Bronchitis, a common lower respiratory illness, is usually the result of viral infection and less commonly caused by bacterial infection. However, its triggers could be the exposure of the lungs to environmental pollutants, allergens, or strong fumes, shares Top Pediatrician in Delhi. This condition is named after its key symptom- the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the main air passages that allow the inflow and outflow of air to and from the lungs for breathing.
In kids, bronchitis usually presents following symptoms:
- Initial dry cough followed by wet cough (producing white, yellow, or greenish mucus)
- Wheezing- whistling or hissing sound while breathing through the nose
- Chest congestion or soreness/discomfort
- Low-grade fever (sometimes can be high)
- Malaise, general discomfort, and aching muscles
- Gagging or vomiting (usually in small kids)
- Runny nose (before cough)
- Sore throat.
Most parents or caregivers usually look for the sound that a kid produces while breathing, to suspect the kid’s illness to be bronchitis. Commonly, a child suffering from bronchitis sounds like wheezing when exhaling.
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistle, indicating narrowed air passages. It can be accompanied by another sound called “rhonchi.”
Rhonchi is a rattling or gurgling, deep sound produced when the larger airways are plugged with thick mucus. This is experienced when the kid is having a mucus-producing cough. On the onset of bronchitis, the kid may have having dry and hacking cough and then a mucus-producing cough. Some kids even produce crackles- the short, popping sounds or pleural friction rub- the harsh, grating sound.
The varieties of breath sounds that a kid produces can help a paediatrician make the right diagnosis. If the kid is having difficulty breathing, widening their nostrils, utilising chest muscles to breathe, or making lung sounds, the kid must promptly be taken to a paediatrician for appropriate relief from the symptoms.
Dr. Promilla Butani is a well-regarded and Top Pediatric Doctor in Delhi who can be consulted for your kid’s illness. She has extensive experience of 40 + years in child and newborn care. From immunization to treatment of illness in children, she helps parents to ensure good health of their newborns and kids. Consult her today.
