What is bronchitis? What causes bronchitis in babies? What are the sign and symptoms of bronchitis in babies? How to treat bronchitis in babies? Are you aware of answers to all these questions? If not, we have it all sorted out here for you.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the large airway passage which connects the windpipe to the lungs. In bronchitis, the child starts to breathe harder than normal. It is common in babies but sometimes it becomes a matter of concern.
By the end of the article, you will get a fair share of information about what leads to bronchitis in babies and the natural remedies to get rid of bronchitis in babies.
Check Out These Home Remedies To Treat BRonchitis In Babies
What Is Bronchitis In Babies?
Bronchitis (R) is an inflammatory respiratory condition. It’s caused by a virus that affects the smallest air passages in the lungs and is very common in children. The infection causes inflammation and mucus build up in the airways which as a result makes it difficult for the baby to breathe.
It is mostly witnessed in babies under the age of six months. It can also occur in babies aged up to 12 months old. Bronchitis is always caused by viruses. The condition of bronchitis is witnessed in the babies more during the winter months. The most common virus is Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV.
Certain babies get rid of the cold within a few days whereas for others get very ill from the swelling in the airways or from the exhaustion caused by the coughing.
The treatment of bronchitis depends on the trigger causing it. This blocks the flow of oxygen in babies. Bronchiolitis in babies can be confused with asthma, as the symptoms are often the same, so be careful with it.
What Causes Bronchiolitis In Babies?
The virus is the first and foremost reason behind Bronchiolitis in babies. This virus reproduces rapidly and challenges the immune system. There are certain common types of viral infections that may cause Bronchiolitis including-
1. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV):
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of Bronchiolitis. It mostly affects children within the age of 2. But, as per most of the studies, it occurs in less than 1 year olds as well. This infection produces inflammation, mucus, and swelling in the airways which makes difficult for the babies to breathe. Babies have 60-80% risks of contracting and suffering from this condition.
2. Adenoviruses:
About 10% of reported cases (R) of bronchitis in babies are caused by this form of virus. This also leads to acute respiratory tract infection in children. This disturbs the mucous membranes.
3. Influenza Viruses
This is also one of the causes behind bronchitis in babies. It is especially dangerous as this viruses cause inflammation in the lungs, nose, and throat, etc. It tends to affect kids who don’t have a very strong immune system.
4. Rhinovirus (RV):
It is the second leading cause of bronchitis in babies. There is about 14-30% of Bronchiolitis cases caused because of this in babies as per the statistics.
5. Human Bocavirus:
As per the studies, it is the third leading cause and contributes to about 15% of cases in babies.
6. Human Metapneumovirus:
As per the studies there are about 3-12% of Bronchiolitis cases in babies caused because of this virus.
Signs and Symptoms of Bronchiolitis
The Sign and Symptoms of Bronchiolitis include-
- fast breathing
- noisy breathing that sounds wheezy
- breathing becomes hard
- irritability and fever
- difficulties in eating or drinking
- Runny nose
- Stuffy nose and congestion
- Cough
- Slight fever but not always
- flaring of the nostrils
- Irritability
- vomiting after coughing
- poor appetite
- Wheezing while breathing
- Colic and fussiness
How To Diagnose Bronchiolitis In Babies?
There are several ways to diagnose Bronchiolitis in babies. Some of the following methods are as follows-
1. Check For Wheezing:
In this form of checkup, the doctor checks with a stethoscope to listen to the wheezing and breathing sounds of the babies.
2. Chest X-Ray:
This is the best way to reveal the constricted bronchioles inside the lungs of the babies. This is one of the most preferred ways to deal with the diagnosis in babies.
3. Measuring Blood oxygen levels:
With severe bronchitis, it can lead to respiratory diseases in babies. This happens due to low blood oxygen level. For this, the doctor has to insert a pulse oximeter inside the baby’s finger in order to determine the oxygen level in the baby’s blood.
4. Blood Tests:
This is another way to determine the presence of bronchitis in babies. This is done to check the level of infection in blood.
How To Treat Bronchitis In Babies?
