Bronchospasm: symptoms in children

Parents of some children know firsthand about such phenomenon as bronchospasm. Symptoms in this pathological state are manifested by shortness of breath, sudden wheezing, coughing. Bronchospasm is an unexpected contraction of the muscles of the bronchial wall and, as a consequence, constriction of the bronchi. Such attacks are affected by children suffering from bronchitis, laryngitis, rhinitis, and hay fever.

Bronchospasm, the symptoms of which can be life-threatening, lead to the impossibility of air supply to the alveoli in sufficient quantity, and hence to the inability to deliver oxygen into the blood and outflow of carbon dioxide. If the child is not urgently given help, oxygen starvation will lead to irreversible changes in tissues and organs, which can ultimately lead to death.

Moms and dads, whose children have had an attack of bronchospasm for the first time, often begin to panic, not knowing what to do in this situation. The best option - immediately call an ambulance. However, if such attacks are not a single phenomenon (when it comes, for example, about asthma), parents should have information about how to remove spasm on their own, without going to the doctors.

Bronchospasm in children: symptoms before the attack

Approaching the attack can be felt in advance. If you catch the moment and help the child before the spasm commences, you can prevent its onset or significantly ease the course. So, before there is bronchospasm, symptoms appear such as anxiety, coughing, constant sneezing, mood changes, discharge from the nose. Often the attack happens at night, so another sign of his approach is the unexpected awakening of the child in the middle of the night.

Bronchospasm: symptoms during an attack

The child begins to feel shortage of air, heaviness in the chest, he becomes frightened. Even at a distance you can hear that the baby's breathing is accompanied by wheezing, the exhalation is usually elongated and with a whistle. Then there is a painful dry nasal cough with a lack of sputum or with a thick content and difficult separation. In such a situation, the child most often takes a sitting position, leaning on his hands, lifting and shifting his shoulders forward, pulling his head. Usually he is silent, and his face is frightened. Skin pads turn pale, blue appears under the eyes. In the breath, muscles of the abdomen, neck are involved. The child retracts the intercostal spaces and wings of the nose.

Tactics of behavior

Calm yourself and try to distract the child's attention from the attack. Remove clothing from your baby if it is cramped. Open the window (if there is no allergy to the pollen). At the very beginning of bronchospasm you can lower the child's legs into hot water. If the house has an inhaler, give the baby through it a bronchodilator. In the event that there is no inhaler, the use of euphyllin will help. Let the child drink something warm. Additionally, if possible, use drugs that improve the outflow of phlegm. In no case can you try to grind the baby with turpentine, balms, give him honey, herbs, put mustard plasters - odoriferous substances only aggravate the allergic reaction. Contraindicated drugs that suppress cough, antihistamines of the 1st generation, soothing medications. If bronchospasm can not be removed within an hour, call for an ambulance.