Harsh, difficult and noisy breathing in a child. Respiratory disorders

Breathing is the most important process in the human body of any age, along with the contraction of the heart muscle. Breathing removes carbon dioxide from the body and saturates the cells with oxygen. Without it, the existence of not a single living being on the planet is possible. The maximum a person can spend without access to oxygen is 5 minutes. The world record, recorded after a long period of preparing a person for existence in an airless space, namely under water, is 18 minutes.

The breathing of a newborn child is more frequent than in adults, due to the fact that the respiratory system itself is not yet fully formed

The process itself is divided into two stages. When you inhale through the respiratory tract, air enters the lungs of a person, which is divided into oxygen and carbon dioxide, passing through the circulatory system. When you exhale, carbon dioxide is removed from the body. Oxygen is carried to all tissues and organs through the arteries, and carbon dioxide is excreted through the venous blood back to the lungs. So wisely and functionally disposed of nature itself. The breathing of any newborn, like an adult, is an important rhythmic process, failures in which can indicate problems in the body and entail serious consequences.

Breath of newborns

The breathing of infants is of great importance both as an indicator of the health of the baby, and as the main life-supporting process of a newborn child, which has its own age characteristics, in particular, a very narrow respiratory passage. The child's airways are short, so a deep full inhalation and exhalation are not carried out. The nasopharynx is narrow, and the smallest foreign object that gets there can cause sneezing and coughing, and the accumulation of mucus and dust can cause snoring, sniffing and choking. For crumbs, even a slight runny nose is dangerous due to hyperemia of the mucosa and narrowing of the lumen.

Young parents should try to make every effort so that the baby does not catch a viral disease and does not catch a cold, because both rhinitis and bronchitis in infancy are very dangerous, they have to be treated for a long time and hard, because the little ones still cannot take most medications. Support, do to the baby, dose the frequency of guests and the duration of walks.

Frequent walks, fresh air have a beneficial effect on the health of the baby and his breathing.

The specificity of the infant's breathing

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The baby's body develops literally by the hour. All organs and systems work in an enhanced mode, therefore, the rate of a baby's pulse and blood pressure are much higher than in an adult. So, the pulse reaches 140 beats per minute. The body of a small person is physiologically tuned to rapid breathing in order to compensate for the impossibility of deep full-fledged inhalations-exhalations due to the imperfection of the respiratory system, narrow passages, weak muscles and small ribs.

The breathing of babies is shallow, often they breathe intermittently and unevenly, which can frighten parents. Even respiratory failure is possible. By the age of 7, the child's respiratory system is completely formed, the baby outgrows, stops getting sick. Breathing becomes the same as in adults, and rhinitis, bronchitis and pneumonia are more easily tolerated.

Doing sports and yoga, frequent walks and airing the premises will help your child under 7 years old to more easily endure the imperfection of his respiratory system.

Rate, frequency and types of breathing

If the baby breathes often, but there are no wheezing and noises, then this breathing is a normal process. If any abnormalities are observed, then the child should be shown to the doctor.

If your little one does not have a stuffy nose, and his body is functioning normally, then the baby takes two or three short light breaths, then one deep breath, while exhaling remains equally superficial. Such is the specificity of the breath of any newborn. The child breathes often and quickly. In a minute, to provide the body with oxygen, the baby takes about 40-60 breaths. A 9-month-old toddler should breathe more rhythmically, deeply and evenly. Noises, wheezing, swelling of the wings of the nose should disturb the parents and force them to show the child to the pediatrician.

The number of respiratory movements is usually counted by the movements of the chest of the baby at rest. Respiratory rate norms are given in the list:

up to the third week of life - 40-60 breaths;
from the third week of life to three months - 40-45 breaths per minute;
from 4 months to six months - 35-40;
from six months to 1 year - 30-36 breaths per minute.

