Respiratory diseases in children, know the types and overcome them

Children are very susceptible to disease, not including respiratory problems in the little one. Respiratory disease in children is a very common condition. So, parents need to know the types of respiratory problems in children and how to deal with the disease.

What are the types of respiratory diseases in children?

Respiratory problems in children are a common disease experienced by your little one. Usually parents complain about the child's breath sounds grok-grok like being blocked by something, this also includes the respiratory problems of the child.

To clarify, here are the types of respiratory diseases in children that parents need to understand:

1. the common cold

It is one of the most common respiratory problems experienced by children as well as adults. Quoting from About Kids Health, a cold has the following signs:

• Cough
• Runny nose
• Lack of appetite
• Sore throat

At least as many as 200 viruses can cause a cold or common cold and the virus is spread by hands or objects touched by infected people.

The common cold is a disease that is highly contagious and is often experienced by children.

How to care for children who have the common cold

If your child has this one respiratory disease, there are several ways you can do it for your little one, namely:

• Using a vacuum cleaner to clear mucus inside the nose
• Clean the child's face to prevent skin irritation due to mucus
• Check with your doctor before giving cold medicine

Although it is a respiratory disease that can heal on its own, in children, something more serious can happen.

Parents need to be vigilant when a child has a fever of more than 38 degrees Celsius, earaches, rashes, and shortness of breath.

2. Flu

Respiratory disease in the next child is flu or influenza. This is one of the health problems most often experienced by children, especially when the child's diet is not well maintained.

The flu has symptoms such as:

• Fever
• The body shivered
• Severe fatigue
• Muscle ache
• Dry cough

Similar to the common cold, the flu is also caused by a virus that passes from an infected person through droplets or objects contaminated by the sufferer.

Overcoming flu in children

If the child has the flu accompanied by a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, you can give ibuprofen or other fever-reducing drugs such as paracetamol.

If your child feels sore ears when he has a cold and has a running fever for 3 days, take him to the doctor immediately.

Especially if the respiratory disease in children has attacked to make it difficult for the child to breathe.

To reduce the severity of the flu, you can give influenza vaccines to children who are over 6 months of age. Repeat every year to prevent the flu from getting worse.

3. Bronchitis

Bronchitis is a lung infection that is usually caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This type of virus spreads through the air, hands and objects of an infected person.

RSV is able to infect more than 90 percent of children in the first two years of life.

Some of the symptoms of bronchitis include:

• Cold
• Wheezing
• Quick breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Cough with phlegm or dryness
• Fever

RSV infection can spread to other diseases. For example, an RSV infection can cause the lining of the airways in the lungs (bronchioles) to swell.

The swelling makes the bronchioles narrow and causes wheezing.

This condition can worsen during the first three days of infection and can get better right away.

Still quoting from About Kids Health, about 20 percent of babies who experience bronchitis suffer from ear infections. While 30 percent can develop asthma at a later date.

How to deal with bronchitis

To treat bronchitis, a respiratory disease in children, the doctor may prescribe asthma medication. If the child has a fever with a temperature above 38.5 degrees Celsius, give ibuprofen according to the instructions for use.

Conditions that need to see a doctor:

• The child's breath is faster than 60 breaths per minute
• Bluish lips and skin
• Fever for more than 3 days
• Cough for more than 3 weeks

Contact the doctor if your little one experiences the above.

4. Pneumonia

Quoting from the official website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) pneumonia is acute pneumonia caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

The most common pneumonia-causing bacteria are pneumococcus, haemophilus influenza type b (HiB), and staphylococci.

There are many viruses that cause pneumonia, for example rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus. In fact, the measles virus (morbilli) can cause complications that can lead to pneumonia.

The Ministry of Health estimates that 800 thousand children in Indonesia have pneumonia.

About 15 percent of child deaths in the world are caused by pneumonia, so this respiratory disease in this child is quite serious and must be handled properly.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children include:

• Cough continuously
• Fever
• Sweating and shivering
• Irregular breathing
• The baby shows vomiting and weakness

Infants aged 0-2 years are at very risk of developing pneumonia, so they need special care.

