Acute bronchitis appears mostly in the winter, more often caused by viral infection. Although the cough may persist longer acute bronchitis is solved in two weeks, acute bronchitis complication is pneumonia in children.
Demographics
Bronchitis affects predominantly pre-school and school age children, especially during winter time.
Cause and symptoms
Bronchitis begins with the symptoms of a cold, running nose, coughing, sneezing, fever of 102'F (38.8'C), greenish yellow sputum. In three to five days most of the symptoms disappear, but coughing may continue for some time. If the acute bronchitis is complicated with bacterial infection the fever and a general feeling of illness persists. The bacterial infection should be treated with antibiotics, if the cough doesn't get away it may be asthma or pneumonia. In direct proportion with the stage of the disease acute bronchitis has those symptoms: dry, hacking, unproductive cough, runny nose, sore throat, back and other muscle pains, general malaise, headache, fever, chills.
Diagnosis
The doctor will listen to the child's chest, if he hears moist rales, crackling, wheezing it means that the lung are inflammated and the airway is narrowing. Moist rales are caused by the fluid secretions in the bronchial tubes.
Sputum culture is indicated to be performed to put a correct diagnosis of the infection and to identify the most appropriate antibiotic. The patient is asked to spit in a cup and than the sample is grown in the laboratory to see which organisms are present. Sometimes the sputum may be collected using bronchoscopy, the patient is given a local anesthetic and the tube is passed through the airways to collect a sputum sample. Blood tests and x-rays are also recommended, the measuring of the oxygen and carbon dioxide are also important.
Treatment
Bronchitis may be treated by home care if it's not complicated, resting, not smocking and drinking plenty of fluids, for fever you may take Tylenol, Panadol, Datril. Cough suppressants may be used only when the cough is dry. Cough is useful because brings up extra mucus and irritants from the lungs and this way stops the mucus to accumulate in the airways and producing pneumonia bacteria. Tetracycline or ampicillin are used in the treatment of acute bronchitis, but good results have been obtained with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim or Septra) and azithromycin (Zithromax) and clarithromycin (Biaxin). In children acute bronchitis amoxicillin (Amoxil, Pentamox, Sumox, Trimox)is recommended, inhaler sprays to dilatate the bronchis and clear aut the mucus are also good. It is important to rest sufficiently, to eat well, avoid air pollution and irritants. Childrens wash their hands regularly and as a preventive measure they are artificially immunized against pneumonia.
Acute bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system, more exactly the inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Bronchitis may be classified in acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis appears after a respiratory infection or due to the infection with a virus or bacteria. Chronic bronchitis is caused by irritants and allergies, appears if the symptoms last for more than 3 months.
If you suffer from the following symptoms: cough, fever, sore throat, mucus production, wheezing you have all the chances to develop acute bronchitis. Some people are more susceptible than others to acute bronchitis: smokers, those who suffer from asthma, those exposed to high levels of air pollutants.
In young children it is very important to visit a doctor as soon as possible not to appear other complications. The most frequent complication is pneumonia, acute bronchitis may aggravate asthma and other breathing disorders. Once you have recognized the symptoms and signs of acute bronchitis you should address your doctor to treat acute bronchitis.
Sometimes it may be mistaken with other respiratory infections, but usually when cough lasts more than 10 days for sure there is acute bronchitis. Home care is also very important in acute bronchitis, and if respected improves your health state and gives good results in any other diseases, especially those that imply the respiratory system.
Treatment
If the bronchitis is caused by a virus antibiotics are not usefully, but if the acute bronchitis is caused by a bacteria a round of antibiotics may help. To ease cough and dryness one can take pain relievers, fever reducing medications, cough suppressants and humid air. It is recommended to take only the cough suppressants prescribed by your doctor, otherwise they may harm you, cough suppressants are good to enable sleep.
In acute bronchitis the most important is to stay calm and relax. Camomille tea and chicken soup are said to be the best remedies. Eating honey is also hopefully because it may soothe the throat. Codeine is the most wanted ingredient when you have acute bronchitis. A cough may continue for several more weeks, but in the end it disappears. Wheezing after coughing is common, but that will also disappear. Hot baths and plenty of fluids are of great help, when you sleep, maintain a half sitting up position so as to cough less.
Acute bronchitis may be avoided only if you avoid to contract other respiratory colds or infections. If you eat and sleep well, wash your hands and avoid contact with people that suffer from respiratory infections you reduce the chances to develop acute bronchitis. Smokers may develop acute and chronic bronchitis. What's more important is not to breath second hand smoke especially children shouldn't be exposed to second hand smoke.
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