a cleaning function, but if you do not have the option, you can take advantage of the way our moms and grandmothers can and simply hang wet towels or sheets on batteries.

The kid should drink a lot of fluids. Most often, children refuse to eat and make them not eat. But the regular use of warm tea, compote or even plain water will help restore the balance of fluid in the body and make the phlegm much liquefier, which will facilitate its exit. Do not try to bring down the temperature if it has not risen above 38 degrees. This temperature regime of the body allows you to activate the immune system to fight viruses.

In a very serious course of the disease, doctors prescribe antibiotics, but cough medicines are not always available. This is due to the fact that much more benefit to the sickly baby will bring inhalation. But you do not need to do them with different cooking utensils and boiling water, since you risk putting the baby burn.

Methods of prevention

To protect your baby from bronchitis, try to follow a few simple rules. First, do not smoke when the child is indoors or even outdoors. Cigarette smoke not only negatively affects the general condition of the young body, but also weakens the lungs and bronchi.

Secondly, try to temper the baby and dress him on the weather. Parents often wonder where a child of 9 months can take bronchitis. But the diseases begin to "cling" not in severe frosts, namely during a slight increase in temperature, so in advance temper your baby.

And thirdly, to avoid encountering bronchitis in your children, regularly vaccinate against pathogens of various diseases.