Many are interested in the causes of heavy breathing in children. Any, even insignificant change in the condition of the child causes concern for parents. Kids do not breathe like an adult: they sigh during sleep, the tummy and chest move more often, but this is a physiological norm. Any breathing disorder is called labored breathing, and it is this factor that is decisive in choosing treatment tactics for respiratory diseases. In this article we will talk about what disorders in the respiratory system of the baby you need to pay attention to and how to help if the child is breathing heavily.
Breathing process
Breathing is a complex physiological process. It includes two varieties: external and internal. The respiratory process is divided into the act of inhaling and exhaling. Inhalation is the active part, with the contraction of the diaphragm, respiratory muscles of the chest, and muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. In this case, the ribs protrude forward, there is a movement outward of the chest and abdominal walls. The passive part of the process is exhalation. There is a relaxation of the respiratory muscles and diaphragm, lowering of the ribs down and in. The physiological respiratory rate is directly dependent on the age of the child: the younger he is, the higher the frequency. With age, this indicator approaches that of an adult.
It happens that a small child is breathing heavily. Why is this happening?
Diagnostics
If the breathing process is complicated by symptoms such as confusion, increased chest movements, unusual sounds, you need to pay attention to this and clarify the reasons. Sometimes such manifestations can be caused by nightmares or common colds, but it happens that panting indicates much more serious problems and requires immediate treatment. In most cases, heavy and noisy breathing occurs with false or viral croup in children. Symptoms and treatment are discussed below.
Childhood infections
Sometimes this can be a manifestation of childhood infections such as measles, chickenpox, rubella, diphtheria, scarlet fever, whooping cough. The inflammatory process of the larynx and tracheal mucosa acts in such a way that the lumen narrows. The child begins to experience shortage of breath when breathing. It is this that causes heavy and deep breathing, the voice changes, becoming hoarse. A barking cough also appears. Damage to the respiratory system always causes harsh breathing, but depending on the situation and the nature of the pathology, different treatments are necessary. Doctors categorically prohibit the independent administration of inhalations to a child. Such self-medication can adversely affect the baby's health and cause a crisis.
Allergy
Allergies become a very common cause of hard and heavy breathing. In this situation, it is necessary to determine the type of allergen and try to exclude the child's contact with him. You should also consult with your doctor about drugs that can relieve seizures. The risk of allergic reactions is reduced if you adjust the diet and introduce as many vitamins and minerals as possible in order to strengthen immunity.
In addition to painful conditions, the fact that the child is breathing heavily can be a physiological feature of the body. This is inherent in babies under the age of one and a half years. In this case, the reason is the high elasticity of the airway tissue. If at the same time the child eats normally, sleeps well and grows well, you do not need to pay attention to these features. Upon reaching one and a half years, the cartilage of the larynx will condense and the heaviness of breathing will pass by itself. But still it is worth paying the attention of the doctor at the next appointment to make sure that there is no pathology.
Reasons and methods of treatment
So, the child is a year old, breathing heavily, what should I do?
Naturally, the specialist selects the treatment depending on the reasons that caused the pathology of breathing. In the event that the condition of the baby does not cause serious concern at the moment, you need to make an appointment with the pediatrician. If the baby's condition rapidly deteriorates and he cannot breathe normally, then an ambulance should be called. This must be done if breathing stiffness is accompanied by difficulty in passing air, turning the nasolabial triangle blue, inability to make sounds, lethargy and drowsiness.
If difficulty breathing is caused by a cold or SARS, then it is usually accompanied by nasal congestion, coughing, sore throat, and fever. You need to call a doctor to confirm the diagnosis, before that the child is given plenty of warm drink and bed rest. The doctor will prescribe treatment, and the severity of breathing will disappear during treatment and the disappearance of other symptoms of the disease.
Bronchiolitis
It happens that a child breathes heavily in a dream.