There are an ample number of natural remedies for bronchitis that helps to get rid of the condition. Some of the ways include:
1. Ginger:
It is rich in anti-inflammatory properties which help get rid of the infection according to studies and evidences. (R) Take the ginger in its natural form rather than in form of capsules or supplements.
Take the Ginger in Form of –
- Chew dry ginger
- Ginger tea
- Add in food
- Take it in form of capsules
2. Garlic:
Garlic is known for its healing properties. This is regarded as one of the best natural remedies to get rid of bronchitis in babies. As per the 2016 study (R), it was found that garlic helps inhibit the growth of infectious bronchitis virus.
Take the Garlic in Form of-
- Chew on dried garlic cloves
- Eat raw or add in food
- Take it in form of capsules.
3. Turmeric:
Turmeric has a numerous benefits on human health. It is one of the best spices that one can add to their foods. Turmeric increases the antioxidant activity in body and helps to reduce the irritation level and boost the level of immunity.
As per the 2011 study, (R) turmeric provides more anti-inflammatory effects than ginger.
Take the Turmeric in Form of-
- You can add to salads or dishes as per your choice
- Add in pickles
- Take capsules
- Use turmeric powder to make tea
- Take 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder with 1 tsp spoon of honey to make a paste and use it for 3 times in a day.
4. Steam:
Here is another remedy for bronchitis in babies which helps in breaking up the accumulated mucus. With the steam, you need to inhale and breathe in through to help get relief.
The hot water in steam also helps in relaxing the muscles that creates problems in coughing. Make sure of one thing that don’t stay exposed over the hot water for more than a minute or two at a time.
Steps To Follow:
- Put hot water in a bowl.
- Add a mentholated vapor rub to the hot water.
- Cover your head with a towel
- And then inhale in steam.
- Do this for 5 mins then take rest and do it again for at least 3-4 times.
5. Salt Water:
Gargling with salt water has numerous benefits for the condition of bronchitis. The salt water helps to break up the mucus and reduce pain in throat. It also clears out the infection in throat.
Steps To Follow:
- Add a teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water.
- Sip small amounts of the saltwater and gargle at the back of your throat. After that, spit it out in the sink.
- Do it for at least 5-10 times.
- Rinse the mouth with plain water.
6. Sleep:
Taking enough rest is also one of the ways to get rid of bronchitis in babies. So you should allow the body to take rest. Sometimes it gets difficult to sleep, but trust me you have to make sure that your kid gets enough sleep.
As per the studies, it is at the deep stages of sleep that your body fights off the infection by boosting the overall immune system of an individual.
7. Lifestyle Changes:
A healthy lifestyle is important for relieving this condition. This all goes hand in hand with the prevention of illness. This also helps in faster recovery of this condition.
There are a number of stages that one needs to carry out as it helps in reducing the risk of bronchitis. Some of them include:
- Keep your child from smoke-filled environments.
- Avoid polluted environments.
- Ask your child to wear a surgical mask if they are exposed to pollution.
- Boost the immunity of your child with a healthy diet
- Enhance the physical activity
- Wash their hands frequently to prevent the spread of infection.
- Use a humidifier
8.Use Humidifier:
As I mentioned above this is one of the health lifestyle pattern that you can bring in your child life. The humidifier keeps the air in the home or moist which as a result helps to loosen mucus in the airways and reduce coughing.
As per the National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute (R), a cool-mist humidifier or steam vaporizer helps to cure bronchitis in babies.
Use Humidifier in Form of-
- Put water in humidifier as per the instruction of your product
- Put it on while sleeping at night.
- Inhale from the air surrounding it.
9. Drinking Warm Liquid:
Any warm liquid helps to thin mucus, making coughing easier. And this form is regarded as one of the best natural remedies for bronchitis in babies.
It is also said as per the 2008 study (R) that hot beverages can provide “immediate and sustained relief from symptoms of a runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness”.(R)
10. Honey:
Honey is used as a natural remedy for most of the home treatment in children as it is rich in antiviral and antibacterial properties. It helps to get rid of bronchitis in babies.