How to deal with pneumonia in children

If the child has pneumonia, the doctor will immediately perform laboratory tests to determine the condition of the child's lungs.

In babies, additional oxygen is needed to help them breathe properly.

The way to prevent respiratory disease in this one child is to provide complete immunization to the baby.

Immunization associated with pneumonia can reduce the incidence of pneumonia by up to 50 percent.

IDAI has recommended giving PCV immunization for children aged 2 months to 5 years.

5. Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that can affect anyone, including children.

This one health problem can cause repeated attacks, such as high breathing, coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing.

Asthma causes the respiratory tract to become narrowed. This condition occurs when substances that create irritants or allergens get into it.

This respiratory disease often occurs in children who have other allergies, such as eczema.

How to treat asthma in children

Children with asthma need to consult a doctor to keep them in good condition.

Usually the doctor will give drugs that are used long-term to control inflammation or swelling in the child's airway.

There are also inhaled drugs in the form of an inhaler that relax the airways more quickly. This helps the child to breathe normally.

You need to take to the doctor if the respiratory disease in children has reached the stage:

• Wheezing that is severe until it doesn't get better even though you have been given asthma medication
• Difficulty breathing
• Cyanosis (bluish skin and lips)
• Wheezing that doesn't go away in five days

To prevent asthma in children, keep the house humidity at less than 50 percent. This is to reduce allergies to mold mites in several places, such as carpets.

6. Allergies

Quoting from Mott Children's Hospital Michigan Medicine, allergies can also trigger respiratory problems in children. This condition is characterized by several things, namely:

• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• The watery eyes are quite bad
• There are dark circles under the child's eyes
• Loss of appetite

In infants and children under 3 years, are more likely to get respiratory disease than those whose age is greater.

Overcoming allergies in children

If your child experiences respiratory problems and diseases due to allergies, you can avoid the triggers. If the child is allergic to dust and makes shortness of breath, clean the house regularly so as not to cause the child to have suffocation

7. Sinusitis

Quoting from Chocs Children, sinusitis is an inflammation or swelling of the tissue that lines the sinuses.

This fluid can build up in the air-filled sacs behind the nose and eyes, causing infection. Sinuses are often accompanied by colds and triggered by allergies.

Sinusitis can cause several conditions, such as:

• Pain behind the eyes and nose
• Very shortness of breath due to difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Cold

Sinusitis in children can last longer than adults because the drugs given cannot be arbitrary.

If the child has sinusitis and a bacterial infection occurs, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics.

8.Tuberculosis (TB)

WHO estimates that around 550 thousand children contract tuberculosis (TB) every year.

Although not much different from TB in adults, TB in children is considered more dangerous because it can appear quickly after the bacteria infect.

In children, TB is transmitted through adults who have tuberculosis. However, if the child has been diagnosed with TB, he will not pass it on to other children.

The main source of infection for tuberculosis in children is the living environment where adults with TB live.

Quoting from the official website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), the symptoms of respiratory disease in this one child are:

• Fever longer than 2 weeks (usually not very high).
• Appetite and body weight decreased or did not increase in 2 consecutive months.
• Cough that persists or gets worse for more than 3 weeks.
• The child looks lethargic and does not look as active as usual.
• There is a lump in the neck (generally more than one).
• Close contact with people with active pulmonary TB

Even so, none of the symptoms above are specific as a feature of TB considering that other chronic diseases can also have the same symptoms.

So, if parents see that their child has the above signs and want to see a doctor, how to diagnose the right way with the Mantoux test. This test is done in two visits.

At the first visit, the doctor will inject a tuberculin fluid into the skin of the forearm. The results were observed at the next visit.

Children are said to be positive for TB infection if a lump appears like a mosquito bite at the injection area after 48-72 hours.

The doctor will usually recommend a follow-up examination consisting of a chest x-ray, sputum examination, and blood tests.

If tested positive for tuberculosis-type respiratory disease, your little one will undergo routine treatment for six months.

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