To make the data look more visual, we point out that the norm of the respiratory rate of an adult is up to 20 breaths per minute, and in a sleeping state, the indicator decreases by another 5 units. The guidelines help pediatricians determine the state of health. In the event that the frequency of respiratory movements, abbreviated as NPV, deviates from the generally accepted positions, we can talk about a disease of the respiratory or other system in the body of the newborn. The parents themselves can not miss the onset of the disease by periodically counting the NPV at home, according to Dr. Komarovsky.

Each mother can independently check the frequency and type of breathing

In the process of life, an infant can breathe in three different ways, which is physiologically provided by nature, namely:

Breast type. It is predetermined by the characteristic movements of the chest and does not sufficiently ventilate the lower sections of the lungs.
Abdominal type. With it, the diaphragm and the abdominal wall move, and the upper sections of the lungs are not sufficiently ventilated.
Mixed type. The most complete type of breathing, both the upper and lower parts of the respiratory tract are ventilated.

Deviations from the norm

The parameters of physiological development do not always meet generally accepted standards due to human ill health. Causes of deviations from the norm of breathing, which are not a pathology:

the baby may breathe too quickly during physical activity, play, in an excited state of a positive or negative nature, in moments of crying;
in a dream, newborns can sniff, wheeze and even whistle melodicly, if this phenomenon is infrequent, then it is due solely to the underdevelopment of the respiratory system and does not require the intervention of doctors.

The baby's breathing rate may change depending on its condition, for example, while crying.

Why can children hold their breath?

Until the sixth month of a baby's life, he may experience breath holding (apnea), and this is not a pathology. In sleep, breath holdings account for up to 10 percent of the total time. Uneven breathing can have the following causes:

SARS. With colds and viral diseases, the respiratory rate becomes higher, there may be delays, wheezing, sniffling.
Oxygen deficiency. It is manifested not only by holding the breath, but also by cyanosis of the skin, clouding of consciousness. The child gasps for air. In this case, the intervention of doctors is needed.
Increased body temperature. Lost rhythm and shortness of breath more often indicate an increase in temperature, this can be against the background of not only SARS, but also during teething.
False croup. The most serious disease that causes suffocation requires an immediate call for an ambulance.

If we are talking about children under 7 years of age, and especially of kindergarten age, then the cause of apnea can be adenoids, due to the large size of which the child holds his breath. Adenoiditis is a common disease that occurs in children attending preschool institutions, changing clothes in cold rooms and very often suffering from SARS. It characterizes difficulty breathing, especially at night, because overgrown adenoids prevent the baby from fully breathing through the nose.

Difficulty breathing in a child may be due to enlarged adenoids. In this case, breathing will return to normal only with the treatment of this disease.

Adenoiditis is treated with antiseptic sprays and drops in the nose, homeopathy is quite popular, a long stay at home in warm conditions. Medicines for swollen lymph nodes are effective. Treatment requires a long and continuous, in case of failure, removal of the adenoids may be recommended.

Has your baby suddenly stopped breathing? Parents should know what to do in this case. If you find a non-breathing sleeping child, then gently wake him up, while providing fresh air to the room. If after 15 seconds breathing is not restored, then call an ambulance, and do cardiopulmonary resuscitation yourself.

What is wheezing?

Ideally, the newborn's breathing is carried out without difficulty and wheezing. The appearance of noise indicates a malfunction in the body. Wheezing is difficulty breathing in and out through a narrowed airway and can occur with infection, bronchospasm, edema, or a foreign body. A symptom of false croup is a rough wheezing when inhaling, stridor (we recommend reading:).

When is medical assistance required?

If you hear wheezing, then analyze the general condition of the baby. Call an ambulance if you notice one of the following symptoms: blue skin around the lips; the child is lethargic and drowsy, the mind is clouded; the baby cannot speak.

Wheezing in a baby can mean a cold has begun. In this case, mom needs to call a pediatrician at home

Keep in mind that there are times when a toddler accidentally inhales a foreign body. Make sure that there are no small items, jewelry, toys, beads and rhinestones near the baby.

