what can i do for croup?

Question

my daughter had a touch of croup during the summer and we brought her over to casualty as i did not know what it was, she was put on a nebulizer for a few minutes and she was fine after that. She woke at 5 o clock this morning all weezy with that barking cough. Is there anything i can do for her myself instead of waiting 2-3hrs in casualty for 5 mins of treatment? Shes three by the way and she seems ok now but i expect it will happen again in the morning

Answer 1

i have four children and they all suffered with croup get as many saucepans full of water on the gas so they boil and let the room fill with steam its brilliant and it works wonders for your little girl please let me know how u got on

Answer 2

Children under the age of 15 should not take ANY cough medicine. Here is some info about Croup, but please go to the doctor... he could have RSV or something more serious. Good luck! :) Croup - Topic Overview What is croup? Croup is a common respiratory problem in young children. Its main symptom is a harsh, barking cough. Croup causes swelling and narrowing in the voice box, windpipe, and breathing tubes that lead to the lungs. This can make it harder for your child to breathe. An attack of croup can be scary, but it is rarely serious. Children usually get better in several days with rest and care at home. What causes croup? Croup usually occurs a few days after the start of a cold and is usually caused by the same viruses that cause the common cold. As children grow older and their lungs and windpipes mature, they are less likely to get croup. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of croup are caused by narrowed airways. They include a barking cough; a raspy, hoarse voice; and a harsh, crowing noise when breathing in. The cough is very distinctive, so you'll know it when you hear it. It is often compared to the sound of a barking seal. Sometimes children breathe fast and need to sit up to breathe better. Symptoms of croup often improve during the day and get worse at night. Sometimes children have croup attacks that wake them up in the middle of the night for a couple nights in a row, but the illness usually improves gradually in 2 to 5 days. How is croup diagnosed? Your doctor will probably be able to tell whether your child has croup by examining him or her and asking about symptoms. Sometimes doctors can identify the distinctive barking cough of croup over the phone. Because croup can make breathing harder, your doctor may place a small clip called a pulse oximeter on your child's finger, toe, or earlobe to make sure that enough oxygen is reaching the blood. How is it treated? Even though your child's coughing and troubled breathing can be frightening, home treatment usually eases the symptoms. Try to stay calm during an attack, and soothe your child. Crying can make the swelling in the windpipe worse and make it even harder to breathe. Breathing in moist air seems to help during a croup attack. Fill your bathroom with steam from the hot water faucets, and sit in the room with your child for 10 minutes. Or hold your child directly over a cool mist humidifier, and let the vapor blow directly in his or her face. Breathing cool night air also seems to help sometimes. Dress your child in warm clothes, and go outside for 10 minutes. If symptoms improve with these methods, put your child back in bed with the cool air humidifier blowing nearby. Do not smoke, especially in the house. If the symptoms happen during the middle of the night, it is a good idea to sleep in or near your child's room until morning. It is important to keep your child well hydrated. Offer water, flavored ice treats (such as Popsicles), or crushed ice drinks several times each hour.

Answer 3

Hi

All of the above is all very well if you are dealing with a relatively mild 'attack' but you need to stay vigilant. Croup is a viral problem which children should be able to build up an immunitiy to over time. I f your daughter's conditioon does not improve to the point where the 'attacks' stop then you might be dealing with something else and the only person who can diagnose that properly is your GP. My son had some really worrying 'attacks' when he was younger, two required hospitalisation and treatment with specialist medication so don't be complacent. It is a worrying condition which shouldn't be taken lightly.

Answer 4

Go in the bathroom, strip both of you off. Close all the windows and turn all the hot taps on full. The room will quickly fill with steam. Sit with her in there until her breathing sounds easier. The moist air will help loads. Do it as often as you need to.
Croup is distressing all round but it should pass in a few days. If she is really bad at night try raising the pillow end of her matress slightly too.

Answer 5

Sit in the bathroom with her. Start the shower or bathtub and let the hot water run. When the room fills with steam, it will help calm down her barking cough (croup). The same will also work if you take her outside in the cold air. Both were recommended by our pediatrician when our children were little. If it persists, take her into the doctor so that they can check her lungs.

Answer 6

What should I do if my child has croup?
Most children with mild croup can be treated at home. You should make your child as comfortable as possible. Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest and plenty to drink. When your child has a croupy cough, it is very important to increase the amount of liquids that he or she drinks. Cough medicines are generally not recommended. You may give your child acetaminophen (brand names: Children's Tylenol, Infants' Tylenol) for his or her chest discomfort or discomfort due to fever.

If your child has a mild attack of stridor, try having him or her breathe moist air. This is called mist treatment. You can give your child a mist treatment at home by:

Having your child breathe through a warm, wet washcloth placed over the nose and mouth.
Running hot water in your shower with the bathroom door closed. Once the room has become steamy or has fogged up, sit with your child in the room for about 10 minutes.
Cool air may also help reduce the swelling in your child's airways. In cooler months, taking your child outside for a few minutes may bring some relief.

She needs infection medicine so see your family doc. Good luck and hope she feels better.

Answer 7

If she's prone to croup, you should invest in a steam machine (you can get them from Argos for about £25) - it fills the room with steam so the atmosphere is moist and doesn't irritate her breathing. My little boy had it when he was about 8 months old and it's the only thing that helped (kettles turn themselves off and you can't use one all night!). Good luck.

Answer 8

Yes - steam up the bathroom. My daughter does this from time to time - always in the middle of the night. Sit in the bathroom with her, with the doors & windows closed and the shower running as hot as you can get it (don't get in the shower obviously - she just needs to breathe in the steam). 10 minutes or so of this usually does the trick.

Answer 9

Run a really hot bath and sit in there with her (not in the bath!) but on the floor or something It helps unblock everything!!
Read her a book for about 10 minuites to keep her busy!!
You will soo the effects in the moring!
Hope ive helped !

Answer 10

YOU MUST BE EXTREMELY CAREFULL IF YOU DO THIS. boil a kettle constantly in the room to make loads and loads of steam, you can also put menthol crystals into a bowl and add boiling water to them, or get the modern equivilant of a wrights coal tar burner from a chemist, this is probably the long term answer

Answer 11

A warm mist airfirer, Steamy Showers & then going out in the cold with out a coat, usually breaks up the cough. I would check this site out, gives different ideas on how to treat it at home. Good luck.