Croup is a respiratory infection. It is especially seen in infancy and childhood.
What is Croup?
Respiratory tract infections are among the common diseases in society. These infections; It especially affects infants, children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, and those with a chronic respiratory disease. The disease can also occur in adolescence, but croup in adults is an extremely rare condition. Croup may resolve spontaneously without treatment or may require hospitalization.
Croup disease; It occurs as a result of viral infection in the larynx (larynx), windpipe (trachea), and bronchi. As a result of the infection, swelling occurs in the larynx and nearby organs, and this leads to respiratory distress. One of the questions asked about the disease is 'What is croup?'. Croup means hoarse cry in English.
In croup disease; Patients experience a hoarse, barking cough due to stenosis of the airways and swelling of the vocal cords. For this reason, the disease was named croup. Croup disease initially resembles the flu in terms of symptoms. When the disease progresses:
- Crying,
- Cough and barking-like cough that increases with restlessness
- Fever
- Muffled voice, hoarse voice,
- Symptoms such as whistling sounds during breathing may be seen.
Croup symptoms usually become more pronounced at night and the symptoms last 3-5 days. Children's airways are narrower than adults. For this reason, while croup does not cause serious problems in adults, undesirable conditions may develop more quickly in children. Especially children:
- Makes a loud, high-pitched sound both when inhaling and exhaling
- Has respiratory distress even when not crying or restless
- Can't drool and have difficulty swallowing
- If he seems restless, agitated, or apathetic and tired
- If he is breathing faster than normal
- If he has difficulty in breathing
- If he has mouth, nose and mouth If the nails show signs of cyanosis, such as a gray-blue coloration, these are events that require immediate medical attention. Therefore, one of these Children who show one or more of them and their families should apply to the nearest health center.
Who Is Most Commonly Seen With Croup?
The most risky group for croup is 6 months - 3 years old group. In infants in this group, croup may cause more severe symptoms. Babies' airways are narrow, and swelling around the larynx due to infection can lead to obstruction of the already narrow airway.
What Causes Croup?
Croup disease; It usually develops as a result of a viral infection.
Parainfluenza, Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), rhinovirus; It is one of the most common causes of croup.
Factors such as allergic substance exposure and bacterial infection may also cause croup, but these conditions are very rare. The virus can enter the body by breathing in droplets in the air, which contain the virus. In addition, touching items, surfaces contaminated with the virus and then taking the hands to the mouth, nose, and eyes cause the virus to be taken into the body.
What Can Be Done to Prevent Croup?
To prevent croup There are several applications that can be made. As in other viral infections, the basic prevention method in croup is the application of hygiene rules.
- Washing hands frequently with soapy water,
- Maintaining the distance with the person who has the disease,
- Precautions such as covering the mouth area with the elbow in cases such as coughing and sneezing can prevent the spread of croup.
How to Diagnose Croup?
To the Doctor to the applicant families; Questions such as what the patient's symptoms are, how long they have lasted, and in which situations they worsen or decrease can be asked. In the diagnosis of croup, the patient's history and physical examination are usually sufficient. The doctor monitors the patient's movements during breathing. Listens to the patient's chest with a stethoscope. Examination of the patient's throat ess is done. In the light of all these, the diagnosis is made. In some cases, various imaging methods such as chest X-ray may be used to exclude other possible diseases in the diagnosis.
How to Treat Croup?
The treatment of croup is based on the severity of the symptoms and the general condition of the patient. Most patients recover with home treatment. Hospitalization may be required in patients who do not improve with home treatment or who have severe symptoms. · Medication can be started according to the patient's symptoms. If necessary, inhaler therapy can be started. Patients with severe symptoms may need to be hospitalized so that they can be closely monitored and treated.
Croup is a condition that usually resolves within a few days. There are various recommendations that families can apply at home to get through the healing process more easily and quickly. Tips for quick recovery are as follows:
- Keep the child calm: Behaviors such as restlessness and crying cause the child's symptoms to worsen. During crying, the airway may become more obstructed. For this reason, behaviors such as soothing the child, singing a lullaby or reading a book, playing quiet games with him can help the child relax. This method can be used to ensure that the child breathes more easily.
- Keep the child in an upright position: It is beneficial for the child who is suffering from the disease to sit on the lap or high chair. Breathing is made easier in an upright position.
- Make sure that the patient consumes plenty of fluids: It is of great importance that the fluid requirement of the body is met, especially in cases of illness. Patients may be delaying drinking water and consuming liquids due to discomfort. Milk or formula of sick infants; Children need to take enough fluids with liquid foods.
- Make the patient rest: Rest and sleep, healing of infectious diseases contributes positively to its growth. Therefore, it is recommended for the sick person to rest enough and not to tire himself.
- Use antipyretic when necessary: Croup causes fever in some people. It may be beneficial for patients suffering from high fever to use antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol. For this reason, drugs that the doctor does not prescribe should not be used.
- Be with the child at night: Although the symptoms of croup may seem to improve during the day, they may become more severe at night. Keeping the child under surveillance and being close to the child during the night can be beneficial in terms of noticing the aggravation of the disease and taking immediate action.
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