How does COVID-19 affect the respiratory system. What are the potential lung complications of coronavirus infection. How can patients support lung health during COVID-19 recovery. What breathing exercises help clear the lungs after COVID-19.

The Respiratory Journey of COVID-19: From Infection to Lung Complications

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness that targets the lungs, with varying degrees of severity. The virus enters the body through droplets from an infected person’s respiratory secretions, typically via coughing, sneezing, or even normal breathing. These droplets can be airborne or settle on surfaces, which people may then touch and inadvertently transfer to their eyes, nose, or mouth.

Once the virus gains entry, it seeks to establish itself in the mucous membranes of the nose or throat. The incubation period can last up to 14 days before initial symptoms such as fever, sore throat, or dry cough manifest. As the infection progresses, the virus can migrate down the respiratory tract and infiltrate the lungs, potentially causing inflammation and infection that impairs breathing.

How does COVID-19 impact lung function?

COVID-19 can affect lung function in several ways:

• Inflammation of lung tissue
• Infection of the air sacs (alveoli)
• Reduced oxygen exchange capacity
• Increased mucus production
• Potential development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

In severe cases, COVID-19 can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a potentially life-threatening condition. ARDS causes the air sacs to close off and triggers widespread lung inflammation, significantly hindering the ability to breathe.

Breathing Exercises: A Key to Lung Health During COVID-19 Recovery

While most COVID-19 cases resolve with mild to moderate symptoms, maintaining lung health is crucial during recovery. Deep breathing exercises have proven beneficial for many patients. These exercises can help expand lung capacity, improve oxygen intake, and assist in clearing mucus from the airways.

What is the recommended deep breathing technique for COVID-19 recovery?

A British doctor recently demonstrated an effective deep breathing exercise on The Today Show. Here’s how to perform it:

1. Inhale slowly and deeply
2. Hold the breath for five seconds
3. Exhale slowly
4. Repeat this process five times
5. On the fifth repetition, end with a cough to expel any mucus

For those who are ill, this exercise can be performed every couple of hours.

The Role of Spirometry in Lung Health Monitoring

Many patients who have undergone surgery may be familiar with spirometry exercises. A spirometer is a device used to measure lung capacity and function. Patients breathe into a tube connected to the device, which moves a piston to indicate the volume of air inhaled and exhaled.

How does spirometry aid in COVID-19 recovery?

Spirometry serves multiple purposes in COVID-19 recovery:

• Measures lung capacity
• Encourages deep breathing
• Helps monitor progress in lung function recovery
• Assists in identifying potential complications

Healthcare providers often send COVID-19 patients home with a spirometer to continue breathing exercises during their recovery period. This allows for ongoing monitoring and maintenance of lung health even after hospital discharge.

Prone Positioning: A Simple Technique with Significant Benefits

In more severe COVID-19 cases, healthcare professionals employ a technique called prone positioning. This involves placing patients on their stomachs rather than their backs. While it may seem counterintuitive, this position can significantly improve oxygen flow and lung function.

Why is prone positioning effective for COVID-19 patients?

Prone positioning offers several advantages:

• Reduces pressure on certain lung sections
• Opens up the lungs more fully
• Improves oxygen distribution throughout the lungs
• Can help prevent the need for mechanical ventilation in some cases

Joan Cecich, system director of respiratory care at Edward-Elmhurst Health, explains, “You’re able to get more oxygen to where you need it.” This technique is used both for hospitalized patients and those recovering at home under medical guidance.

Home Recovery Tools: Empowering Patients in Their Healing Journey

For COVID-19 patients who are discharged to recover at home, healthcare providers often supply tools to aid in their recovery and monitor their progress. These tools help patients take an active role in their healing process and provide valuable data to medical professionals.

What tools are provided to COVID-19 patients for home recovery?

Typically, patients are sent home with two key devices:

1. Spirometer: For performing deep breathing exercises
2. Pulse oximeter: To monitor blood oxygen levels

Patients receive instructions on how to use these devices and what to do if their oxygen levels drop below a certain threshold. This approach allows for continued monitoring and early intervention if complications arise.

Ongoing Care: The Importance of Follow-up in COVID-19 Recovery

Recovery from COVID-19 doesn’t end at hospital discharge. Ongoing care and monitoring are crucial components of the healing process, especially for those who experienced more severe symptoms or complications.

How is follow-up care managed for COVID-19 patients?

Follow-up care typically involves several elements:

• Regular check-ins with healthcare providers
• Continued use of home recovery tools
• Reporting of pulse oximeter readings to case managers
• Ongoing breathing exercises with the spirometer
• Monitoring for any new or worsening symptoms

This comprehensive approach ensures that patients receive continued support throughout their recovery journey and allows for prompt medical intervention if needed.

Beyond COVID-19: Lung Health in Chronic Respiratory Conditions

While the focus has been on COVID-19, it’s important to remember that many of these lung health strategies are beneficial for individuals with other chronic respiratory conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

What techniques can help clear the lungs in COPD?

For individuals with COPD, several techniques can help clear the lungs and improve breathing:

1. Controlled coughing: This technique helps loosen and move mucus through the airways
2. Postural drainage: Lying in different positions to help drain mucus from specific areas of the lungs
3. Chest percussion: Gentle tapping on the chest and back to loosen mucus

These methods, when used regularly and correctly, can significantly improve lung function and quality of life for those with chronic respiratory conditions.

The Future of Respiratory Care: Lessons Learned from COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to respiratory health and care. As we continue to navigate this global health crisis, the lessons learned are shaping the future of respiratory medicine and patient care.

How has COVID-19 influenced respiratory care practices?

The pandemic has led to several advancements and changes in respiratory care:

• Increased focus on preventive respiratory health measures
• Development of new breathing exercise protocols
• Improved understanding of prone positioning benefits
• Enhanced home monitoring capabilities for respiratory patients
• Greater emphasis on patient education regarding lung health

These developments are likely to have lasting impacts on how we approach respiratory care, benefiting not only COVID-19 patients but also those with other respiratory conditions.

As our understanding of COVID-19 and its long-term effects continues to evolve, so too will our approaches to treatment and recovery. The respiratory care techniques and strategies developed during this pandemic will undoubtedly contribute to improved lung health management for years to come. It’s crucial for individuals to stay informed about the latest recommendations and to work closely with healthcare providers to maintain optimal lung health, whether recovering from COVID-19 or managing other respiratory conditions.

How COVID-19 Affects Your Lungs – Making it Hurt to Breathe

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that targets the lungs.

For many, the virus will present with mild to moderate symptoms and will not require hospitalization. But for others, the disease can be more serious and lead to hospitalization, critical care, and in some cases it can be fatal.

COVID-19 starts with droplets from an infected person’s cough, sneeze or breath. Those droplets can be in the air or on surfaces that you touch, which you can then transfer when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Once the virus enters your body, it looks for a home in the mucous membranes in your nose or throat. It can be 14 days before you realize you have been infected and experience early symptoms such as a fever, sore throat or dry cough.

The virus can continue to move down your respiratory tract eventually landing in your lungs, where it can cause inflammation and infection, making it more difficult to breathe.

The most serious cases of COVID-19 involve lung infections where the virus can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, which can be potentially fatal as it closes off air sacs and causes inflammation of the lungs, making breathing difficult.

