Palak Vyas

Congestion occurs when extra fluids (mucus) accumulate in the nose and airways. Congestion may give your baby a blocked nose, noisy breathing or mild trouble in feeding. Mild congestion is common and is not much of a concern. But if your child breathes 60 breaths per minute, (s)he is struggling to catch breath. In this case, take them to a paediatrician immediately. Symptoms of congestion:<ul><li>Coughing</li><li>Wheezing</li><li>Grunting</li><li>Thick nasal mucus</li><li>Discoloured nasal mucus</li><li>Noisy breathing</li><li>Sniffing</li><li>Trouble eating</li></ul> Causes of congestion:<ul><li>Allergies</li><li>Cold/flu</li><li>Asthma</li><li>Premature birth</li><li>Pneumonia</li></ul> Treatment of congestion:<ul><li>Give your baby a warm bath but try to keep it short for 5-10 minutes and once you are done quickly wipe the baby's body, apply moisturiser and dress your baby as soon as possible.</li><li>Keep feeding your baby regularly and monitor for wet diapers.</li><li>Add one or two drops of saline to their nostrils.</li><li>Use a humidifier in the baby’s room by the bedside to keep away the dryness in weather. It will add moisture in the air of the room and will help clear congestion.</li><li>Gently massage their nasal bridge, forehead, temples, and cheekbones.</li><li>Remove potential allergens or pollutants from the home's air by vacuuming up pet hair, not burning candles or incense sticks and not smoking.</li><li>Wipe away excess mucus with a soft, dry tissue or cloth.</li></ul>

Congestion can make a child uneasy and cause difficulty in breathing.

Dealing with the problem of congestion.

Experts are still learning about how to protect the body against coronavirus. There are far fewer cases of the virus reported in children. Most children catch the infection from someone they live with or from a family member. The virus seems to cause a milder infection in children than in adults or older people. Symptoms : Common symptoms: fever, tiredness, dry coughSome children may experience aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, rashes. IN severe cases, there is difficulty in breathing as well. On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days. Seek medical attention if your child has a fever, a cough, and difficulty in breathing. PrecautionsBelow practices will help you and your child keep safe from Corona Virus:<ul><li>Avoid contact with people who are known patients of coronavirus.</li><li>Wash your and your baby's hands well with soap for at least 20 seconds. Wash them often.</li><li>Avoiding travel and crowded places.</li><li>Teach them not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth, especially if they haven’t washed their hands.</li><li>Use a sanitiser.</li><li>Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough.</li><li>Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.</li><li>Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people touch a lot.</li></ul> FAQs: Can children get infected by coronavirus?Studies suggest that children are equally likely to get infected as adults. However, the severity is less in children. Difference between Coronavirus and Covid-19?Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses known to cause respiratory illnesses in animals and humans. Whereas, Covid-19 is the disease caused by a coronavirus. How does Covid-19 spread?People can catch this infection from someone who has it. It is primarily by the small droplets expelled from the nose or mouth when a person with Covid-19 sneezes, coughs or speaks. These droplets can stay on surfaces so when someone touches those infected surfaces, they might catch the infection. Is there a vaccine, drug, or treatment available?Some traditional medicines and home remedies might soothe the suffering from the infection but there is no specific vaccine, treatment, or drug available as of now. Difference between quarantine, isolation, and distancing?<ul><li>Quarantine means separating people who are not ill themselves but may have been exposed to Covid-19. Self-quarantine means separating yourself even if you are not ill but believe that you might have been exposed to the virus.</li><li>Isolation is separating the people who are ill with Covid-19 symptoms.</li><li>Physical distancing is to stay at a distance of at least 1 metre to avoid catching the virus. This needs to be followed by everyone regardless of whether someone has symptoms or not.</li></ul>

Here are Coronavirus Symptoms, Precautions, and FAQs.

