There are various symptoms of bronchitis in children, ranging from cough, fever, to shortness of breath. Although generally this condition looks mild and can heal on its own, you still need to be vigilant. The reason, bronchitis has the potential to cause serious complications if not treated properly.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs. Bronchitis is often caused by a viral infection, but sometimes it can also be caused by a bacterial infection, irritant, or pollution, such as exposure to cigarette smoke and dust.
Children are one of the groups that are more susceptible to bronchitis because they have a weak immune system.
Recognize the Symptoms of Bronchitis in Children
Symptoms of bronchitis in children can be felt for a few days or weeks, then heal on their own without special treatment. Such bronchitis is called acute bronchitis.
However, the symptoms of bronchitis in children can sometimes persist or often recur for months or even years. This type of bronchitis is also known as chronic bronchitis.
The most common symptom that appears when a child has bronchitis is a cough. The cough can be a dry cough or phlegm. In addition to coughing, children with bronchitis may also experience the following symptoms:
- Hard to breathe
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Breath sounds or wheezing
- Fever
- Weakness and lack of appetite
- sneeze
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Runny nose or stuffy nose
In addition to the above symptoms, bronchitis in children can sometimes cause children to experience more severe symptoms, for example:
- Cough that doesn't go away for more than 3 weeks
- Fussy and difficulty sleeping due to frequent coughing or shortness of breath
- High fever that doesn't go away
- Bleeding cough
- Lips and skin look bluish
- The child looks very weak and can't move normally
Severe symptoms of bronchitis in children are more at risk of appearing in children who have comorbidities, such as a history of congenital heart disease or asthma. However, these symptoms can also appear in previously healthy children. These symptoms can sometimes resemble the symptoms of COVID-19.
When experiencing bronchitis, the child needs to be immediately taken to the doctor so that his condition can be thoroughly examined. After the doctor confirms that the child has bronchitis, the doctor will prescribe medication, recommend physiotherapy or pulmonary rehabilitation, to oxygen therapy, if needed.
Simple Ways to Relieve Symptoms of Bronchitis in Children
When your little one has bronchitis, you can do the following ways to support the recovery process:
Keep the air clean in the house
Dirty and polluted air, for example due to a lot of dust or cigarette smoke, is one of the causes of bronchitis in children. Therefore, so that the bronchitis experienced by your little one does not get worse or takes longer to heal, you need to keep the air quality in the house clean.
If necessary, you can use an air humidifier (waterhumidifier), so that the air in the room is not dry. Dry air can further aggravate the symptoms of bronchitis in children.
Use a mask
Causes of irritation and inflammation in the respiratory tract, such as cigarette smoke, can be anywhere and can be difficult to detect. To prevent this, put a mask on your child when you are going to invite him to play or do activities outside the house.
Give honey to children
Various studies show that honey, especially black honey, has been shown to relieve coughs and help clear the airways. To get the benefits of the honey, you only need to give your little one 1 teaspoon of black honey, which can be consumed directly or mixed into warm tea.
However, you need to remember that honey should not be given to babies or children who are still under the age of 1 year because of the risk of causing botulism.
In addition, a child with bronchitis may not want to eat and drink. However, you still need to give your little one enough food and drink when he is sick, so that his condition can recover quickly and he will avoid dehydration. If your little one can't eat voraciously, feed them in small portions but more often.
In essence, the symptoms of bronchitis in children are very diverse, ranging from mild to severe. Although bronchitis in children is not always dangerous, you still need to be alert when your little one shows symptoms of bronchitis and immediately take him to the doctor so that the right treatment can be done immediately.