Although most COVID-19 cases resolve with mild to moderate symptoms, it is important to keep the lungs healthy during this time. For many patients, deep breathing exercises can be helpful.

The Today show recently featured a British doctor who demonstrated deep breathing. Here’s how it works:

• Take a slow, deep breath in.
• Hold it for five seconds, then slowly exhale.
• Repeat five times, ending the fifth repetition with a cough to expel any mucous.

If you are ill, you can do this exercise every couple of hours.

Patients who have had surgery in the past are probably familiar with this exercise. Oftentimes, the exercise is done with a spirometer and patients breathe in through a tube and move a piston up the device to measure their breaths.

Taking in a slow, deep breath and then coughing helps open the lower part of the lungs, where infection can set in, and dislodge any mucous that may have collected there.

In more serious COVID-19 cases, physicians also position patients in the hospital on their stomachs (called prone positioning). Lying on your back can put pressure on some sections of the lung, but proning opens the lungs, helping oxygen flow.

“You’re able to get more oxygen to where you need it,” said Joan Cecich, system director of respiratory care at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Cecich said hospital staff are using these techniques with hospitalized patients as well as with those patients who have been discharged from the hospital and are recovering at home.

She noted that patients with COVID-19 who come to the Emergency Department but are discharged to recover at home, are sent home with a couple of tools to aid in their recovery from the virus.

Each patient receives a spirometer to use for deep breathing exercises at home, and a pulse oximeter to monitor their blood oxygen levels, with instructions on what to do if those levels dip.

Patients who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and are discharged to go home also are sent home with a spirometer to continue their breathing exercises.

Follow-up care also includes patients reporting their pulse oximeter readings through text to a case manager from the Emergency Department.

Use our symptom checker for additional information about COVID-19.

Get the latest coronavirus information from Edward-Elmhurst Health.

The information in this article may change at any time due to the changing landscape of this pandemic. Read the latest on COVID-19.

COPD: Clearing Your Lungs | CS Mott Children’s Hospital

Introduction

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a long-term illness that makes it hard to breathe. When you have COPD, air does not flow easily into and out of your lungs. You may be short of breath, cough a lot, and have a lot of mucus in your lungs. Learning to clear your lungs may help you save energy and oxygen and may also help prevent lung infections.

There are three things you can do to clear your lungs:

• Controlled coughing. This type of coughing comes from deep in your lungs. It loosens mucus and moves it though your airways.
• Postural drainage. You lie down in different positions to help drain mucus from your lungs.
• Chest percussion. You lightly tap your chest and back. The tapping loosens the mucus in your lungs.

How do you do controlled coughing, postural drainage, and chest percussion?

Controlled coughing

Coughing is how your body tries to get rid of mucus. But the kind of coughing you cannot control makes things worse. It causes your airways to close. It also traps the mucus in your lungs.

Controlled coughing comes from deep in your lungs. It loosens mucus and moves it though your airways. It is best to do it after you use your inhaler or other medicine. Follow these steps for controlled coughing:

• Sit on the edge of a chair, and keep both feet on the floor.
• Lean forward a little, and relax.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose, and fold your arms over your belly.
• As you exhale, lean forward. Push your arms against your belly.
• Cough 2 or 3 times as you exhale with your mouth slightly open. Make the coughs short and sharp. Push on your belly with your arms as you cough. The first cough brings the mucus through the lung airways. The next coughs bring it up and out.
• Inhale again, but do it slowly and gently through your nose. Do not take quick or deep breaths through your mouth. It can block the mucus coming out of the lungs. It also can cause uncontrolled coughing.
• Rest, and repeat if you need to.

Postural drainage

Postural drainage means lying down in different positions to help drain mucus from your lungs.

Hold each position for 5 minutes. Do it about 30 minutes after you use your inhaler. Make sure you have an empty stomach. If you need to cough, sit up and do controlled coughing.

Follow these steps for postural drainage:

• Lie down on a bed or the floor. Use pillows to help you with different positions.

• To drain the front of your lungs

  • Lie on your back. Make sure that your chest is lower than your hips. Put two pillows under your hips. Use a small pillow under your head. Keep your arms at your sides.
  • Then follow these instructions for breathing: With one hand on your belly and the other on your chest, breathe in. Push your belly out as far as possible. You should be able to feel the hand on your belly move out, while the hand on your chest should not move. When you breathe out, you should be able to feel the hand on your belly move in. This is called belly breathing or diaphragmatic (say “die-uh-fruhg-MAT-ik”) breathing. You will use it in the other drainage positions too.

• To drain the sides of your lungs

  • Do this step as you lie on one side. Then turn over, and do it on the other side.
  • Place two or three pillows under your hips. Use a small pillow under your head. Make sure your chest is lower than your hips. Use belly breathing. After 5 or 10 minutes, switch sides.

• To drain the back of your lungs

  • Lie on your stomach.
  • Place two or three pillows under your hips. Use a small pillow under your head.
  • Place your arms by your head.
  • Use belly breathing.

Chest percussion

Chest percussion means that you lightly tap your chest and back. The tapping loosens the mucus in your lungs.

Follow these steps to do chest percussion:

• Cup your hand, and lightly tap your chest and back.
• Ask your doctor where the best spots are to tap. Avoid your spine and breastbone.
• It may be easier to have someone do the tapping for you.

Credits

Current as of:
October 26, 2020

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine
Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine
Hasmeena Kathuria MD – Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine

Current as of: October 26, 2020

Author:
Healthwise Staff

Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & Hasmeena Kathuria MD – Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine

How to Cough Up Mucus & Phlegm

People with respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis often produce a large amount of mucus.  If the mucus is allowed to collect in the airways, breathing may become difficult, and infection may occur. Review various techniques for adult and pediatric patients:

How to Cough Up Phlegm & Mucus to Relieve Chest Congestion in Adults

Techniques to cough up mucus are often done after using an inhaled bronchodilator medication. The medication helps loosen the mucus and open the airways to make the techniques more effective. Common techniques used to help remove mucus include these, which can be ordered and demonstrated by your doctor.

• Deep Coughing: Start by taking a deep breath. Hold the breath for 2-3 seconds. Use your stomach muscles to forcefully expel the air. Avoid a hacking cough or merely clearing the throat. A deep cough is less tiring and more effective in clearing mucus out of the lungs.

• Huff Coughing: Huff coughing, or huffing, is an alternative to deep coughing if you have trouble clearing your mucus. Take a breath that is slightly deeper than normal. Use your stomach muscles to make a series of three rapid exhalations with the airway open, making a “ha, ha, ha” sound. Follow this by controlled diaphragmatic breathing and a deep cough if you feel mucus moving.

• Other Techniques: If you produce a large amount of mucus, your health care provider may recommend other techniques to help clear the mucus.

  
  

  • Devices such as the Acapella^® or Aerobika^® are small devices into which you exhale.

  • Postural drainage is a technique that uses gravity to promote drainage of mucus from the lungs.

  • Each technique can be ordered and demonstrated by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider if this may be helpful for you.

• Exercise is also a good way to help bring up mucus in the lungs.  

