How to Treat Bronchitis in Child
Bronchitis in children often makes parents anxious and worried. Although most cases of bronchitis can heal on its own, you still need to be aware of this condition. For that you need to know how to treat bronchitis in child so that children can avoid serious complications that may occur.
Bronchitis is inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs (bronchial tubes). Bronchitis can be experienced by anyone, be it children or adults.
Bronchitis in children is generally caused by viral or bacterial infections and air pollution, such as cigarette smoke and smoke from burning garbage. Besides being caused by infection and pollution, bronchitis in children can also be caused by other things such as acid reflux, choking on foreign objects, allergies triggered by dust, pollen and mites.
Symptoms of Bronchitis in Children
Bronchitis in children can be categorized into 2, namely acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is often caused by bacterial and viral infections. Viral infections in the respiratory tract generally heal within 10-14 days.
Even so, sometimes acute bronchitis can become chronic if the condition occurs continuously to damage the respiratory tract. Even some research shows that children who experience chronic bronchitis in the future will be more at risk of developing asthma.
If in acute bronchitis symptoms can last for weeks, then in chronic bronchitis symptoms can last longer to more than 1 month or come and go throughout the year.
The following are some of the symptoms of bronchitis in children that you need to know:
- Cough with phlegm
- Sore throat
- Runny nose and stuffy nose
- Hoarseness
- When you cough your chest hurts
- Fever
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath making it difficult to talk, eat and sleep.
In certain conditions, a child who has bronchitis should seek medical attention immediately, especially if he has a fever above 38 degrees Celsius, shortness of breath, does not want to eat and drink. These symptoms can be a sign that bronchitis has caused complications in the form of pneumonia.
How to Cure Bronchitis in Child
Treatment of bronchitis in children can be adjusted according to the cause. Bronchitis caused by allergies or pollution can be overcome by avoiding the triggers of these allergies. For other cases of bronchitis, the doctor will give several types of medicines that can be used to treat the condition.
1. Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a type of medicine used to treat bronchitis in children caused by a bacterial infection. The use of antibiotics must be in accordance with the advice and prescription of a doctor. If used carelessly not according to the doctor's instructions, then antibiotics can cause bacteria to become resistant to the treatment. Even so, sometimes antibiotics can be given as an effort to prevent complications such as bacterial infections of the respiratory tract or pneumonia.
2. Cough medicine
Cough medicine for children can be given if the cough caused by bronchitis causes the child to have difficulty sleeping. Even so, you should consult a doctor first before giving cough medicine to your child, especially if your child is less than 6 years old.
3. Other types of medicines
To relieve symptoms of fever due to bronchitis, the doctor will usually give you medicine to relieve fever, such as paracetamol. Meanwhile, to relieve bronchitis caused by allergies, doctors usually will give you anti-allergic medicines or antihistamines.
In more severe cases of bronchitis that make the child short of breath and cough continuously, the doctor will usually give inhaled medicine with a nebulizer.
In addition to these various treatments, you must also meet your child's fluid needs to avoid dehydration. If your child is often in an air-conditioned room, then use a humidifier to reduce nasal congestion.
It is important to know that children with chronic bronchitis need breathing exercises for the lungs. This breathing exercise is one of the pulmonary rehabilitation programs for chronic bronchitis whose goal is to overcome breathing problems.
Prevention of bronchitis in child
Viruses or bacteria that cause bronchitis can be transmitted to children through the air or splashes of saliva when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Therefore, you need to take some precautions so that your child avoids transmission of infection.
The precaution that must be taken is to make sure your child always washes their hands thoroughly after activities and when they want to eat. In addition, you also need to provide balanced nutrition to your child so that his immune system can work optimally to fight viruses or bacteria that cause bronchitis.
In addition you also have to pay attention to the condition of the home environment. Clean the house regularly and keep your child away from cigarette smoke to avoid allergies due to dust and mites.
Even though you already know how to treat bronchitis in child, bronchitis in children should not be taken lightly. If your child shows symptoms that point to bronchitis such as cough, fever or other complaints that do not improve for 3 days, then immediately take your child to the doctor to get the right treatment.
