Archive for the ‘Bronchitis’ Category

Recognizing Symptoms and Seeking Advice on Infant Bronchitis

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

To define bronchitis simply, it is just a cold which spread out throughout the bronchial tubes of your lungs. Bronchitis has its own degrees of severity. It can range from a very mild condition without any fever then becomes very serious. Normally, cough is present. This can be extremely dangerous especially for infants. They may experience shortness of breath. Squeaky noises can be heard as the infant breathes. If you observe these signs in your child, then you better call a doctor.

Bronchitis usually occurs when infection happens in the upper respiratory system. It displays abrupt onset symptoms and it is seldom considered as a separate entity during childhood. It is often accompanied with dry, hacking, persistent cough which can last for two to three days and low-grade fever. Coughing can worsen at night and sometimes causes chest pain. The tachypnea rate in one minute is more than sixty breaths.

Bronchitis in infants is basically attributed to a viral infection. But sometimes the symptoms are also apparent in infants having bacterial pneumonia. These cause serious or fatal consequences if not treated immediately.

– Cough and cold are commonly considered as infection of the upper respiratory caused by viruses. These cold viruses lower the resistance of the throat and nose causing secondary infections. It is not true that exposure to a cold atmosphere without wearing a hat, or getting wet can cause a cold.

Colds in infants are milder and can last for about seven to ten days. It is manifested by a runny, stuffy, or bubbly nose accompanied by mild coughing. Positioning your infant with his or her head elevated can aid him or her comfortably breathe. Avoid direct contacts with your infant if you have colds. Simple, regular hand washing is effective in preventing colds. It is not advised to give medicines to your infant without proper prescriptions.

You should always be aware of your infant’s condition. If he or she has a cough and whether or not a fever is present, proper treatment is required. The normal health of your infant is your first consideration.

– The breathing patterns of your infant can be distorted. Respiration is considered normal if exchange of gases (such as oxygen) in the lungs occurs. The measurement of breathe is taken per minute.

Mothers need to observe the breathing rates of their infants for one minute. Abdominal movements are noticeable. Infants below one year old must have at least 40-60 respirations in one minute. One year old babies must have 25-35 breaths in one minute. Toddlers should have 20-40 respiration per minute. However, crying can increase respiratory rates while sleeping decreases it.

– Strep and sore throats can also affect infants. This condition is manifested by inflammation of the tonsils which produces pain in the throat and accompanied sometimes by fevers. Swallowing can be very difficult. An itchy throat is often associated with colds. Toddlers having strep throat can be irritable, have low-grade fever, losses their appetite, have swollen glands, and have yellow thick spots on their tonsils.

Streptococcus is a bacteria causing strep throat. Cold viruses and allergies are also included. Sore throats linked with colds can be transmitted to another person by direct contacts on the secretions.

Antibiotic treatment can help alleviate the symptoms and later on cure the strep throat. It is necessary to seek advice from a health care professional to obtain treatment recommendations. This can prevent strep throat complications such as rheumatic or scarlet fever.

Bronchitis affects infants as well as young children because their airways are still very small and are blocked easily. Bronchitis normally occurs until the infant reaches two years old. However, its peak occurrence mostly affects infants aging 3-6 months old. Children who are mostly affected by bronchitis are male children, children living in crowded conditions, children who are exposed to cigarette smokes, and children who are not breastfed.

Although infant bronchitis is a mild disease, there is always a risk for more severe cases requiring hospitalization. It can include prematurity, lung or heart disease, and weak immune system. Infants who are diagnosed with bronchitis can develop asthma in the future.

Mothers should understand these important facts about bronchitis. They can avoid hysterics and late response if their infants show negative health symptoms associated with bronchitis.

How to Treat Bronchitis: Ten Simple Steps plus Useful Advice Works

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

Bronchitis is a condition where bronchi or tubes connecting the trachea into the lungs are inflamed. Infection usually causes acute bronchitis and it can either be viral or bacterial. While bronchitis that is chronic is caused by continuous irritation of the lungs due to smoking or prolonged exposure to poisonous chemicals.

There are ten simple steps that you could follow to treat bronchitis successfully.  More on Bronchitis Treatment.

Bronchitis: The Drugs That Can Help Treat Bronchitis

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

Today, there are thousands of drugs available in the market, each with different illnesses to treat. One of the most common illnesses in modern society is respiratory illnesses. You have to consider that there are a lot of kinds of respiratory illnesses. Some are contagious and some are not. There are also different kinds of drugs for different kinds of respiratory illnesses.

The fact that you need a perfectly healthy body in order to function well in your daily activities, you have to know how to properly take care of it or at least know how to deal with it in case you get affected with a disease.

One of the most common diseases today is called bronchitis. This is a form of respiratory illness that can affect anyone at anytime. However, people who live in highly polluted areas, and people who smoke tobacco are usually affected as well as infant, children, the elderly and people who have weak lungs are also prone to bronchitis.

Bronchitis comes in two forms, one is acute bronchitis and the other is chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is a short term bronchitis that requires little treatment. Usually, acute bronchitis doesnt need any drugs at all. However, there are people who take expectorant in order to improve breathing. Some people take anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the symptoms. Sometimes, bronchitis can also congest the sinuses and can be a painful condition. To alleviate the symptom, you can take some nasal decongestant drugs.

Acute bronchitis usually lasts for up to only 10 to 12 days if properly managed and treated. However, it will also vary on the kind of infection that the bronchitis has. If it is a viral infection, you dont need to take any special drugs to treat it. All you need is plenty of rest, plenty of water, and avoid dusty and highly polluted areas. If you want to alleviate the signs and symptoms of acute bronchitis, you can take some anti-inflammatory drugs, some pain medication, expectorant and nasal decongestant drugs.

However, if the virus is caused by bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe some antibiotics or antibacterial drugs that will kill the bacteria infecting your bronchial tube and your respiratory system. On rare cases, bronchitis can also be caused by fungal infection and for this your doctor may prescribe antifungal drugs along with other medications to alleviate the signs and symptoms. It is very important to remember that you shouldnt just but any over-the-counter drugs as you may some allergies and some drugs are dangerous if combined to any other kind of drugs. If you prefer to take medications for your bronchitis, it is important that you should first consult your doctor. He or she will refer to your medical history and find out if you are allergic to any kind of medications. The doctor can also give you prescription on the right combination of drugs and can give you instructions on the proper dosage and the proper time to take it.

In the chronic form of bronchitis, you have to consider that this is a long term treatment that will require long term and well-managed care. Chronic bronchitis will also require you to take different kinds of drugs to help alleviate the signs and symptoms and also help treat the illness.

However, the most important step in treating acute bronchitis is by quitting smoking. If you do this early enough, you can reverse the damage in your lungs. The doctor will also prescribe some medications to help you overcome chronic bronchitis which may include inhaled medicines, such as bronchodilators to open your airway and let you breath easily, steroids, and antibiotics to prevent infection. In some cases, people with chronic bronchitis have low oxygen levels. For this, the doctor may recommend that home oxygen should be used.

The chance for a full recovery for people with chronic bronchitis is poor. Always remember that the key to cure chronic bronchitis is detecting it at its early stages and changing your lifestyle, such as quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol intake.

These are the things that you should remember about bronchitis. Always remember that before you take any drugs, you should first consult your doctor who will tell you about the proper dosage and the proper drugs to take.