What is bronchitis?
Monday, June 30th, 2008Many children, when they get a cold, also develop a cough. This can be due to bronchitis, which is when the lining of the trachea and bronchi, becomes reddened and swollen, and there is more mucous.
What is bronchitis?
- Bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection of the bronchi, causing swelling and more mucus than usual. This causes a cough, and sometimes pain which is felt in the throat or upper chest when the child coughs.
- It can occur as part of a cold, flu, whooping cough or measles.
Signs and symptoms of bronchitis
- A person with bronchitis may have the usual signs of a cold including a runny nose, sore throat and mild fever, and then develop a cough.
- The cough is often dry at first, then moist after a couple of days.
- There may be a slight wheeze and a feeling of shortness of breath.
- Usually recovery from an acute attack of bronchitis is 5 to 10 days.
What you can do
- Cough medicines are also not helpful on the whole, but the occasional use of a cough suppressant for older children and adults at night may help the person and the family get more sleep. Check the label on the bottle to see if it is suitable for children.
- A recent research study showed that for children over 2 years old a single dose of honey in the evening was more effective that a common cough medicine, and more effective than no treatment. Honey should not be given to babies under 1 year old as it may lead to a rare but very serious illness.
- Steam (eg from the bathroom shower or a humidifier) can help the child feel more comfortable, but does not shorten the illness. Be aware of the risk of burns and scalds.
- A child who has bronchitis may not eat as well as normal, but it is important to offer extra drinks. Older children may like a hot lemon and honey drink.
- Keep your home and car smoke-free.
- If the child does not start to get better within a couple of days, or starts to become sicker, see a doctor.