How to Remove Mucus from Lungs of Infants and Children

Manual Chest Physiotherapy

Infants and children with some lung conditions (bronchiectasis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, cystic fibrosis and other conditions) often produce a large amount of mucus. If the mucus is allowed to collect in the airways, breathing may become difficult, and infection may occur. Airway clearance measures, including chest physiotherapy, help clear the mucus. Chest percussion with huff or deep coughing can help clear the mucus in the lungs. Huff and deep coughing are described in more detail below.

The best technique for your child will be prescribed by your health care provider. Correct technique is very important. A member of your health care team will show you how to use these techniques. The team member will also observe your technique. It is also important to have your technique checked periodically to make sure you continue to use it correctly to obtain the most benefit. Chest percussion and coughing techniques are described in more detail below.

Manual Chest Percussion

This is sometimes called clapping. A percursor device may also be used instead of bare hands. To the right is a picture of a small (blue or pink) and large (tan) percursor device.

•  Here’s where a parent, family member or health care professional may help the infant or child. Your infant or child will lie in a number of positions, described below, for chest percussion.

• Do chest percussion 30 minutes before or after eating.

• Place a towel or T-shirt over the chest for comfort.

• The helper will hold his or her hands in a relaxed, cupped position (see picture to the right).  Do not slap with a flat hand. A precursor (pictured above the cupped hand) may be also be used.

• Keeping the wrists loose and moving the arms and elbow, clap over the rib cage, taking care not to hit directly over the heart, abdomen or kidneys.

• Using a smooth rhythm, you should clap for about two minutes in each position.

• Clapping should be firm, but not painful. When done correctly, this will make a popping sound. With a little practice, this technique is easy to master.

Chest Therapy Positions

These positions work with the natural effects of gravity to promote airway clearance. You can hold your infant in your lap for these positions. For children, pillows may be used to create the proper positions. Someone may help you with chest percussion (clapping).

Your child’s health care provider will show you which positions are best to use for your child.

Remember, for children, pillows may be used on a couch or bed to create the proper positions.

Chest Wall Vibration

After each chest therapy position and percussion chest wall vibration may be performed. A parent, family member or health care professional will have to perform this therapy also. Vibration is performed in the same area as chest percussion. Your child stays in the positions (described above) during this therapy. Your child takes a deep breath in and then exhales. The helper holds his or her hand flat against the area of the lung to be drained and then produces a gentle shaking movement while the child exhales.

Coughing

After each chest therapy position and vibration, encourage your child to do several deep or huff coughs to help clear the mucus.

• Deep coughing — If your child is able to do this, an effective cough is helpful to clear mucus. Your child takes a deep breath and holds the breath for 2-3 seconds. Then your child forcefully expels the air. Avoid a hacking cough or merely clearing the throat. A deep cough is less tiring and more effective in clearing mucus out of the lungs.

• Huff coughing – Huff coughing is an alternative to deep coughing if your child has trouble clearing the mucus. Your child takes a breath that is slightly deeper than normal. Then your child makes a series of 3 rapid exhalations with the airway open, making a “ha, ha, ha” sound.

It is important to talk with your health care provider about the technique or techniques to bring up mucus that are best for your infant or child. If you are doing chest percussion, ask what positions which will work best for your infant or child. Remember, talk with your health care provider about your illness and developing techniques to bring up mucus that are best for your child.

Rattling in Chest, Cough & 9 More Symptoms of Bronchitis to Know

We’ve all heard of bronchitis—and we’ve all *heard* bronchitis. Bronchitis symptoms are pretty distinct: The rattling in your chest. The wheezing. The lingering congestion and mucus. When these symptoms hit, you probably have a feeling that it’s something more than a common cold.

Not just any run-of-the-mill, tickle-in-the-throat cough, bronchitis is a respiratory condition in which the lining of your bronchial tubes become inflamed, the Mayo Clinic explains. These tubes are especially important because they carry air both to and from your lungs, which is why bronchitis causes coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms that may affect your ability to breathe normally. Cue the rattling in chest noises.

What causes bronchitis?

Bronchitis is usually brought on by a viral infection, like a cold or the flu, piling on top of an already miserable state of affairs. In fact, research suggests that 85 to 95 percent of acute bronchitis cases are caused by viruses that make their way into the respiratory system.

While the underlying virus is almost always contagious, bronchitis itself is not. What’s more, not everyone is going to get it, or get it every time they are sick. “These viruses do not necessarily cause bronchitis in all hosts,” Kanao Otsu, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine in the division of allergy and immunology at National Jewish Health, tells SELF. If two people have the same initial illness, one may end up with bronchitis while the other gets off scot-free.

“Having an underlying lung disease such as asthma, cigarette smoke exposure, work exposures to certain chemicals and irritants, can all increase one’s risk for developing acute bronchitis,” Dr. Otsu says.

Here are the most common bronchitis symptoms to look out for.

Rattling in chest and raspy cough

A cough that’s caused by bronchitis is often accompanied by mucus in your chest (we’ll get to that next), which may or may not come up when you cough (when it does, it’s called a “productive” cough). That can cause a sensation of rattling deep in your chest when you breathe in or cough.

Mucus

The color of the mucus can vary from clear to yellow or green, depending on what infection or virus you’ve got. Once the virus is gone and the mucus dissipates, the lingering cough may become dry.

Wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness

“[The cough] may also be associated with chest tightness and wheezing, which can persist for five to six weeks,” Dr. Otsu adds. Wheezing is when your breaths make a whistling or rattling sound because your airways are blocked–it’s common in those with asthma. When your breathing is a bit labored, you may also experience shortness of breath.”

Sore throat

Coughing as much as you do when you have bronchitis can make your throat irritated and sore, Dr. Otsu says.

Low fever, chills, fatigue, or headache

Making matters a bit more complicated is the fact that bronchitis usually appears on top of the symptoms of whatever viral illness you originally had. So you may experience things like a fever and headache as well (you can blame the flu for that, not the bronchitis).

How is bronchitis diagnosed?

In many cases, your doctor can diagnose bronchitis based on the presence of another illness (which is why keeping track of the progression of your symptoms is so important) and by listening to your lungs while you breathe, the Mayo Clinic says.

Bronchitis – causes, symptoms, treatment

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the airways of the lungs. It is caused by infection, cigarette smoking, and inhalation of environmental pollutants. 

The most common symptoms of bronchitis are coughing and wheezing. Treatment primarily involves the relief of symptoms and, in cases of long-term bronchitis, minimising damage to the airways.

What is bronchitis?

Bronchitis is one of the most common conditions for which people seek medical advice. It can be a short-term disease (acute bronchitis) or a long term disease (chronic bronchitis). It occurs mostly in winter, especially during outbreaks of the flu. 

Infection or irritation of the airways triggers them to inflame, narrow, and secrete thick mucus (phlegm) which clogs the small airways.  That cause causes the characteristic cough of bronchitis, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The cough may produce sputum, which is phlegm coughed up from the lungs. This is known as a ‘productive cough’ and is an attempt by the body to clear mucus that is clogging the airways.

With chronic bronchitis, long term inflammation can result in permanent damage to, and narrowing of, the airways which obstructs the flow of air in and out of the lungs. For this reason, chronic bronchitis is considered to be a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that results in the gradual worsening of lung function. It is estimated that at least 15% of New Zealanders over 45 years of age have COPD, with most cases linked to smoking.