Honey is an effective home treatment for respiratory tract infections in children. As per 2007 study, (R) dark honey works well for children with bronchitis than normal children who didn’t take the same. It is found that the children who took the honey experienced greater symptom relief from the pain.
Note: Honey should not be given to children under 1 year.
11. Wear A Face Mask in Cold Weather:
Sudden cold air can lead to cough in babies. So, it very necessary to cover up the mouth and nose before taking your kids outside in cold weather. This helps a lot to reduce coughing and shortness of breath in children.
There are lots of cold-air face masks that are available in the market or online. You can also cover the mouth and nose with a scarf or other item of clothing.
12. Pursed-Lip Breathing Techniques:
The Pursed-lip breathing technique is an effective form of breathing technique that helps babies suffering from bronchitis, as well as those with COPD.
The COPD Technique Helps in-
- It keeps the airways open longer
- It slow down breathing
- It helps the lungs to eliminate stale air
- It helps in improving the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
- It helps in increasing the time that can be spent on certain activities
Note: This involves inhaling through the nose for 2 seconds, before puckering the lips and exhaling slowly through the mouth for 4 to 6 seconds.
13. Essential Oils:
Essential oil is one of the major ways to get rid of symptoms associated with bronchitis in babies. This helps to deal with inflammation and breathing difficulties.
As per the research, the airway inflammation reduced by using eucalyptus oil, or orange oil, other useful essential oil. These oils are beneficial for fighting inflammation caused by the infection.
Certain other essential oils that help to get rid of bronchitis in babies are as follows-
- Basil oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Peppermint oil
- Rosemary oil
- tea tree oil
- Thyme oil
- Oregano oil
Note: Never use the essential oil directly to the affected area of the skin. Use it with some mix of a carrier oil, such as mineral oil or sweet almond oil.
14. Vitamin D:
As per the medical sciences, vitamin D plays an important role in your overall health. As per the Vitamin D Council (R) , people who have low levels of the vitamins are more prone to respiratory infections.
Vitamin D is one of the best natural remedies for bronchitis in babies and helps to get rid of respiratory infection. It is the best overall treatment for bronchitis.
15. Cranberry Juice:
Cranberry juice has a lot of effects on health on an individual. It helps to defend viral infections by impairing the ability of viruses to adhere to the cell.
This also helps a lot in protecting the urinary tract infection. You can have the cranberry juice directly or it can be added in the rosehip tea or lemonade. You can also mix it with apple sauce and take it in a spoon.
How To Prevent Bronchitis In Babies?
Prevention is better than cure as we all know, so here are few prevention tips that we can take care of in order to prevent bronchitis in babies-
- It is very necessary to maintain good hygiene in life. For this, you have to wash the hands before handling the baby, cover your mouth while sneezing and wash your hands before eating and playing with them.
- Don’t take the babies to very crowded places as that can probably lead to spread the infection fast and quickly. So avoid crowded places.
- Bronchitis is contagious so keep the baby items separately and safe from viruses. It is said that it can spread through utensils or drinking cups of the babies.
- Make sure you cover the mouth and nose of the baby whenever they have a cold. For this, you can use moth caps or mask. Try to avoid kissing or cuddling with the baby till they are cured well.
- The high-risk babies who are born prematurely or with lung problems are given a preventive medicine named palivizumab. This is preventive to reduce the risk of infection.
When To Go To Hospital For Bronchitis In Babies:
It is very important to consult a doctor when the symptoms are very serious and it lasts beyond 3 weeks. Moreover, it disturbs the sleep pattern and leads to difficulty in breathing.
Some of the symptoms include:
- If the cough produce blood in cough.
- If the baby has eating and vomiting problem then do consider to the doctor.
- Less than 12 months old with low birth weight, then you must immediately then you consult your doctor.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the large airways passage which connects the windpipe to the lungs. In bronchitis, the child starts to breathe harder than normal. The best ways to get prevented is too early. I hope this article has given you a good example of natural remedies for bronchitis in babies.