Let's summarize in a table the situations when wheezing is noticeable in the child's breath, possible causes and your actions (we recommend reading:).

Situation	Cause	Actions
The baby wheezing periodically occurs out of the blue, especially during sleep (we recommend reading:). It develops normally, a routine examination by a pediatrician does not show any pathologies.	Physiological imperfection of the respiratory tract of the baby. There are no pathologies.	Be calm about this phenomenon, the situation will change by the age of one year of your child. Consult a doctor if wheezing is too loud and frequent, sounds unusual for your ear, made by the baby during inhalation and exhalation. The main thing is to provide comfortable conditions for the development of the child's body, humidify the air, maintain the temperature in the children's room within 21 degrees Celsius, ventilate the nursery 2 times a day (see also:).
Wheezing on the background of SARS or colds. The little one has a cough and a runny nose.	Viral disease.	Contact your pediatrician and ENT doctor. Plentiful drink and comfortable conditions for the baby until the arrival of the doctor.
The child periodically has a cough or runny nose, which does not go away from anti-ARVI drugs, lasts more than 2 days (see also:). Relatives diagnosed with allergies or asthma.	Allergic cough or asthma.	Analyze what can cause allergies. First of all, make sure that there are no allergens in the mother's diet if the baby is breastfeeding. During feeding, undesirable substances can be transferred to him. The flowering period of ambrosia and other allergic plants, the dust in the room, the child's clothes play a role. See an allergist and get tested for allergens.

When do you need to call an ambulance?

There are situations when your child urgently needs to call a doctor or an ambulance. Let us denote in which cases wheezing is a harbinger of a serious illness of the baby. This may be the onset of a serious illness, a critical condition, or a foreign body entering the respiratory tract, which causes suffocation and swelling.

It is possible to alleviate the difficult breathing of a child with bronchitis with the help of a syrup that will be prescribed by the attending physician

Wheezing against the background of frequent excruciating cough, which lasts more than a day.	Bronchiolitis is an infection of the bronchioles of the lungs, the smallest branches of the bronchi. More often seen in babies.	This serious condition requires urgent medical attention. Possibly hospitalizations.
A kid of kindergarten age speaks through his nose, snores and wheezes during sleep, swallows, and is prone to frequent colds. The baby gets tired quickly and breathes through his mouth.	Adenoiditis.	Consult an ENT doctor. Keep the child warm, limit trips, do wet cleaning more often, humidify the room.
Wheezing and severe cough against the background of fever.	Bronchitis. Pneumonia.	Seek medical attention as soon as possible. If the child is no longer infancy, and you have experience treating him with SARS, you can give the child a suitable cough syrup and an antiallergic agent to alleviate the condition. Bronchitis and, especially, pneumonia may require hospitalization.
Wheezing against the background of a dry barking cough, high fever, hoarseness, strange crying.	False croup.	Call an ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors, humidify the room, ensure the flow of fresh air.
Sharply arisen strong wheezing, especially after the baby was left alone for some time, and there were small objects nearby, from toys to buttons. The baby is crying hoarsely.	A foreign body has entered the respiratory tract.	Call an ambulance, only a medical professional will help clear the airways from a foreign body.

Why are wheezing more common in babies?

Most often, wheezing is diagnosed in children under 3 years of age. This is due to insufficient formation of the airways. They are narrow and easier to clog with mucus, dust, prone to swelling. It is more difficult for babies to be treated, because they cannot use many drugs produced by the pharmaceutical industry, so SARS and colds are more difficult and longer. Why is breathing sometimes heavy and noisy? It's all about the dry and dusty air, according to Dr. Komarovsky. It is necessary to humidify the air and temper children to avoid breathing problems, colds, early adenoiditis and complications.

If you have difficulty breathing, regardless of the cause, you should immediately consult a doctor. The signs are not always obvious, so pay attention to the breathing rate, whether the muscles of the neck and chest are tightened.