People with bronchitis are more susceptible to developing pneumonia , which is a serious infection of the lungs.

Causes

The most common cause of acute bronchitis is viral infection (90% of cases), but bacterial infection and environmental irritants are also causes. Acute bronchitis usually occurs after having had a cold or flu. It also often occurs with or after childhood infections, such as measles, whooping cough (pertussis), and diphtheria. Exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke during pregnancy and in the household is strongly linked to recurrent bronchitis in infants and children.

Chronic bronchitis may result from a series of acute bronchitis episodes. In other people it may evolve gradually due to heavy cigarette smoking or breathing air contaminated with other environmental pollutants, including work-place (occupational) exposures. In addition to cigarette smoking, the list of causative substances includes coal dust, oil mist, cement dust, welding fumes, organic dusts, engine exhausts, fire smoke, and second-hand cigarette smoke. Most people diagnosed with chronic bronchitis are aged 45 years or older.

A person’s chronic bronchitis will likely get worse is they contract an infection of the airways, like a cold or flu.

Signs and symptoms

The most obvious symptom of acute bronchitis is a short-term dry hacking cough, which can become a productive cough that produces white or yellow sputum. Wheezing and shortness of breath may also be present. As with any infection, there may also be fever, sore throat, chills, aches and pains, and a general feeling of tiredness and being unwell. 

Children under five years old rarely have a productive cough.  Instead, sputum is usually seen in vomit, and parents will often hear a rattling sound in the chest.

The most common symptoms of chronic bronchitis are a recurrent or persistent productive cough, wheezing, and gradually worsening shortness of breath. Other symptoms include fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, and headaches. Severe coughing may cause chest pain and cyanosis, which is a blue/grey colouration of the skin. Recurrent infection of the airways is also a sign of chronic bronchitis. 

Because many symptoms of chronic bronchitis are similar to those of other lung conditions it is important that a doctor is consulted for a proper diagnosis.

Diagnosis

In acute bronchitis, coughing usually lasts between 10 to 20 days. There are no specific tests for acute bronchitis, although a chest x-ray may be requested if pneumonia is also suspected. Tests may be required if there is recurrent or persistent cough that suggests asthma or chronic bronchitis. Coughing for a period of greater than four weeks may be due to whooping cough (pertussis). 

Chronic bronchitis is defined as productive cough for at least three months a year for two years in a row. A doctor will discuss a person’s medical history (including cigarette smoking and inhalation of toxic substances) and do a physical examination. Testing may include a chest x-ray, sputum tests, and a spirometry test to measure lung function. An important part of the diagnosis is to distinguish chronic bronchitis from other lung conditions, such as chronic asthma and bronchiectasis.

Treatment for acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis will usually resolve on its own within a couple of weeks, with complete healing of the airways and return to full function. Hence, the aim of treatment is to control symptoms. Antibiotics are not usually effective because most cases of acute bronchitis are caused by viruses. They should only be used if bacterial infection is strongly suspected or confirmed by testing.

Treatment of acute bronchitis involves: 

• Adequate rest and fluid intake 
• Using medications available at the pharmacy to relieve muscle aches and pains and headaches, and to reduce fever 
• Using cough suppressants for a dry cough (i.e. a cough that does not produce sputum) but not a productive cough
• Using expectorants for productive cough, to help clear the airways of sputum
• Quiting smoking and avoidance of other airborne irritants
• Use of medications that open obstructed airways in people who have associated wheezing with their coughing or underlying asthma or COPD.

In children with acute bronchitis, the main target of treatment is the control of fever and aches and pains, which can be achieved with medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen from a pharmacy. 

People prone to bronchitis can try to avoid infections, such as colds and flus, through: 

• Regular hand washing and drying
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Avoiding contact with people who are unwell
• Reducing time spent in crowded places, especially during cold and flu season
• Getting an annual influenza vaccination and possibly vaccination that protects against some types of pneumonia.

Treatment for chronic bronchitis

The primary objective of treatment for chronic bronchitis is to control symptoms and to prevent further airway damage and narrowing. The most effective way of achieving this is to quit smoking and to avoid inhalation of environmental irritants and toxins. 

Education and exercise can help to maintain lung function and quality of life. Physiotherapy is useful for learning how to control breathing to avoid breathlessness and to clear phlegm from the lungs.

Medications used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis include:

• Bronchodilators (relievers) to open obstructed airways to make breathing easier
• Oral corticosteroids to control acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis
• Inhaled corticosteroids (preventers) to prevent acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis
• Use of a combined bronchodilator and inhaled corticosteroid to control persistent cough
• Antibiotics to control short term infections that cause worsening bronchitis symptoms.

Support and information

For people with chronic bronchitis, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation provides useful information on COPD and how to manage it, as well as links to COPD support groups around the country.

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ 
Phone: 04 499 4592
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.asthmafoundation.org.nz

References

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (2010). What is acute bronchitis? (PDF). Wellington: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand (Inc.). https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/assets.asthmafoundation.org.nz/documents/What-Is-Acute-Bronchitis-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (2010). What is chronic bronchitis? (PDF). Wellington: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand (Inc.). https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/assets.asthmafoundation.org.nz/documents/What-Is-Choronic-Bronchitis-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (Date not stated). Living with COPD (Web Page). Wellington: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand (Inc.). https://www.asthmafoundation.org.nz/your-health/living-with-copd [Accessed: 28/10/20]Carolan, P.L. (2019). Paediatric bronchitis (Web page). Medscape Reference: Drugs and Diseases. New York, NY: WebMD LLC. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1001332-overview [Accessed:28/10/20]
Jazeela Fayyaz, D.O. (2020). Bronchitis (Web page). Medscape Reference: Drugs and Diseases. New York, NY: WebMD LLC. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/297108-overview [Accessed: 28/10/20]
Ministry of Health (2008). A Portrait of health – Key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey (Report PDF). Wellington: Ministry of Health. http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/portrait-of-health-june08.pdf
O’Toole, M.T. (Ed.) (2017). Bronchitis. Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions (10th ed.). St Louis, MI: Elsevier.

Last reviewed: October 2020

Bronchiolitis-RSV

Is this your child’s symptom?

• Your child has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis
• It’s an infection of the smallest airways in the lungs
• Caused by a virus called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)
• Wheezing during the first 2 years of life is often caused by bronchiolitis
• You wonder if your child needs to be seen again

Symptoms of Bronchiolitis

• Wheezing is the main symptom that helps with diagnosis. Wheezing is a high-pitched purring or whistling sound.
• You can hear it best when your child is breathing out.
• Rapid breathing at a rate of over 40 breaths per minute.
• Tight breathing (having to work hard to push air out).
• Coughing (may cough up very sticky mucus).
• Fever and a runny nose often start before the breathing problems.
• The average age for getting bronchiolitis is 6 months (range: birth to 2 years).
• Symptoms are like asthma.
• About 30% of children with bronchiolitis later do develop asthma. This is more likely if they have close family members with asthma. Also likely if they have bronchiolitis more than 2 times.

Cause of Bronchiolitis

• A narrowing of the smallest airways in the lung (bronchioles) causes wheezing. This narrowing results from swelling caused by a virus.
• The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes most bronchiolitis. RSV occurs in epidemics almost every winter.
• People do not develop life-long immunity to the RSV virus. This means they can be infected many times.

