Bronchiolitis is one of the diseases of the bronchi that most often affects young children. Due to the fact that the protective mechanisms in the growing body are not yet sufficiently developed, infections, getting the respiratory tract, penetrate far, reaching to the bronchi and bronchioles. The edema of mucous membranes caused by them significantly hinders the breathing of children, leading to obstruction.
Risk group
The children of the first two years of life are considered to be at risk of children prone to developing bronchiolitis. The peak incidence falls on the age of 2-6 months.
Bronchiolitis occurs in neonates in case of infection with intrauterine infection. This is one of the most severe course of the disease, since lethal outcomes or the development of complex pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system are not uncommon.
Symptoms of bronchiolitis
About 90% of cases of bronchiolitis in infants causes rhinosin cytial infection. Most often the disease develops on the third day of ARVI. The main sign of the development of bronchiolitis is a strong dry cough, which at a rate begins to be accompanied by shortness of breath, wheezing and whistling. The child becomes sluggish, his appetite deteriorates considerably.
With the development of acute bronchiolitis, all the accompanying symptoms in children are violent. The disease can accompany cyanosis of the face, respiratory failure and severe tachycardia.
Symptoms of obliterating bronchiolitis in children
A severe course of the disease is called bronchiolitis obliterans. It occurs extremely rarely, so, for one year, up to 4-5 children with this diagnosis fall into the pulmonary center. In this stage of bronchiolitis bronchioles and small bronchi are clogged, and pulmonary blood flow is disturbed.
The main symptom of obliterating bronchiolitis is a severe cough with increasing dyspnea, which appears even with a slight strain on the body. Also characteristic for the patient are wheezing, whistles and fever. The disease is often accompanied by periods of "fading", when there is neither improvement nor worsening of the existing symptoms.
Treatment of bronchiolitis in children
When bronchiolitis treatment is prescribed by a doctor, based on the disease pattern. The main measures are aimed at eliminating the symptoms: the formation of sputum, its withdrawal and a decrease in temperature. To do this, the sick child is prescribed a generous warm drink, expectorants and drugs that lower the temperature. Antibiotics may also be prescribed. If the course of the disease is severe, the child is sent to inpatient treatment.
In general, the prognosis for bronchiolitis is not rosy: many children after the disease have a disorder of external respiration, bronchial obstruction syndrome and bronchopulmonary system pathology. There is also a risk of developing bronchial asthma, especially if the child is prone to allergic reactions.