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Croup Cough - Would You Recognize It?
Just what exactly is croup cough? Is it something you should be worried about if your child has it? Let me put it this way: It is not something that you want to experience because it is symptomatic of the bigger problem called croup. If you are
reading this webpage
, maybe your small children are already experiencing a
nasty cough, and you just want to make certain that you know what they have and
how to make sure it does not get worse. The
first thing to do, because it easier than trying to explain it, if
you did not do so already, is to watch the video above as then you can
witness a sleeping child demonstrating a fairly typical croup
cough. If your child has a severe cough, and yet it is not quite like the one on this video, then it is probably worth checking out the video on my whooping cough page just in case it is more like that one.
When to seek help
I
will go through them now
but it is worth saying that if your gut instinct is
that there is something wrong with your child then you should trust it.
Sometimes a parent just knows that something is not right even before it becomes
a major problem. Difficulty in breathing, especially with the chest retractions. Sometimes you can notice the child's ribs more than usual when he breaths in. This is known as chest retraction and means that he is having to work a lot harder than he should to get his breaths and as such is a serious sign.
Back to croup
It
tends to start suddenly and is very frightening
for both parent and child, particularly as it often happens
in the middle of the night when least expected. Some of the problems that this respiratory condition can lead to are swelling inside of the throat, a barking cough, hoarseness, stridor (which is noisy raspy sounds when breathing in) and difficulty in breathing. The symptoms of croup, such as croup cough, can be mild, moderate or even severe; they usually get worse during the night.
Immediate Measures
One of the immediate, simple and yet extremely effective measures is to take your child into the bathroom, close the door and switch the shower on full power on high heat setting (taking obvious safety precautions). Very soon steam will begin to accumulate in the bathroom which in effect is now going to work as a steam inhalation. After a few minutes of breathing in the steamy air you will more than likely find your child's breathing stopped to settle down, and that awful croupy bark along with it. This is because it lubricates and moisturizers the dry air passages and thus calms the situation down.
How Parents can recognize itIt is important that parents can
recognize croup and croup cough in their kids, especially since it is a
relatively common problem. This may surprise you, but it should be pointed out
that up to 15 percent of children are stricken by this viral infection at some
point. The
most common ages that
parents should worry about croup striking their small children are when they are
between 6 months and 5 or 6 years of age. Teenagers hardly ever get croup, and
neither do grownups.
The
croup cough is really a barking cough
, and a barking cough is a severe or a harsh cough that actually
resembles the sound a dog makes when barking, hence its name. Some people say
that the sound is actually like a seal barking. In other words, the croup cough
will sound a whole lot worse and more intense than a normal
cough. Parents can
also recognize croup by other symptoms such as stridor or chest
retractions
as described
above Hoarseness is yet another sign of croup . Parents can recognize this by the fact that hoarseness makes it difficult (and sometimes impossible) for their small children to produce a sound when they try to speak. It could also just be a noticeable change in the pitch or the quality of the voice when their small children try to speak.
What causes it?As I have already mentioned, it is usually caused by a virus. However, croup can just as easily be caused by bacterial means.
When to try Natural RemediesA croup cough can be treated
effectively using natural remedies, the most simple of which is the steam
inhalation method described above.
However, as you look around my natural cough remedies,
herbal cough remedies
and home cough remedies pages for croup it is important that you do not
lose sight of when you should be calling for medical assistance and that is what
the main aim of this page is about.
And
finally, in case you missed it
above, I have another page all about whooping
cough
which also contains a
video which you may want to check out. The idea of these videos is not for you
to do the diagnoses as such. It is more to alert you to the possibility of these
conditions which should enable you to better assess if and when you or your
child need medical assistance. From Croup Cough Page back to Natural Remedies for Cough main page
Disclaimer: In no way is any of the information in this website ever meant as a substitute for medical care from your qualified physican or other health care specialist. If you choose to follow any of the ideas given in this website, it is suggested that you do so only under the care and guidance and supervision of your physican.
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There are some common sense
signs
that will let you know when you should be seeking help for your child.
Croup is also referred to as
laryngo-tracheo-bronchitis, and it is a respiratory condition that is normally
caused by a viral infection that is acute and that strikes the upper airway.
If your child wakes in the night
with a loud barking cough and some of these other symptoms already described
then it is likely that he has croup.
Parents can recognize croup by a
number of signs and symptoms. The most prominent sign that parents should look
for if they suspect that their small children are afflicted by croup is the
definitive croup cough. 
I have also gone into some
detail on my