How Do You Know If Your Child Has Bronchitis?

Bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to the lungs, become irritated and inflamed. When they are inflamed, the lungs produce excess mucus and cause your child to cough.

Acute bronchitisis sometimes called achest cold. It can develop after your child has acoldorupper respiratory infection.Bronchitisoccurs when the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to thelungs、发火和发炎。当他们正lamed, the lungs produce excessmucusand cause your child tocough. The body will usually heal acutebronchitison its own, but it can develop intopneumonia.

Bronchitis影响the airways leading to the lungs.Pneumonia影响the air sacs in the lungs, called alveoli.Pneumoniais much worse than bronchitis and needs immediate treatment.Pneumonia symptomsare similar tobronchitis symptoms, but generally more severe.

Chronic bronchitisis caused by an irritation of the airways, usually fromsmokingor other exposure to irritants such as toxic gasses. Chronic bronchitis is one of the conditions classified aschronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and needs to be managed by a doctor. Chronic bronchitis in children is very rare. It is much more likely for your child to have acute bronchitis.

Acute bronchitis usually starts with an upperrespiratory infection. Your child may experience any of the following symptoms:

• Coughingthat may produce mucus
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Vomitingor gagging from mucus
• Tiredness
• Low-gradefever
• Wheezing

Acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis usually lasts for 7 to 10 days, although thecoughmay persist for up to a month. It doesn't cause any lasting effects.

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is a cough producing mucus that lasts for more than three months, with episodes recurring for at least two years in a row.

The most common cause of acute bronchitis is a viral infection, such as those that causeinfluenzaand thecommon cold. These are easily spread among children, and most children average six colds per year. Occasionally, acute bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection.

In either case, bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed and start producing mucus. Acute bronchitis iscontagiousbecause it's caused by a viral or bacterial infection. You should take precautions to keep your child from spreading it to others. Your child may also be more prone to developing acute bronchitis if they have the following:

• Enlargedtonsilsandadenoids
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Chronicsinusitis
• Exposure tosecond-hand smoke

Most cases of acute bronchitis can be treated at your home. Antibiotics do not usually help bronchitis. However, you should take your child to the pediatrician for any of the following symptoms:

• Cough that lasts longer than three weeks
• Wheezing orshortness of breath
• Coughing up blood
• Coughing up discolored mucus
• 咳嗽让你的孩子醒了
• Highfever
• Repeated episodes of acute bronchitis

Your child's doctor will probably be able to diagnose acute bronchitis by listening to their symptoms and doing a physical exam. Blood tests are not used to diagnose bronchitis, but your child's doctor may order one if they think there is another infection present. If your child has a fever, the doctor may order achest x-rayto make sure your child doesn't have pneumonia. Additionally, your child's doctor may test a sample of sputum, the mucus that your childcoughsup, to see if there is another type of infection.

Acute bronchitis will likely improve without medication. Most treatments focus on relieving the symptoms. You can help your child feel better by ensuring that they:

• Get lots of rest
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially warm liquids such as tea
• Use saline nasal sprays
• Take honey to help with cough, but do not give honey tobabiesunder one year of age
• Use lozenges to help with asore throat, but do not give to children under the age of four
• Takeover-the-counterpainmedicine such asibuprofenoracetaminophen
• Use a humidifier or inhale steam from a shower

Talk to your child's pediatrician before you give them any over-the-counter cough or cold medicines. These are not recommended at all for children under the age of 4. They should be provided only with a doctor's recommendation for children ages 4 to 6. Don't give your childantihistaminesif they have bronchitis unless the pediatrician recommends it. Antihistamines will dry mucus out and can actually make a cough worse. Don't give children under the age of 19aspirinin any form. Aspirin can cause Reye Syndrome, a serious disorder, in children and adolescents.