As the winter weather settles in and the holiday season gets busier, you might be considering taking the family to Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza for the holidays instead of adding more to clean at home. While you’re busy with holiday planning and catching sales, you hear your child start coughing in the store aisle. Before long, they’re feeling sick. It happens to everyone, but you’re starting to get concerned as their cough worsens and begins to sound like a seal barking.

AFC Chapman Hwy is here to give you a better understanding of your kid’s “barking cough” and how to treat it.

Visit AFC Chapman Hwy if you think your child has croup.

What is Croup?

The “barking cough” is a symptom of croup, which is a viral infection that’s caused by inflammation of the upper airway. The swelling occurs around the voice box (Larynx), windpipe (Trachea) and bronchial tubes (bronchi). This obstructs breathing and causes the characteristic cough that sounds like a seal’s bark. It will often also create a high-pitched whistling sound when taking a breath (called “stridor”).

Croup often starts as a typical cold, but as inflammation and coughing increase, the symptoms worsen, leading to the barking cough. The cough can also develop from other viral infections such as RSV or influenza.

Croup is a common condition with around 200,000 cases reported annually, primarily affecting children between 6 months and 3 years old. It rarely occurs in children older than 6 or in adults.

Common Symptoms

We’ve already mentioned the characteristic “barking cough” often heard in infants and younger children, but here are some other common symptoms of croup:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Fever
• Hoarse Voice
• Noisy or labored breathing (often worse at night)
• Barking cough (made worse by crying and coughing)
• Rash
• Eye redness (conjunctivitis).
• Swollen lymph nodes.

Symptoms typically begin with those of a common cold and, within 12 to 48 hours, progress to the more distinct croup symptoms mentioned above. The condition usually resolves within 3 to 5 days. If your child’s sickness goes longer or worsens, visit AFC Chapman Hwy for pediatric care.

How to Avoid Croup

Kids can easily catch croup from another child’s coughs, sneezes, or by touching contaminated items. Like treating colds and the flu, there are several ways to help your little one avoid croup:

• Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Clean frequently touched surfaces
• Avoid sick children

When to Seek Medical Care

Seek immediate medical attention if your child:

• Develops a blue or gray tint around the nose, in or around the mouth, or on the fingernails
• Struggling to breathe
• Makes high-pitched breathing sounds when not crying or upset
• Begins drooling or has problems swallowing
• Seems anxious, upset and restless or extra tired and has no energy
• Breathes at a faster rate than usual

Ways to Help Your Child

There are some things you can do to ease your child’s discomfort as they fight off the virus:

• Let your child breathe cool air at night by opening a door or window
• Treat your child’s fever with an over-the-counter medication.
• Give your child warm, clear fluids to help loosen the mucus on their vocal cords
• Keep your child’s head elevated with an extra pillow (don’t use pillows with infants younger than 12 months old)
• Use a humidifier
• Make sure your child stays hydrated and well-rested

For the safety of others, be aware that your child is contagious for three days after their symptoms first appear or until their fever is gone.

If you are concerned about your child’s cough, visit AFC Urgent Care Chapman Hwy for quick and effective pediatric care.