Relieve the Chest Congestion from Bronchitis

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Relieve the Chest Congestion from Bronchitis

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Symptoms

Just when your child is getting over a cold or the flu, his temperature starts to climb and he begins to have coughing fits and spit up mucus. When you take him to the doctor, you're likely to hear one of those ''-itis'' words, which means something is inflamed.

On This Page

Symptoms
When to See the Doctor
Natural Tips
Respiratory Health

In this case, the -itis is bronchitis, and it means inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the two large tubes that branch off the windpipe. Bronchitis can be caused by wayward bacteria from the throat or by the same virus that caused the initial cold or flu. As the lining of those tubes swells, mucus builds up. The heavy coughing is a sign that your child is trying to clear that mucus from his bronchial passages.

If the bronchitis is caused by bacteria, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. If it's a viral infection, an antibiotic won't help, but there's a lot you can do to make your child more comfortable and maybe even get over it faster. Here are some home-remedy tactics that doctors recommend for both bacterial and viral bronchitis.

Give extra fluids. Water is best, but any liquid will do, says F. T. Fitzpatrick, M.D., a pediatrician in private practice in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The fluids help thin the mucus, making it easier to cough up, and can also soothe a throat that's tickly from coughing. An eight-year-old child should drink at least four eight-ounce glasses of liquid a day.

Moisturize the bedroom. Humidity may help soothe the irritated bronchial membranes, says J. Owen Hendley, M.D., professor of pediatrics and head of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville. Close the door to your child's bedroom and turn on the vaporizer about a half-hour before he goes to sleep--and leave it on all night, he suggests. ''That way you can get the humidity up to as much as 70 percent.''

Encourage productive coughing. Since the mucus in the bronchial tubes is causing your child to cough, encourage her to clear her lungs, says Dr. Hendley. If a small child is having trouble coughing up the mucus, pat her gently on the back. Keep tissues available so that your child can use them if needed.

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Respiratory Health

The simple act of breathing depends on the normal function of the bronchi that deliver air to each lung. The bronchi are lined with fibers of smooth muscle that must be sufficiently relaxed to insure an open airway. The bronchi as well as the smaller branching segments in the lungs are protected by mucous membranes, whose secretions of mucous help defend against irritation and infection. For optimum breathing, this mucous membrane must not produce excessive or overly thick mucous that could impede air flow.

Anything that irritates the bronchial lining can cause contraction of its muscles as well as an inflammatory reaction that results in swelling of the mucous membranes. Airborne allergens, smoking, and air pollution are irritants that have been associated with chronic respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. in addition to avoiding these irritants as much as possible, protection from the effects of air pollution on asthma has been demonstrated from antioxidant supplements combining vitamin C (500-1000 mg/day) and vitamin E (50-200 mg/ day). In other research, workers exposed to air pollution had better measurements of respiratory health when they took an antioxidant supplement containing 75 mg vitamin E, 650 mg vitamin C, and 15 mg beta carotene.

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid which helps the body produce the powerful antioxidant glutathione. NAC also helps to reduce the formation of pro-inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin 1, (IL-1). Finally, NAC may help to thin mucous in the respiratory passages for easier air flow.

Numerous controlled studies have found 400-1200 mg per day to be helpful for preventing flare-up of lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD0.

Natural Tips

Use a prop. Use an extra pillow at night to help prop up your child while he sleeps, suggests Mary Meland, M.D., a pediatrician with Health Partners in Bloomington, Minnesota. Propping up his head helps him breathe more easily.

Soothe with chicken soup. Mom's chicken soup is more than comforting to an ill child; it really does help clear congestion. ''Some scientific evidence has shown that chicken soup helps clear secretions better than other liquids,'' says Dr. Meland. If your child likes it, now is the time to let her slurp her fill. You can use either store-bought or homemade.

Nix the smoking. Don't allow anyone to smoke in your house, says Dr. Fitzpatrick. If you smoke, go outside to do it. The smoke irritates the bronchial tubes and can make the infection worse.

Try an expectorant. Over-the-counter expectorants that contain guaifenesin such as Robitussin, Triaminic Expectorant and many others may help loosen the mucus so that coughing can work to clear the bronchial passages, says Dr. Hendley. There's no hard scientific proof that they work, he says, but there's no harm in trying one. Read the label carefully and give a dose suitable for your child's age.

Consider a cough suppressant. If your child is coughing so much she can't get any rest, it's okay to use a cough suppressant at night, says William Howatt, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant may help--and other over-the-counter suppressants for children are available at drugstores. Try to avoid giving the suppressants during the day if your child has productive coughing. That coughing is needed to help clear the bronchial tubes.

MEDICAL ALERT

When to See the Doctor
Most cases of bronchitis clear up in a week or two, with no repercussions other than lost sleep from coughing fits.
Complications such as pneumonia can occur, however, and certain symptoms should prompt you to seek immediate medical care, says William Howatt, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. If it's a weekend or evening and you can't get in touch with the doctor, visit an emergency treatment facility.
Seek medical care if the child who has bronchitis:
* Is an infant and is coughing often.
* Has a fever of 103° or higher.
* Has any trouble breathing.
* Has a change in color. ( Especially look for a blue tint on the lips or tongue.)
* Seems unusually lethargic.
* Is wheezing.
* Has to visibly move her chest up and down as she tries to get air.