Bronchitis Relieve the Chest Congestion

Relieve the Chest Congestion

Just when your child is getting over a cold or the flu, his temperature starts to climb and he begins to have coughing fits and spit up mucus. When you take him to the doctor, you're likely to hear one of those ''-itis'' words, which means something is inflamed.

In this case, the -itis is bronchitis, and it means inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the two large tubes that branch off the windpipe. Bronchitis can be caused by wayward bacteria from the throat or by the same virus that caused the initial cold or flu. As the lining of those tubes swells, mucus builds up. The heavy coughing is a sign that your child is trying to clear that mucus from his bronchial passages.

If the bronchitis is caused by bacteria, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. If it's a viral infection, an antibiotic won't help, but there's a lot you can do to make your child more comfortable and maybe even get over it faster. Here are some home-remedy tactics that doctors recommend for both bacterial and viral bronchitis.

Give extra fluids. Water is best, but any liquid will do, says F. T. Fitzpatrick, M.D., a pediatrician in private practice in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The fluids help thin the mucus, making it easier to cough up, and can also soothe a throat that's tickly from coughing. An eight-year-old child should drink at least four eight-ounce glasses of liquid a day.

Moisturize the bedroom. Humidity may help soothe the irritated bronchial membranes, says J. Owen Hendley, M.D., professor of pediatrics and head of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville. Close the door to your child's bedroom and turn on the vaporizer about a half-hour before he goes to sleep--and leave it on all night, he suggests. ''That way you can get the humidity up to as much as 70 percent.''

Encourage productive coughing. Since the mucus in the bronchial tubes is causing your child to cough, encourage her to clear her lungs, says Dr. Hendley. If a small child is having trouble coughing up the mucus, pat her gently on the back. Keep tissues available so that your child can use them if needed.

Use a prop. Use an extra pillow at night to help prop up your child while he sleeps, suggests Mary Meland, M.D., a pediatrician with HealthPartners in Bloomington, Minnesota. Propping up his head helps him breathe more easily.

Soothe with chicken soup. Mom's chicken soup is more than comforting to an ill child; it really does help clear congestion. ''Some scientific evidence has shown that chicken soup helps clear secretions better than other liquids,'' says Dr. Meland. If your child likes it, now is the time to let her slurp her fill. You can use either store-bought or homemade.

Nix the smoking. Don't allow anyone to smoke in your house, says Dr. Fitzpatrick. If you smoke, go outside to do it. The smoke irritates the bronchial tubes and can make the infection worse.

Try an expectorant. Over-the-counter expectorants that contain guaifenesin such as Robitussin, Triaminic Expectorant and many others may help loosen the mucus so that coughing can work to clear the bronchial passages, says Dr. Hendley. There's no hard scientific proof that they work, he says, but there's no harm in trying one. Read the label carefully and give a dose suitable for your child's age.

Consider a cough suppressant. If your child is coughing so much she can't get any rest, it's okay to use a cough suppressant at night, says William Howatt, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant may help--and other over-the-counter suppressants for children are available at drugstores. Try to avoid giving the suppressants during the day if your child has productive coughing. That coughing is needed to help clear the bronchial tubes.