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Noisy breathing is mostly caused by a partial blockage or narrowing at some point in the airways (respiratory tract). This can occur in the mouth or nose, in the throat, in the larynx also called as a voice box, in the trachea (breathing tube), or further down into the lungs. It is created by turbulent, or irregular, airflow caused by the narrowed airway. This can create the collapse of surrounding tissues or can be a single fixed point of narrowing. One type of noisy breathing is Stertor. This implies a noise created in the nose or the back of the throat. It is typically low-pitched and most closely sounds like nasal congestion you might experience with a cold, or like the sound made with snoring. Stridor is a higher-pitched noise that occurs with obstruction in or just below the voice box. Determination of whether stridor occurs during inspiration, expiration, or both helps to define the level of obstruction. Wheezing is a high-pitched noise that occurs during expiration. Wheezing typically is due to narrowing, spasm, or obstruction of the smaller airways in the lungs. What Are Some Causes of Noisy Breathing?<ul><li>Infection- Viral or bacterial infections can cause swelling of the tissues in the airway (such as cold-causing nasal congestion) anywhere from the nose to the lungs. Depending on the type of infection, this could be treated with supportive care, medications, or more invasive intervention. Croup is an example of a viral infection that causes swelling and related narrowing of both the larynx and trachea.</li><li>Fixed narrowing of the airway at birth- certain conditions can cause a child to be born with a narrowed airway. This can occur at multiple points in the respiratory tract. An example of this includes congenital subglottic stenosis.</li><li>Abnormal swelling or growth within the respiratory tract can cause obstruction. Swelling or scarring can cause acquired subglottic stenosis. This could also include a cyst or vascular birthmark (hemangioma) in the airway. A foreign object or food item can be aspirated (sucked into) the airway and can cause obstruction and noisy breathing.</li><li>Floppy tissues in the respiratory tract can cause noisy breathing. This is because of the collapse of these tissues into the airway. This can partially obstruct airflow and cause a collapse of surrounding tissues. Examples of this include pharyngomalacia, laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, and bronchomalacia.</li><li>Compression of the airway from an external structure. This can be due to a crossing blood vessel, the heart, or other structures outside of the airway that put pressure on the airway and cause collapse.</li><li>Spasm of the airways related to underlying medical conditions, like asthma, or due to irritants in the environment.</li><li>Problems with the vocal cords moving normally. This can occur with Vocal Cord Paralysis, or with Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction (PVCD)</li><li>Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis can cause a problem with the voice and can also cause noisy breathing.</li></ul> How Is Noisy Breathing Evaluated?Evaluation of noisy breathing starts with obtaining a history and performing a physical examination. This information is critical in narrowing down the cause of noisy breathing and in determining how severe the symptoms are. Important aspects of the history include whether it was present at birth, or has developed later on, and the time course over which it has developed. Certain characteristics of the noisy breathing help us to determine the location of narrowing. These include whether noisy breathing occurs on inspiration, expiration, or both. The pitch and loudness of noisy breathing is also an important factor. Depending on the history and examination findings, your Pediatric Otolaryngologist may recommend an In-Office Laryngoscopy/Nasopharyngoscopy or an Operative Laryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy. At times, certain X-Rays or other tests, like Sleep Studies and Swallowing Studies may be recommended. What Is the Treatment for Noisy Breathing?Many treatment options are available for noisy breathing and depend on the cause of the symptoms. At times, monitoring and supportive care are recommended. Certain medications may be helpful in treating symptoms or managing related conditions. For more severe issues, surgery may be recommended. Your Pediatric Otolaryngologist will discuss all possible treatment options with you and make recommendations for the most appropriate treatment. What Are Concerning Symptoms That I Should Look for in My Child with Noisy Breathing?It can be difficult for a parent or family member to discern the severity of a problem when there is noisy breathing. If you are concerned, we urge you to seek medical evaluation immediately. In particular, signs that indicate more severe conditions include: irritability, poor feeding, pulling in of the skin at the collar bone, between the ribs, or under the ribs, flaring of the nose, increasing effort to breathe, and poor weight gain or weight loss, especially in infants. Symptoms that should trigger emergent evaluation include pauses in the breathing, color change of the skin (particularly if the lips, face, or hands are turning blue), drooling, appearing lethargic or tired, or any other sudden change from a child’s normal breathing pattern. If any of these or other concerning signs develop, please seek immediate medical attention.

Noisy breathing is very common in children and can be a sign of many different conditions, some of which are very benign and some of which require urgent treatment.

respiratory problems health concerns

Following article(s) will help solve your concern.

Dealing with the problem of congestion.

All About Coronavirus

What is Noisy Breathing or Stertor or Stridor or Wheezing

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