Another cause may be a disease such as bronchiolitis. It has a viral nature and affects the bronchi. Most often found in babies of the first year of life. The condition is accompanied by persistent prolonged coughing, which not only makes breathing difficult, but makes this process very problematic. With this pathology, the child does not breathe, but frequent and deep sighs. Along with this, appetite decreases, the baby is naughty, sleeps poorly. It is necessary to call a doctor who decides on the need for hospitalization. When the disease is cured, breathing returns to normal.
If the child has asthma, then his breathing will be difficult, he coughs and suffocates at the slightest exertion. As a rule, asthma or allergies are found in the immediate family of the child. In this case, an effective, and most importantly, appropriate therapy appropriate for the condition can only be prescribed by a doctor. With this disease, self-medication is especially dangerous.
Difficulty breathing can be with croup. In addition, the condition is accompanied by a barking cough, hoarse voice and fever. Breathing worsens at night. It is necessary to call an ambulance, and before her arrival try to alleviate the condition of the child. To do this, pour hot water and close the door tightly, then enter the child in the bathroom and let him breathe warm, humidified air. This helps to expand the lumen of the airways. If this does not have a beneficial effect, you can take the child outside and let him breathe fresh night air.
Pneumonia
Another common cause of heavy breathing is pneumonia. At the same time, the child very often sighs hoarsely, coughs violently, the temperature can rise above 38 degrees. On inspiration, you can notice how the skin is drawn into the intercostal spaces. Urgent hospitalization is needed here; at home, treating pneumonia can cause serious complications.
This is what baby breathing means.
All of these reasons are pathological conditions that require medical treatment, but other circumstances may also occur in which breathing will be difficult. For example, as a result of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract, the child’s breathing can become harsh, intermittent and hoarse. In this condition, emergency care is needed.
Adenoiditis
It is also possible diseases that interfere with normal breathing, in which surgical intervention is necessary. Adenoiditis refers to this kind of pathology. The larger the size of the adenoids, the more they interfere with free breathing. With this disease, a child’s sleep is accompanied by snoring and hoarse sighs. The baby breathes his mouth all the time, due to the fact that his nose is blocked, in the morning, upon waking up, he looks sleepy and irritated, often suffers from colds.
In this situation, consultation with an ENT doctor is necessary, which prescribes treatment. If the condition of the child is critical, then an adenoid removal operation is prescribed. In addition to all this, this condition can occur due to the elementary dryness of the air in the room or inhalation of smoke from cigarettes. When a child is breathing heavily, how can I help him? About it - further.
How to alleviate the condition of the child?
There are ways that can alleviate the condition of the child and prevent the larynx from drying out and relieve spasm:
- humidification of indoor air with the help of special devices;
- inhaling warm humidified air;
- inhalation with mineral water, soda or saline.
For inhalation, aerosol and steam inhalers can be used, in a hospital environment - oxygen-vapor tents. Once again, we remind you that inhalation can be done only after consulting with your doctor.
Croup in children: symptoms and treatment
Croup is characterized by a triad of symptoms:
- barking paroxysmal cough;
- stridor (noisy breathing), especially with crying and excitement;
- hoarseness of voice.
In addition, secondary signs of the disease are noted - severe anxiety, rapid breathing and palpitations, nausea, hyperthermia.
With an increase in respiratory failure, all signs are aggravated, the baby's skin becomes gray or bluish in color, salivation increases, wheezing is heard already in calm, anxiety is replaced by inhibition.
Children with this diagnosis need hospitalization. The first thing doctors should do is to restore airway patency. To do this, it is important to reduce laryngeal spasm and swelling, as well as to clear the lumen from accumulated mucus.
Prescribe drug therapy:
- The appointment of glucocorticoids is required to reduce laryngeal edema (through a nebulizer, for example).
- Means that relieve spasm of the respiratory tract ("Salbutamol", "Atrovent", "Baralgin").
- Spend "Ambroxol" inhalation to discharge sputum.
- If necessary, use antihistamines.
In difficult cases, tracheal intubation or tracheotomy with mechanical ventilation is needed.
If the child has difficulty breathing what to do, now we know.