Trouble Breathing: How to Tell

Trouble breathing is a reason to see a doctor right away. Respiratory distress is the medical name for trouble breathing. Here are symptoms to worry about:

• Struggling for each breath or short of breath.
• Tight breathing so that your child can barely speak or cry.
• Ribs are pulling in with each breath (called retractions).
• Breathing has become noisy (such as wheezes).
• Breathing is much faster than normal.
• Lips or face turn a blue color.

Diagnosis of Bronchiolitis

• A doctor can diagnose bronchiolitis by listening to the chest with a stethoscope.

Prevention of Spread to Others

• Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often. After coughing or sneezing are important times.

When to Call for Bronchiolitis-RSV

Call 911 Now

• Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, can barely speak or cry)
• Passed out or stopped breathing
• Lips or face are bluish when not coughing
• You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Trouble breathing, but not severe
• Lips or face have turned bluish, but only during coughing
• New harsh sound with breathing in (called stridor)
• Wheezing (purring or whistling sound) is worse than when seen
• Breathing is much faster than when seen
• Dehydration suspected. No urine in more than 8 hours, dark urine, very dry mouth, no tears.
• High-risk child (such as chronic lung disease) and getting worse
• Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
• Age less than 6 months old and worse in any way
• Fever over 104° F (40° C)
• Your child looks or acts very sick
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Nonstop coughing spells
• Trouble feeding worse than when seen
• Earache or ear drainage
• Fever lasts more than 3 days
• Fever returns after being gone more than 24 hours
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Coughing causes vomiting 3 or more times
• Mild wheezing sounds lasts more than 7 days
• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Bronchiolitis same or better than when last seen

Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Care Advice for Bronchiolitis

1. What You Should Know About Bronchiolitis:
   • Bronchiolitis is common during the first 2 years of life.
   • Most children just have coughing and fast breathing.
   • Some develop wheezing. This means the lower airway is getting tight.
   • If you were given a follow-up appointment, be sure to keep it.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Asthma Medicines:
   • Some children with bronchiolitis are helped by asthma-type medicines. Most children are not helped by these medicines.
   • If one has been prescribed for your child, give it as instructed.
   • Keep giving the medicine until your child’s wheezing is gone for 24 hours.
3. Coughing Fits or Spells:
   • Breathe warm mist (such as with shower running in a closed bathroom).
   • Give warm clear fluids to drink. Examples are apple juice and lemonade.
   • Amount. If 3 – 12 months of age, give 1 ounce (30 mL) each time. Limit to 4 times per day. If over 1 year of age, give as much as needed.
   • Reason: Both relax the airway and loosen up any phlegm.
4. Homemade Cough Medicine:
   • Do not give any over-the-counter cough medicine to children with wheezing. Instead, treat the cough using these tips:
   • Age 3 months to 1 year: Give warm clear fluids to treat the cough. Examples are apple juice and lemonade. Amount: Use a dose of 1-3 teaspoons (5-15 mL). Give 4 times per day when coughing. Caution: Do not use honey until 1 year old.
   • Age 1 year and older: Use honey ½ to 1 teaspoon (2-5 mL) as needed. It works as a homemade cough medicine. It can thin the mucus and loosen the cough. If you don’t have any honey, you can use corn syrup.
5. Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:
   • Your baby can’t nurse or drink from a bottle if the nose is blocked. Suction alone can’t remove dry or sticky mucus.
   • Use saline (salt water) nose drops or spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don’t have saline, you can use a few drops of bottled water or clean tap water. If under 1 year old, use bottled water or boiled tap water.
   • Step 1: Put 3 drops in each nostril. (If age under 1 year old, use 1 drop).
   • Step 2: Suction each nostril out while closing off the other nostril. Then, do the other side.
   • Step 3: Repeat nose drops and suctioning until the discharge is clear.
   • How often: Do nasal saline when your child can’t breathe through the nose. Limit: No more than 4 times per day.
   • Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
   • Other option: use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in the moist air, then suction.
6. Humidifier:
   • If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier. Reason: Dry air makes coughs worse.
7. Smaller Feedings:
   • Use small, frequent feedings whenever your child has the energy to drink.
   • Reason: Children with wheezing don’t have enough energy for long feedings.
   • Offer enough fluids to prevent dehydration.
8. Avoid Tobacco Smoke:
   • Tobacco smoke makes coughs and wheezing much worse.
   • Don’t let anyone smoke around your child.
9. What to Expect:
   • Wheezing and rapid breathing most often improve over 2 or 3 days.
   • Mild wheezing sounds can last up to 1 week.
   • Coughing may last 3 weeks.
   • Some children (2%) with bronchiolitis need to be in the hospital. These children need oxygen or fluids given through a vein.
10. Return to Child Care:
    • Your child can return to child care after the wheezing and fever are gone.
11. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Trouble breathing occurs
    • Wheezing gets worse (becomes tight)
    • Trouble feeding occurs
    • Fever lasts more than 3 days
    • You think your child needs to be seen
    • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the ‘Call Your Doctor’ symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 11/19/2021

Last Revised: 10/21/2021

Copyright 2000-2021. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Coughing exercises

Hydration

Because it can be difficult to cough up mucus—especially with a weakened cough reflex—it is important to drink enough fluids to keep your mucus thin and loose. Check with your physician to determine how much fluid you should drink daily to keep your cough effective.

Humidify your home—or at least the rooms you sleep in or where you spend most of your time. Keep your humidifiers clean, as they are a possible source of infection.

Do not smoke, as smoking takes the moisture out of your mucus and makes the mucus thicker.

Exercises to Help Control your Coughing

Uncontrolled coughing can make you short of breath; try to control it as much as possible. Don’t forget to discuss with your physician which type of coughing exercise is best for you.

Perform these coughing maneuvers whenever you feel the need to cough or as instructed by your physician. A good controlled cough is especially helpful when you first get up in the morning and about an hour before you go to bed

Remember to sit up straight in a chair when attempting these coughing exercises, and have a tissue handy.

Exercise 1

1. Sit straight on a hard-backed, stable chair and relax.
2. Take in 2-3 deep breaths through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips.
3. Fold your arms across your abdomen.
4. Take in a comfortable, deep breath through your nose.
5. Lean forward, pressing your arms against your abdomen, and cough while leaning forward.
6. Relax; rest 5-10 minutes.
7. Perform again if needed.

Exercise 2

1. Sit up straight and relax.
2. Take in 2-3 breaths through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips.
3. Take in a moderately-deep breath, hold it, and make a “huff” sound in your throat.
4. When you feel comfortable with this exercise, try to “huff” 3-4 times while exhaling.

90,000 Immunologist named the most alarming symptom of COVID-19 – RBC

Russian doctor, immunologist-allergist Vladimir Bolibok said that one should be wary of such symptoms of coronavirus as shortness of breath.Especially if it is observed in combination with tachycardia. It is reported by “Lenta.ru”.

“If a person without fever has a rapid heart rate and shortness of breath, then this suggests that you need to sound the alarm, call a doctor, do CT [computed tomography] of the lungs,” Bolibok said.

