What is Croup

Croup is a disease which is related to the respiratory system of the body. It is the illness which affects vocal chords, the windpipe and the upper airways of the lungs. It can be scary for both the children and elders. Due to this disease, you can find it difficult to breathe properly. It can cause Barking Cough or Seal like Cough. It can get worse if the child is crying. Croup is a viral infection and can be caused due to various viruses. The virus which causes cold and influenza can also cause croup. It is seen more in boys and lesser in girls. Children between the age of 6 months and 5 years are more prone to this disease. However, older kids can also get infected to this disease.

It is very less caused due to bacterial infections. Its treatment also depends upon the cause of this disease. It is caused when the virus responsible for this disease is transferred to a healthy person through the droplets produced by cough or sneezing of the infected person. This disease is a contagious disease. It can also pass if a healthy person touches the infected person. Croup can cause barking cough, heavy and noisy breathing, mild fever. Patient can also find it difficult to breathe sometimes. The symptoms gets worsen during night. Usually this disease is not life threatening, but if not treated and taken care of properly, it can be life threatening too. To reduce the pain and discomfort caused by this disease, you should try to calm your child if he is crying.

You should also stay calm. The child should be given light food, which can be swallowed without choking. Prefer giving him fluids and avoid heavy and spicy food. If your child has fever, then you can give him some medicine like paracetamol which will help in bringing the temperature down. If your child is feeling severe difficulty in breathing, then consult a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor might ask for some test like an X-ray exam to know the internal condition of vocal chords etc. Your child might have to be admitted to the hospital if the symptoms are severe. He might be given oxygen so that he can breathe properly. It can also cause a serious problem to the epiglottis, if not treated properly but it happens in very few cases. Usually this disease goes in 4-5 days without causing any serious concern.

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