If the skin between the ribs or under them is drawn in during breathing, then there is a serious blockage. At the same time, the child instinctively grabs the table or chair, the muscles of the neck and shoulders tense up and help him take a breath. This is another warning sign. If the child turns blue, he does not have enough oxygen, urgently call an ambulance.

All of these symptoms are indicative of a blockage in your child's breathing. The cause may be a respiratory tract infection.

Noisy breathing indicates a partial blockage of the small airways in the lungs, trachea, or throat. The cause may be a common cough or cold, especially in young children.

Very narrow airways with a cold are easily clogged with mucous secretions, as a result, the child’s inhalation and exhalation are accompanied by rattling sounds. Very young babies only breathe through their mouths when they cry. When they try to breathe through a stuffy nose, they make various noises. If there are no signs of difficulty breathing, then you can safely treat the child for a cold.

Noise when inhaling

An inspiratory noise is called inspiratory stridor and usually indicates a blockage in the throat or bronchi. This is serious and you need to see a doctor. The cause may also be the ingress of a foreign body into the bronchi.

Another possible cause is an infection of the epiglottis, located at the back of the child's throat. The epiglottis is a cartilage that usually blocks the entrance to the bronchi during swallowing, preventing food from entering the respiratory tract.

The child may suddenly have a fever, a sore throat, and a croupy cough. Sometimes he is unable to swallow even his own saliva. Breathing becomes noisy and labored. Often this is an ordinary croup, and not an inflammation of the epiglottis, but do not take risks, as with inflammation of the latter, blockade of the bronchi can occur. In this case, call a doctor immediately.

Some children have inspiratory stridor as a result of contact of the epiglottis with the wall of the larynx. It usually disappears when the formation of the larynx is completed.

Noises on exhalation

Children often make high-pitched musical sounds, which is due to the narrowness of the airways in the lungs themselves, and not in the bronchi or throat.

Call your doctor if your child is having difficulty breathing or stridor. Treatment depends on the cause.

If you have difficulty breathing, you may need to be treated for an infection or asthma.

In case of contact with a foreign body, emergency care should be provided.

Inflammation of the epiglottis is treated in the hospital with antibiotics. If necessary, insert a tube to facilitate breathing.

Breath holding in a child

Approximately 1-2 percent of walkers scare parents by holding their breath.

Breath-holding spells are essentially harmless, and the child usually begins to breathe on its own. But at the same time they look so scary that it is difficult to believe in the harmlessness of such a phenomenon.

Typically, an attack begins after suffering pain or emotional stress. First, the child screams or cries, then holds his breath and blushes. Sometimes breathing is restored at this stage. In other children, the redness turns into blue, and loss of consciousness may occur. This usually lasts a few seconds, and then breathing is restored. If after a few seconds the child does not come to his senses, act as in the case of fainting.

Convulsions when holding the breath

Cramps of the arms and legs are an alarming symptom. The cause of convulsions and loss of consciousness during an attack is an insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. This is a harmless and transient symptom, but if in doubt, a doctor should be consulted to rule out epilepsy.

It is believed that in the above cases nothing needs to be done. Therefore, doctors do not prescribe drugs. It is recommended to splash the child with cold water at the beginning of the attack. This can serve as an impetus to the restoration of breathing. Breath-holding attacks occur mainly in children between the ages of 18 months and 2 years and usually disappear after three years.

Consult a doctor in the following cases:

Your child's seizures do not proceed as described here;
loss of consciousness lasts longer than a few seconds;
during an attack, the child begins spontaneous urination;
he bites his tongue;
kicking and kicking.

These may be signs of epilepsy. If the seizures do not stop after three years, then the children should be examined by a doctor.

Suffocation

Asphyxiation is a violation of the patency of the bronchi, in which the child cannot take a breath for several moments.

sudden suffocation

This type of suffocation is a common phenomenon. It occurs if some object in the child's mouth blocks the entrance to the bronchi.