To determine your breathing rate, you must sit down and breathe calmly. In a healthy person, it should be from 16 to 20 breaths per minute. “If breathing becomes more frequent, this indicates that respiratory failure is developing,” the doctor explained.At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that if a person’s temperature rises, it is more difficult for him to breathe.

Experts assess the statement about the timing of infectiousness of patients with coronavirus

Earlier in November, a virologist, professor of the N.F. Gamalei Anatoly Altstein named the main symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough, sore throat, loss of smell and taste. Later, Natalya Pshenichnaya, deputy director for clinical and analytical work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that ear congestion may be another sign of the disease. She cited data from a study in Turkey, according to which of 172 patients with coronavirus infection, 31 (18%) complained of ear congestion.

Allergies or bronchial asthma? | Philips

“Treatments for exacerbated bronchitis, exacerbation of asthma or pulmonary manifestations of allergies are very similar,” she said.

According to Fishbein, “bronchitis” is an inflammation of the airways, and getting a tissue sample from a person’s lungs to check for inflammation is difficult. Therefore, as in the case of asthma, the initial diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical manifestations, treatment is also carried out in the same way.

To distinguish between these three conditions, doctors perform special tests to assess lung function as well as allergy testing.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines asthma as a chronic lung disease in which the airways are inflamed and narrowed. With asthma, symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing occur periodically. The cough often appears at night or early in the morning.

Recurrent flare-ups of bronchitis in patients are essentially tantamount to having asthma, Fishbein noted.

Wheezing is also a symptom of so-called allergic asthma. According to Fishbein, a person may be allergic to certain factors that trigger wheezing and / or coughing. “From time to time, patients who do not have asthma may experience occasional allergic reactions to certain factors, usually caused by pets such as cats or dogs. Wheezing will appear only in the presence of such factors and never again. “

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, half of the 20 million people in the United States with asthma suffer from an allergic-type illness in which exacerbations are triggered by some specific factor.

Bronchitis mainly develops as a result of infection. When adult smokers often cough, they talk about chronic bronchitis. “However, in essence it is just a matter of terminology.One and the same condition may be called bronchitis by one doctor, and asthma by another, ”notes Fishbein.

According to Fishbein, to detect asthma, patients will most likely need to do a provocative test with methacholine. Doctors may order the methacholine challenge test, which is widely used to assess airway hyperresponsiveness, a hallmark of asthma.

Regardless of the diagnosis or cause of symptoms, patients should be evaluated by their healthcare professional if they experience any of the following symptoms: shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, or chest tightness.If the doctor suspects an allergy is the cause, he or she may refer the patient to an allergist. If at any point the patient becomes very difficult to breathe, they should immediately go to the emergency room.

Unfree breathing. When coughing and shortness of breath make it difficult to breathe fully | Healthy life | Health

Expert – Head of the Department of Evidence-Based Medicine, Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogova, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Pulmonology of the FMBA, Professor Zaurbek Aisanov .

We usually don’t think about how we breathe – how deeply and correctly. Until the breathing process suddenly starts to cause discomfort and a feeling of lack of air appears.

At risk

Breathing with deep breaths and full exhalations is a complex physiological process that requires muscle tension from the body. With age, the function of the lungs decreases, and if you do not play sports or at least do not take regular walks, if you smoke and very often get colds, then the chance of acquiring COPD after 50 years increases many times.Also at risk are workers in hazardous industries, cooks cooking on an open fire, patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis and chronic respiratory diseases.

Disappointing facts

According to WHO statistics, today COPD ranks third among the leading causes of death, second only to coronary heart disease and stroke. In real life, the number of patients is much higher. Experts suggest that only in Russia the number of people with COPD exceeds the official data by 10 times.According to the Russian Respiratory Society, over 11 million Russians can suffer from this disease.

Symptoms

In real life, COPD looks like this: a person tries with all his might to breathe deeply, inhales air, then exhales, but not completely – part of the air remains in the lungs, forming an “air cushion”. This is because the respiratory muscles are weak and the lung tissue is severely affected by the disease.

The first symptom of the disease is a cough, which people usually attribute to smoking or previous acute respiratory viral infections.

The second symptom of the disease is shortness of breath. At first, it occurs only with physical exertion. Later, it appears in a calm state, and the person loses the ability to walk at the same pace.

By the way

Doctors say that any prolonged cough and shortness of breath is a reason to suspect COPD (the diagnosis is confirmed by spirometry data – a study of the function of external respiration, because shortness of breath and cough can be symptoms of other serious diseases).

Reasons

Cough and shortness of breath do not develop from scratch.“Up to 90% of COPD cases can be prevented by quitting smoking. You have to understand that this is not just a cough and shortness of breath, but a very difficult and difficult disease to treat, – says Zaurbek Aisanov. – Therapy is to reduce its symptoms and reduce the frequency of exacerbations. Moreover, each of the exacerbations is always serious, because it further damages the lungs, can lead to acute respiratory failure and death. ”

What to do?

Treatment of COPD is a difficult task: to deliver drugs to the lungs, the patient must take a deep breath, which he is often not capable of.True, there are already drugs that do not require special efforts from the patient – he just needs to take a regular breath.

It is difficult for a person with COPD to be active, since any movement causes a lack of air, and he begins to suffocate. Nevertheless, it is imperative to engage in at least a very gentle mode: the more the patient restricts himself in movement, the more difficult it is for him to breathe even at rest.

Respiratory gymnastics for COPD

1. Inflate balloons: First, inflate 2-3 balloons a day, and very soon you will feel the strength to at least double their number.
2. Singing. Take a couple of vocal lessons from a professional teacher and ask him to show you exercises on the correct breathing technique that no singer can do without. You will be surprised how you will sing even in the absence of voice and outstanding vocal skills, but having mastered the breathing technique.
3. Swimming crawl on the chest with correct breaths above the water and exhalations underwater.
4. Cardio workouts on the treadmill (walking) and stationary bike, cross-country skiing.

90 099 90 000 how and when to call an ambulance for a child

Some parents think about whether to call an ambulance at a high temperature, and some call 03 at the slightest discomfort.Experts identify seven main reasons for calling an emergency medical service to a child:

1. Problems with breathing (shortness of breath)

The essence of shortness of breath is a violation of the supply of a sufficient amount of oxygen to the body, and an attempt to compensate for this violation with more intense breathing. Dyspnea most often develops due to foreign body aspiration (inhaled and choked), bronchial asthma, upper respiratory tract infection, or pneumonia.Signs of shortness of breath include coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing (especially puffing out the wings of the nose, and using the chest and neck muscles to breathe), grunting, interruptions in speech, or blue skin.

Ø The child’s respiratory rate is more than 50-60 breaths per minute

Ø The child has severe cyanosis around the mouth

Ø These symptoms do not improve over time, or even get worse.

2. Bone fracture

In most cases, parents can easily deliver the child to the emergency department on their own.

Ø The child is writhing in pain, you cannot relieve it with antipyretic syrup or suppository

Ø A piece of bone sticks out just under the skin

Ø Injury to the head or neck

Ø The child’s level of consciousness is changed (for example, excessively inhibited).

