Bronchitis is often mistaken for the flu, mostly because of the chronic coughing and the buildup of fluid into the lungs. When this occurs in children, it can be very worrisome for their parents and can lead to a lot of sleeplessness nights. It might help for parents to become more aware of what causes this condition, how it can be avoided and how it can be effectively treated.What is Bronchitis?
By definition, it is an acute inflammation of the air passages that exist inside the lungs. The bronchial passages become infected, and the mucus lining becomes inflamed. The mucus lining then begins to leak into the lungs themselves, and causes chronic coughing when the body tries to clear the mucus out. When this condition appears in children, it is often confused for either the flu or even asthma, because its symptoms are quite similar.
Known Causes of Bronchitis
The main cause of this disease is actually the flu, which is often caused by viruses. When it lingers in the body, it can travel into the lungs, where the virus causes the building up of mucus within the bronchial airways. It can also be caused by certain bacteria, the same that can cause pneumonia to develop. Too much exposure to certain irritants in the air including second hand smoke, dust or chemical solvents can weaken the airways and make a child more susceptible to infections.
It can be contagious, just like the flu, especially if it is caused by a virus or bacteria. The only way to determine the exact cause is to discuss symptoms with the pediatrician or family doctor and have throat culture done. If it is caused by a virus or bacteria, the sick child should be isolated from the other children to avoid passing it along.
Levels of Infection
There are two known types of this infection - acute and chronic.
• Acute infections will affect the nasal passages, the sinuses, and the throat before moving on into the lungs. This is the one most often caused by viruses, or bacteria.
• Chronic infections will produce an overabundance of mucus in the lungs, and will result in chronic coughing until the infection is cleared out of the body. This can get serious, as too much mucus in the lungs and airways can begin to restrict normal breathing.
Symptoms
Both acute and chronic forms will have similar symptoms and if a child or adult shows any of these signs, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
• Fatigue: Because of the fluid buildup in the lungs, it can be difficult to breathe easy, and this will eventually cause them to feel tired all the time. Chronic coughing, especially while lying prone, can also help induce insomnia while the infection is present.
• Wheezing and rales: As the airways begin to become inflamed and irritated, the building mucus can cause shortness of breath, especially during activity, and breathing will become labored to the point of only being able to draw a thin breath, or wheezing. Rales are the sounds that filling lungs make when listened to with a stethoscope, a sort of ratting echo as air tries to pass through irritated bronchial passageways.
• Mucus cough: Continued coughing will cause some of the mucus to be ejected from the lungs. The color of it will change over time, yellow to start, green as the infection takes hold, and if it should become dark or appear to have blood, medical attention is needed as soon as possible.
Treatment
Further testing from the doctor will be needed to determine the root cause of the infection, of course and may include tests like sputum analysis, x-rays, arterial blood gases or pulmonary lung function testing. All of these will tell the doctor whether the condition is being caused by an infection, allergies or environmental irritants.
Antibiotics will only be prescribed if bacteria are present. Because children should not be given aspirin, ibuprofen will often be recommended for throat pain and an expectorant to break up the mucus. A humidifier should be used to ease their breathing and any irritants like smoking should be removed from their environment in order to get better.
Want to know more about childhood bronchitis and how it can affect your child's health in the long term? The specialists at Pediatric Partners have the knowledge to answer all of your questions, so call them today for an immediate consultation. Also check out our new page on Bronchitis.