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Bronchiolitis is an infection which causes the
bronchioles, which are the small airways to the lungs to constrict or
tighten due to excess phlegm, it can be a very serious disease and very
young babies may even be have to hospitalised as a result of the infection.
It is a condition which is more usually seen in the very early spring
or winter months and the medical term is respiratory syncytial virus or
RSV for short. The typical symptoms of the illness in very young babies
is
* A persistent cough
* Wheezing
* Difficulty in breathing
* A large amount of phlegm
* A decrease in appetite and drinking
How is the illness treated?
As the illness is a viral disease antibiotics don't usually help; treatment
therefore will normally depend on the severity of the infection and is
usually supportive. Most young babies who have the disease do still feed
and drink well although they may cough and wheeze, if this is the case
then the infection will usually clear up itself within a few days and
no other form of medication is needed.
However if the disease is causing distress then it may be advisable to
admit the baby to hospital for oxygen and in the severest of cases a medication
called salbutamol which is given to asthmatics will be offered. One of
the most important aspects is getting rid of the excess phlegm that builds
up and which causes the baby to wheeze by blocking the airways.
Does Bronchiolitis cause asthma?
Doctors differ in their opinion about whether the disease can turn into
asthma, as the symptoms of the two diseases are in fact very similar.
Asthma however is defined as a disease which reoccurs as episodes of wheezing,
coughing and having difficulty in breathing. Some experts say that a child
who has asthma is more prone to developing RSV while others insist that
it the onset of RSV which triggers an asthma attack.
As a general guide if the child had reoccurring attacks of breathlessness
combined with a cough then asthma is usually diagnosed rather than RSV.
Who is most at risk from the disease?
If the baby was born prematurely or one that is known to have chronic
respiratory problems or problems with the heart then they are usually
at a higher risk of developing the disease.
Due to this factor a special vaccine was developed for those babies who
are thought to be at a higher risk, the vaccine protects these babies
against developing RSV.
If you think your baby might be at a higher risk of developing the disease
then ask your health visitor or Doctor about it .
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