The disease, called "croup", is also called "acute obstructive stenosing laryngotracheitis ." A false call it because it only reminds the symptoms of the true, which happens with diphtheria.
Manifestations of false groats often occur in very young children from six months to three years. After three to six, these are isolated cases, and in teenagers this condition is not observed, since the vocal cleft is large in itself, the muscles around it become stronger and are no longer subject to severe edema, because of which the neck lumen narrows.
Signs of croup in children
Each mother should know what symptoms of cereal are in children, so as not to get lost at a crucial moment. His attack can occur both against the background of the disease - influenza, acute respiratory infections, common cold, and against the background of relative health.
But one should not think that a croupy attack is an independent disease, it can simply become the very first sign of the onset of the disease, and also be a manifestation of allergies to medicines or chemicals.
The leading sign of croup in children is a barking cough and wheezing. That is, due to a strong narrowing of the lumen of the vocal cicle, an unnatural sound is produced during inspiration. But the exhalation is almost inaudible, and the child is given it very hard.
Depending on the severity of the attack, that is, the narrowing of the airways, the sound will depend, and this, in turn, is largely due to the child's age - the smaller it is, the more narrowing occurs.
With a strong attack, it is possible to blueenose the nasolabial triangle and pale skin. A nonspecific manifestation of croup is a high temperature - if it approaches the 40 ° C mark, then perhaps it is a true croup or diphtheria.
How to treat cereal in children?
The main thing that parents need to treat croup in children is calmness and endurance. To come to an understanding of this is quite difficult, because seeing how your baby is literally suffocating, it is difficult to keep at least the appearance of calmness, but it is extremely necessary.
First of all, when you suspected a baby of a croupy attack, you should call an ambulance, since this condition of the child can threaten his life. After that, you need to calm the baby - so the breathing stabilizes, and he can breathe more effectively.
As soon as possible, you should take the child to the bathroom and start hot water from the tap to fill the room with a warm steam. For the same purpose, an air humidifier or a regular pot of water boiling on fire is suitable, but in no case should a child be kept above it.
If the house has a nebulizer - it's just fine. You can pour alkaline mineral water into it and let the baby breathe. In addition, it should be given with warm milk mixed with an alkaline mineral water or with a small amount of soda.
If all methods do not help, then in any weather, having wrapped the child with a warmth, it can be taken out to the street, where due to changes in temperature and humidity, the attack subsides.
From medicines that can be used in case of a seizure in children - Suprastin, which removes the edema from the neck, as well as Pulmicort. An ambulance brigade that has arrived in the meantime can make an intramuscular injection of Dexamethasone, so that on the way to the hospital the baby does not become worse.
To treat croup was effective, one should not refuse hospitalization. As a rule, with an uncomplicated seizure antibiotics are not prescribed, but being under medical supervision for several days is very desirable.