All About Bronchiolitis: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Bronchiolitis affects up to 20% of children under two years. It is more likely to cause symptoms in immunocompromised infants. Learn all about bronchiolitis in this article.

Acute bronchiolitis is a very common disease in children. The global annual incidence is about 10%. In other words, one in ten children under the age of two suffers from this condition each year. Furthermore, it is the most common cause of hospitalizations for respiratory infections in this age group (1-5%). Read on to learn all about bronchiolitis.

Although there is no medical agreement on the definition of bronchiolitis, it is usually associated with episodes of difficulty breathing or a whistling sound, in front of symptoms of the common cold.

If you want to know more about bronchiolitis, we encourage you to continue reading.

All About Bronchiolitis: Causes

Bronchiolitis is a fairly common lung infection in children under two years of age.

According to the National Library of Medicine in the United States , bronchiolitis is a common lung infection in young children. From a clinical point of view, it is characterized by mucus build-up in the small airways in the lungs (bronchioles). It is usually caused by a virus.

According to the journal Pediatría Integral , bronchiolitis occurs in epidemics in winter and early spring. The most affected population group is young children between three and six months. Here are some of the most common pathogenic substances:

1. Respiratory syncytial virus (RS virus)

A negative single-stranded RS virus of the paramyxovirus family ( Paramyxoviridae ) causes 56% of cases of bronchiolitis requiring hospitalization. It is widespread throughout the world. In fact, experts estimate that almost every child in the world suffers from it before the age of four.

2. Rhinovirus

This is a genus of viruses in the family Picornaviridae. They are the most common infectious substances in humans (they cause colds). More than 110 serological types can cause symptoms in our species. Although less common than the RS virus, rhinovirus can also cause bronchiolitis in infants.

3. Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3)

Parainfluenza viruses are classified into four types. Although type 3 is the one that causes the most cases of bronchiolitis, types 1 and 2 can also cause it. Infections caused by parainfluenza can not be distinguished from those caused by RS virus. However, they are usually less severe.

All about bronchiolitis: Risk factors

Although bronchiolitis can affect any child, it is much more common in infants and immunocompromised children. Some of the most common risk factors are the following:

Being a baby or a small child. The nose and airways are much more fragile than in adults. Their bronchial trees are shorter and smaller in diameter. Thus, when it swells, the chances of blockage are much greater.
To have been born prematurely.
Children who have a weakened immune system or concomitant lung and cardiovascular disease.
Exposure to tobacco smoke, repeated stays in environments where there are many children, and exposure to certain toxic chemical compounds.

In general, being a small child is the most relevant risk factor. As we mentioned above, about 70% of infants become infected with the RS virus in their first year of life. However, this does not mean that they will suffer from bronchiolitis: only 22% develop symptoms.

All About Bronchiolitis: Symptoms

Below we summarize some of the most common symptoms of bronchiolitis in children. However, not all children develop them.

Some of them are:

Difficulty breathing including wheezing and shortness of breath.
Cough, fatigue and fever. These clinical signs, typical of colds, come before bronchiolitis.
The muscles around the ribs sink in while the baby tries to breathe (called intercostal retractions). The infant’s nostrils become wide as they breathe, as a way of trying to get more air.

Rapid breathing (tachypnea).

Bronchiolitis usually manifests itself 24-48 hours after the previous clinical signs. The symptoms usually last for 12 days. However, up to 18% of the affected infants suffer for 21 days and 9% of them for a month.

All about bronchiolitis: Possible complications

If your child has shortness of breath, take them to a doctor.

As the sources we cited above state, loss of respiratory capacity in newborns can be fatal. If your child has symptoms of bronchiolitis and you notice that the skin is bluish (cyanosis), you must take them to a doctor immediately. Cyanosis indicates a lack of oxygen.

Breathing pauses, dehydration and low oxygen levels in the blood are other clinical signs that indicate that bronchiolitis is serious. In most cases, these symptoms occur only in premature babies or in people with other diseases.

All about bronchiolitis: Treatment options

According to the specialized portal Neumoped, there is no drug that can help treat bronchiolitis. Since it is a viral disease, doctors hope that the infant’s immune system will be able to fight it on its own. Most cases are mild and do not require medical attention.

We must emphasize that treatment with antibiotics will be meaningless. In fact, this can worsen the clinical picture, as it can strengthen the bacterial strains that live inside the infant. But the approach changes drastically in hospitalized children.

Hospital treatment

When an infant is admitted for bronchiolitis, doctors focus on helping them get a normal breathing rhythm. To do this, they use oxygen (30-40%) through a nasal cannula or face mask to maintain the oxygen saturation level of 90% or more. The most severe cases will require endotracheal intubation.

On the other hand, doctors also try to get the patient to regain a natural fluid balance. For this, they administer oral rehydration solutions or, in the most severe cases, intravenous rehydration solutions.

Recommendations for home treatment

Most cases are treated at home with patience and dedication. Although you can not help your child fight the disease, you can deal with their symptoms with a number of very simple actions. These include the following:

Keep your baby hydrated. Make sure your child gets enough water to avoid dehydration due to the disease.
Do frequent nasal rinses. You can find over-the-counter medications at the pharmacy that help relieve the upper respiratory tract in both infants and adults. This will make it easier for the patient to breathe.
Keep the baby in a sitting position, even while sleeping. This will promote adequate air movement, much better than if they were lying.
Use a humidifier. It is always a good idea to place a humidifier in the room of your sick child, especially while they are sleeping. This will soften the accumulated mucus and thus relieve the symptoms of cough and nasal congestion.

A common disease that usually goes away on its own

As we mentioned through this article, bronchiolitis is an extremely common disease in infants. Therefore, you do not have to worry if your baby suffers from it. Most cases resolve themselves. Thus, just be patient and follow some home care guidelines to make your child more comfortable.

In any case, if you notice any of the clinical signs we mentioned in the section “Possible complications”, you must take your child to the emergency room as soon as possible. If the child’s breathing ability is compromised, their life may be in danger.