Bronchiolitis: types, causes, symptoms, treatment

Last Updated on March 14, 2023 by Dr. Saqib Mueed

Bronchiolitis is a general disease of lung tubes. Young children and adults, bronchiolitis is the lung infection. In small airways of the lungs block due to swellings. Bronchiolitis can be occurred by the infection of the virus. The disease, in which the tiny airways of the lungs swell and blocked due to mucus, is called bronchiolitis.

In this disease the parts of the tiny airway become swell.  This disease which affects tiny tubules like structure that is the passage of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

This phenomenon is called bronchiolitis. This disease also spread to the lungs. In this disease, the oxygen and carbon dioxide track become closer when it fills up with mucus. This process creates difficulty in gaining oxygen. Generally, top time for bronchiolitis can occur during the months of winters.        

• It most affects small children the reason is that their tiny airways and nose can become blocked more easily instead of adults
• It commonly appears in premature babies and that’s children who are living in crowded condition and those who have not been breastfed.
• Mostly it happens at the first two years of life but more common at about 3—6-month age of children.

Bronchiolitis is actually inflammatory in lung tubes. It is due to a microscopic living thing which affects smaller alveoli of lungs. The role of lungs is to regulate the oxygen in taking in lungs. Some time they are infected they swill, in this way oxygen cannot pass through these passages.

Although, it generally affects the children, but bronchiolitis also affects the adults.

Types

Some of the two main types of the lung infection which are given be

Virus

Viral bronchiolitis occurs in newborn babies. The reasons of the lung infections can be because of virus of respiratory synaptic virus. The rashes of the virus always be occurred in the babies in the winters and the age is about one year.

In adults it is an unusual and precarious condition. In the bronchiole this sickness cause damaging. This blocks the air way hindrance that can not be reversed.

Your child usually develops some of the subsequent signs during this time:

• A dry and harsh cough
• Swift breathing
• There is a short-term pause in the breathing of patient
• Less feeding and usually wet nappies of infants
• After breastfeeding, vomiting happened
• Existence bad-tempered

Symptoms are usually at the worst between 3 and 5 days. The cough usually gets better within 3 weeks.

Mild bronchiolitis 

Mild bronchiolitis symptoms include:

• Slight high temperature (fever)
• Noisy breathing
• Some fast or difficulty breathing
• Dry and persistent raspy cough

Severe bronchiolitis 

Some babies have more severe symptoms.  They might find it hard to feed and become very breathless or breath in a shallow irregular way.

If your baby has a cold that goes on for longer than usual.

The symptoms are:

• They have no wet nappies for 12 hour or more
• They are not feeding well, taking half to three quarters of their normal amount
• They have an elevated temperature -38C or above (100.4F).
• There are sleepier otherwise less alert then usual

Some are the following symptoms of disease

There are following symptoms

• Cracking or rattling sound in the lungs
• Wheezing
• Stuff nose & congestion
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Wait lose
• Lung’s infection
• Fast breathing
• Nasal flaring
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Due to lack of oxygen bluish skin

Signs of bronchiolitis in teenagers

Some most common symptoms of bronchiolitis are:

• Flu
• High temperature
• Common cold
• Congestion
• Wheezing
• Vomiting
• Wild or stiff breathing
• Irritability
• Defeat of craving

These all signs frequently show in a week.  They might appear like other problems of health. You must ensure that your kid perceives his or her healthcare provided by a analysis.

Diagnosis of bronchiolitis

There are some testes that are given below:

X-ray of chest

 We can see the internal image of body organs, tissues and bones through this test.

Gases of blood or test of blood

The infection that is caused by bacteria or virus, we can see this by the help of blood test.

We can extend the volume of oxygen in the blood by a slight machine that is oximeter. In order to develop this dimension, the healthcare worker sets a small radar on the finger or toe of infants. The light that is red in colour and small can be appear in the radar when we turn on the machine. The radar is trouble-free and the red light did not become warm.

Nose swab or throat swab

RSV and further viruses can be spotted by this test speedily.

How we treated the bronchiectasis in infants?

Cure will be subject to your youngster’s signs, oldness, and broad fitness. It will be subject to on the unembellished circumstances.

Many of the circumstances that usually cured in homes. There are not any medication on behalf of the sickness.  Thus the objective of cure is to easiness signs. Unless your baby has microbial contamination, antibiotics should not used.

Those babies that face the severe problem in breathing are cured or treated in the hospital.  Whereas there are in the clinic, medication may comprise:

• If your baby does not drink healthy, intravenous fluids
• The health care guider of your baby suggests treating the problems of breathing.
• The breathing instruments and additional oxygen help to do breathe
• The thick mucus can be removed by regular suctioning of your baby’s nose and mouth

Following treatment may be helpful

• large quantity of watery fluid drink
• Usage a casual spray nebulizer at night in your baby’s area
• Use acetaminophen when your baby has temperature
• keeping the head of your baby up during sleeping
• Especially before breast feeding suctioned the nose and mouth of your baby to remove the mucous

Prevention

The germ that does bronchiolectasis are frequently spread from one person to another, washing your hands regularly especially when you touch your child or when you have fever or other disorder of lungs. Keep your baby at home if he or she has bronchiolectasis to avoid spreading the infection into other people. ^[1]https://ep.bmj.com/content/edpract/90/4/ep81.full.pdf^[2]english-bronchiolitis.pdf (rch.org.au)^[3]https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/files/factsheets/bronchiolitis-en.pdf^[4]Bronchiolitis in children: diagnosis and management (nice.org.uk)

Reviewed by:

Dr. Akhtar Nawaz Lak

MBBS, FCPS (Internal Medicine)

Ex. Medical Specialist, Services hospital, Lahore

Ex. Medical Specialist, Allied hospital, Faisalabad

Our reviewers’ details, Click Here