3. Severe dehydration

The most common causes of severe dehydration are vomiting and / or diarrhea.Not every vomiting or diarrhea requires a call to the emergency medical service, it is usually sufficient to give the child water frequently and fractionally, compensating for the loss of fluid and salts.

Ø The child does not answer you, or does not answer adequately

Ø The child writhes with severe cramps and unrelenting abdominal pain (this may indicate appendicitis, kidney stones, and other dangerous conditions).

4. A seizure attack

In infants and preschoolers, a rapid rise in temperature can cause febrile seizures.Most seizures associated with fever are not an emergency. Convulsions without fever usually have a more severe prognosis.

Ø The attack lasts more than three to five minutes

Ø The child has difficulty breathing or turns blue

Ø After the seizure seizure stops, the child cannot return to his normal mental state.

5. Falls

Falling from great heights is especially dangerous for the head, spine or internal organs.If you suspect a head injury, talk to your child and make sure he answers the questions adequately.

Ø The child has vomited more than once after an injury.

Ø He loses consciousness

Ø The child complains of numbness or tingling in the body

Ø You have reason to suspect damage to internal organs

Ø You have reason to suspect a neck or spine injury.In case of possible injury to the neck or spine, do not try to move your child. Ambulance personnel will fix the spine before transporting the child to the hospital.

6. Cuts and bleeding

If your child is bleeding, apply pressure to the wound, wait for the bleeding to stop and assess the extent of the damage. Children who need stitches generally should not call emergency medical services – they may very well be brought to the emergency room by their parents.

Ø Your child has a bleeding disorder

Ø You cannot stop the bleeding.

7. Suspected poisoning

In this situation, an ambulance should be called immediately as soon as you find the symptoms of poisoning: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, confusion. If you realize that the child has gotten to the medication and has swallowed any of them, call an ambulance and look for medicine packs.You will need to tell the doctors the name of the drug and the approximate amount the child could have swallowed.

90,000 Pneumonia (Child)

Pneumonia is an infection that deeply affects the lungs. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children may include the following:

• Cough

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Rapid breathing

• Restless appetite

Pneumonia caused by bacteria is usually treated with antibiotics.Your child should feel better within 2 days of starting the antibiotic. The pneumonia will go away in 2 weeks. Pneumonia caused by the virus cannot be treated with antibiotics. It can last up to 4 weeks.

Home Care

Follow the guidelines below when treating your child at home.

Liquids

An increased temperature causes the baby’s body to lose more water than usual. For children under 1 year old:

• Continue regular breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

• Between feedings, give your baby oral rehydration solution as recommended by your child’s healthcare provider. This solution can be purchased from grocery stores and pharmacies without a prescription.

For children over 1 year old:

• Give your child plenty of fluids, such as water, juices, decaffeinated sodas, ginger ale, lemonade, fruit drinks, or popsicles.

Food

Don’t worry if your child refuses to eat solid foods for several days. This is fine. Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids.

Physical activity

Children with fever should stay at home to rest or play quiet games. Try to get your child to sleep more often. When the fever has passed, the child will feel better, and his appetite will return, he will be able to go to kindergarten or school again.

Sleep

Periods of sleepiness and excitability often occur. A child with a stuffy nose will sleep better if his head and upper body are elevated. You can also raise the headboard by placing it on a 6 “(15 cm) block.

Cough

The disease is usually accompanied by a cough. We recommend installing a cold steam humidifier by the bed. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have not been shown to be more effective than placebo (drug-free sweet syrup).However, these drugs can cause serious side effects, especially in children under 2 years of age. Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to children younger than 6 years old unless directed to do so by your healthcare professional.

Do not smoke near your child and do not let others smoke. Cigarette smoke can make coughing worse.

Nasal congestion

Clean babies’ nose with a syringe. Before cleansing your nose, put 2-3 drops of salt water (saline) into each nostril.This will help remove the selection. Saline nose drops can be purchased without a prescription. You can make your own saline solution by adding 1/4 teaspoon table salt to 1 cup water.

Medication

Use acetaminophen to relieve fever or anxiety or discomfort unless another drug has been prescribed. Children over 6 months of age may take ibuprofen instead of acetaminophen.If your child has chronic liver disease or chronic kidney disease, consult a doctor before using these medicines. Also talk to your doctor if your child has ever had a stomach ulcer or GI bleeding. Do not give aspirin to children under 18 who have a fever. It can cause severe liver damage.

If an antibiotic is prescribed, give it as directed until it runs out.You must continue to take it even if your child is already feeling better. Give your child exactly the prescribed dose of antibiotic, no more, no less.

Follow-up

If your child does not feel better within the next 2 days (or as directed), see your doctor again.

If X-rays have been taken, the radiologist will review them. You will be told about any results that may affect your child’s care.

When to Seek Medical Help

Get immediate medical attention if:

• If your baby is less than 12 weeks old and has a temperature of 100.4 ° F (38 ° C) or higher. Your child may need to see a doctor.

• A child of all ages has a temperature that rises above 104 ° F (40 ° C) repeatedly.

• The child is less than 2 years old and has a fever for more than 24 hours.The baby is 2 years old or older and has a fever for more than 3 days.

In addition, see a doctor immediately if any of the following occurs:

• Rapid breathing. A newborn under 6 weeks of age has more than 60 breaths per minute. A child aged 6 weeks to 2 years has more than 45 breaths per minute. A child aged 3 to 6 years has more than 35 breaths per minute. A child aged 7 to 10 has more than 30 breaths per minute.A child over 10 years old has more than 25 breaths per minute.

• Wheezing or shortness of breath

• Ear pain, sinus pain, neck stiffness or pain, headache, diarrhea or repeated vomiting

• Unusually restless behavior, drowsiness or confusion

New rash onset

• No tears when crying, sunken eyes or dry mouth, no urination for 8 hours in infants, or decreased urine output in older children

• Pale or bluish skin

• Grunting sounds

90,000 🏥 External respiration function (FVD).Multidisciplinary medical center Lanta, Khabarovsk.

Various methods are used to diagnose the bronchopulmonary system. One of the most informative methods is the assessment of the respiratory function (FRF), which includes:

1. Spirometry

2. Spirometry with bronchodilator

Sounds a little scary, right?

But, after reading our article to the end, you will understand that in fact all these tests are completely painless and safe, except that a lung disease can make the passage of some examinations a little tedious or cause a little dizziness, coughing, and rapid heartbeat.These symptoms quickly disappear, in addition, the doctor is constantly nearby and monitors the patient’s condition.

Spirometry (spiro – breathing, metry – measurement) – functional diagnostics of external respiration, measures the volume and rate of respiration, allows you to determine how effectively the bronchopulmonary system works.

Study is assigned to patients with symptoms such as:

1.Long-term cough for 3-4 weeks,

2.dyspnea

3.pain in the chest area,

4. “wheezing” or “hissing” breathing.

FVD is of key importance in the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary obstruction (COPD), bronchial asthma.

And also for the development of an individual treatment regimen for the above diseases, control of their treatment.

We also recommend spirometry for smokers at least once a year.

In our medical center, research is carried out using a modern spirograph device. It consists of a special sensor with a mouthpiece and a computer program that converts the data from the sensor into digital information.

Basic parameters of spirometry:

1. The vital capacity of the lungs.

2. Forced expiratory volume in one second.

3.Tiffeneau’s index is the percentage of vital lung capacity and forced expiratory volume.

