How is the treatment for bronchiolitis performed (and what to do at home)

Bronchiolitis is an infection caused by a virus that is very common during childhood, occurring mainly in babies, its treatment can be carried out at home and the objective is to alleviate the symptoms. In some cases, it is necessary to use medications recommended by a pediatrician.

In general, it is not necessary to use antibiotics, because the disease is not caused by bacteria and there are no drugs capable of eliminating the virus, it is eliminated naturally by the body.

The bronchiolitis may improve from 3 to 7 days, without embargo, if the baby has a lot of difficulty breathing, so as the fingers and mouth live, it is recommended to go to the pediatric emergency as soon as possible.

Baby care at home

The treatment for bronchiolitis at home can accelerate recovery, relieve symptoms and discomfort. Some measures that can be taken are:

• keep quiet at homeavoiding going out with the baby or taking him to the guard;
• Offer much water and maternal milk during the day, to avoid dehydration and facilitate the elimination of the virus;
• keep the air humidusing a humidifier or leaving a bucket with water inside the room;
• Avoid places with a lot of octopusand they aggravate the inflammation of the lung;
• Prevent the baby from being in contact with cigarette smoke;
• Frequently clean the baby’s nose with saline solution or put on some nasal drops;
• Keep the head of the high bed during the night, putting some tabs by debajo del colchón, for example.

In addition, when there is greater difficulty in breathing, such as when breastfeeding, for example, it is advisable to place the baby in a sitting or standing position to facilitate breathing.

This treatment must be maintained until symptoms disappear, and can take up to 3 weeks. However, if there is no improvement in symptoms after 3 days, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician.

Medications that could be indicated

Generally, it is not necessary to use medication to treat bronchiolitis, since the body is able to eliminate the virus by itself and prevent the disease from getting worse. However, when the symptoms cause much discomfort or very high fever, it may be necessary to consult a pediatrician to initiate the use of medication.

Some examples of the drugs that may be overused are Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, which help to reduce fever and alleviate discomfort. The doses of these medications must always be guided by a doctor, as this will depend on the baby’s weight and age.

When should you see the doctor

When the treatment can be done at home, it is recommended to go to the hospital when the symptoms are worse in the cabo of 3 days and some signs arise that the illness is getting worse, such as:

• Mucha difficult to breathe;
• Very slow breathing with periods in which it stops;
• Rapid or difficult breathing;
• Blue lips and fingers;
• Stretching of the muscles of the ribs;
• High fever.

These cases are not common, however, these babies, because of the general need to be hospitalized, for the placement of treatment via intravenous and to receive oxygen.

signs of improvement

The signs of improvement of bronchitis usually appear around 3 to 7 days after the beginning of the treatment and include the decrease of the fiebre, increase of appetite and reduction of the difficulty to breathe, although it may persist for a few more days. even months.