4. Instantaneous volumetric velocity after expiration.

5. Airway patency at the level of large, medium and small bronchi.

Also, the weight, height and age of the patient, data on the drugs taken, and medical history are entered into the program. Based on the patient’s indicators, the program correlates it with a particular anthropometric group, the specialist analyzes the patient’s results with average values.

The result is displayed in the form of a table with individual patient indicators and reference values ​​and a graphic representation of the air flow.

A pathological process in any part of the respiratory tract will cause changes in the spirogram.

If the doctor sees that the patient’s indicators are below normal, then he diagnoses impaired lung function, prescribes treatment or further examination with bronchodilators.

The procedure is painless and comfortable for the patient, so it can be performed on children from 5 years of age.When performing spirometry, you will need to follow all your doctor’s instructions.

Research methodology:

1. Press your lips tightly against the mouthpiece of the spirograph.

2. Breathe calmly for 5-10 seconds.

3. At the command of the doctor, take the deepest possible breath, so that the lungs are filled to the maximum.

4. Without holding your breath, exhale as hard as possible into the sensor tube.

Methodology for performing the study with bronchodilators B-2 short-acting agonists “Bero tek”:

1. Press your lips firmly against the mouthpiece of the device.

2. Breathe calmly for 5-10 seconds.

3. At the command of the doctor, take the deepest possible breath, so that the lungs are filled to the maximum.

4. Without holding your breath, exhale as hard as possible into the sensor tube.

5. The patient is given a bronchodilator drug.

6. After 20 minutes, the procedure is repeated.

Study Preparation Rules:

1. Do not smoke or play sports at least 6-8 hours before the procedure.

2. Do not eat for 1.5-2 hours, a full stomach will interfere with performing correct maneuvers.

3.Do not drink tea and coffee 6-8 hours before the study.

4. Do not take bronchodilators (discuss the withdrawal period with your doctor).

There are also contraindications. In what cases our specialist will not conduct spirometry:

1. Unsatisfactory general somatic state of the patient, acute respiratory disease.

2. Recently transferred, myocardial infarction, stroke

3.Copious discharge of sputum.

4. The first 2 – 3 months after surgery on the organs of the chest, abdominal cavity, organs of vision.

5. Epilepsy or suspicion of it.

Please note that the decision on the need for spirometry is made by the doctor.

A specialist may consider this study inappropriate, for some diseases of the patient that are not indicated in our article, or, on the contrary, consider certain contraindications relative and carry out a diagnosis.Everything is very individual!

“Like glass in the lungs”: what people with COVID-19 have to experience

Patients with coronavirus, being in clinics around the world, talk in social networks about their well-being and the course of the disease. Some tearfully record videos from a hospital bed, while others chronicle text on blogs. The infected say that they cannot move, eat and breathe without assistance – they urge everyone to be smart about restrictive measures and their own health.Their stories are in the material of Gazeta.Ru.

Around the world, people infected with the coronavirus share candid stories about their well-being from hospitals where they are being treated. So, on April 3, a resident of the English county of Lincolnshire Sharon Cook with tears in her eyes recorded a video about the course of treatment and posted it on Facebook.

According to Cook, on March 23, she was diagnosed with a coronavirus, after which she was immediately isolated in a hospital. There, the woman’s condition began to deteriorate every day.

“Because of pneumonia, I got blood poisoning, so now it’s hard for me to speak normally. I am a little short of breath, but, fortunately, I am connected to a device that provides me with oxygen, ”she said, stressing that she is in a stable condition and is already on the mend.

“Recently I felt so bad. If then I was offered euthanasia, I would agree. Now I cannot move and can hardly breathe, but my current state cannot be compared with what I have already experienced, ”the patient explained.

At the same time, the woman emphasized that the coronavirus infection is not at all similar to the usual ARVI. “Even if you are mildly infected with this infection, it will make you suffer,” the British woman warned.

Cook asked everyone who would watch her video not to break the self-isolation regime, even if they really wanted to see friends and family. “Don’t leave the house. It’s not worth it, the consequences can be dire, ”the woman concluded.

22-year-old American Amy Shirsel also spoke about the course of the disease.The girl chronicles on her Twitter page. According to her, she felt unwell immediately after a trip to Europe. At first, these were minor symptoms – Amy had a fever, a slight cough and chills. However, after a few days, her condition began to deteriorate – the girl lost her appetite and started having trouble sleeping.

On the fourth day, the girl found out that she had tested positive for coronavirus and was hospitalized – by that time she had already started to have shortness of breath and nausea.“Day five. The situation is getting worse and worse. I’ve never felt so bad in my life, ”wrote Amy.

The next day she practically could not move – she ate nothing and sweated profusely. “Don’t think that you are invulnerable if you are in your 20s. Just look at me, ”the girl emphasized.

Now she feels better, in the last blog posts the American said that she even attends online lectures at her university. Amy thanked her friends and followers, saying that their support helps her overcome her illness.

39-year-old Londoner Tara Jane Langston is also broadcasting from the hospital – she recorded a video about her health from the intensive care unit. The woman sent the terrifying footage to her colleagues at work – they later appeared in the Daily Mail.

According to the woman, she was hospitalized on March 13 – two days later she was diagnosed with coronavirus. “Look at me, I’m in intensive care and can’t breathe without a tube. I have catheters attached. Here I have a cannula, here is another cannula. And yet now I feel 10 times better than before, ”she said on the video, coughing and gasping for breath.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Langston said that she was having difficulty breathing.

“As if there are fragments of glass in the lungs. Hard to explain. You have to fight for every breath. This is scary. I would never want to go through all this again in my life, ”the patient explained.

At the same time, she said that initially the doctors gave her the wrong diagnosis – they thought that Langston had an infection of the chest organs. “I was prescribed antibiotics, ibuprofen and paracetamol. I took about eight ibuprofen tablets daily.Now doctors believe that this particular drug aggravated my condition, ”said the British woman.

When she was admitted to intensive care, she needed six liters of oxygen, while now she only needs one. Langston encouraged all smokers to quit the habit immediately. “These damn lungs will come in handy for you. And please, take all possible precautions. All of this is really terrible. You can be in my place, ”said Langston.

On March 19, a 39-year-old Briton, who followed Justin on Twitter, said on his blog that he noticed the first signs of coronavirus on March 4 – he developed severe pains in his head and lungs, and also had difficulty breathing.The man decided to go to the doctors only when he suddenly lost consciousness.

Then, according to Justin, doctors diagnosed him with the flu, gave him an inhaler and let him go home.

“They told me to apply again if I got worse, and I had to do it. It hurts to breathe today. When I go to the toilet, it feels like I’m running a marathon, ”the patient said on Twitter.

Only during the second visit to the medical facility, the man was diagnosed with a coronavirus.At the same time, Justin said that COVID-19 is not at all like the flu. He named the main difference as acute pain in the lungs, which can be compared with the discomfort from inhaling icy air. The man also noted that it intensifies with inhalation.

Now the Briton constantly has to monitor the level of oxygen in the blood, since in case of a decrease in this indicator, oxygen therapy and even intubation may be required (the introduction of a special tube into the trachea in order to ensure airway patency, – “Newspaper.