Severely enlarged tonsils with a sore throat can make swallowing difficult. But suffocation in this case rarely occurs. Quite another thing is inflammation of the epiglottis, which can really cause difficulty breathing.

If food or liquid enters the respiratory tract, it can cause suffocation. It lasts a few seconds. Do not tap the child on the back, as this can pass food further into the bronchi. A crumb or drop that has fallen can pop out during a cough. If this does not happen, then hold the child upside down.

Choking with vomiting or retraction of the tongue

Fortunately, this phenomenon is very rare in children. In this case, there is a danger if the unconscious child lies on his back. You need to turn it on its side.

Rarely, choking can last weeks or even months after birth. The causes of prolonged suffocation are birth defects such as cleft palate, abnormal development of the tongue, throat, esophagus or jaw. The nerves and muscles that control and make swallowing difficult can be affected by brain disorders or cerebral palsy. Sometimes apparently perfectly normal children cannot learn to control these muscles for weeks or even months.

Severe choking in newborns may indicate a serious condition such as underdevelopment of the esophagus, which interferes with normal feeding.

If your child has frequent choking attacks, see a doctor.

Treatment for sudden choking depends on the cause. If your child has difficulty breathing for more than a few seconds, call an ambulance.

Noisy breathing or stridor

Newborns and infants may often have noisy breathing or stridor. Attention should be paid to changes in the characteristics of crying or wheezing, the presence of cough or other signs of upper respiratory tract infection, and any episodes of apnea or cyanosis. The disappearance of symptoms with a change in body position is also an important diagnostic sign. The appearance or worsening of symptoms during feeding is characteristic of aspiration, which may be due to a laryngotracheal cleft or tracheoesophageal fistula. Previous episodes of intubation may indicate the presence of subglottic or tracheal stenosis. It is also important to pay attention to the constant nature of the breath sounds or the presence of periods when they disappear. It is necessary to assess the nature of the breath sounds during deep sleep, when the child's spontaneous tidal volume decreases. Snoring during sleep may indicate obstructive sleep apnea, usually caused by hypertrophy of the adenoids or tonsils. Functional disorders, such as laryngomalacia, are characterized by improvement at rest or with quiet breathing. It should also be noted that any combined violations of the act of swallowing are possible. In all toddlers, in the event of acute symptoms, ingestion or aspiration of the foreign body should be considered first. Despite the fact that the swallowed object may be in the esophagus, it can put pressure on the back wall of the trachea and partially block its lumen. In school-age children and adolescents, the appearance of shortness of breath and chest pain may indicate a mediastinal tumor. It is necessary to remember about gastroesophageal reflux, as well as pay attention to the relationship of respiratory noises with cough and note their features.

Noisy breathing in newborns - diagnosis

Auscultation will be more informative if additional respiratory sounds are correlated with the phase of the respiratory cycle. Upper airway obstruction is characterized by inspiratory stridor. Large airway murmurs associated with tracheomalacia are heard on exhalation, but in severe obstruction they are heard on both inspiration and expiration. To differentiate upper airway murmurs from lower airway murmurs, auscultate the child with the mouth open and listen to the sides of the neck. If the child responds calmly to the examination, the doctor may try to stir him up a little to identify abnormal breath sounds or evaluate new ones that appear with an increase in breathing volume. In infants, breath sounds should be assessed in the supine and prone positions, as supralaryngeal obstruction worsens in the supine position.

Palpation of the liver and spleen during examination of the digestive organs helps to suspect storage diseases that may cause abnormal breath sounds secondary to laryngeal infiltration. A thorough neurological examination for hypotension or dysreflexia is very important.

Noisy breathing in newborns - x-ray

All children with noisy breathing should have a chest x-ray in two projections (frontal and lateral). On the X-ray ^ gram, you should carefully evaluate the shadow of the heart and large vessels, determine their size and orientation. Lung involvement may be secondary to aspiration, infection, or cardiac disease. The chest organs should be carefully examined to identify the tumor, since compression of the airways by the tumor often results in noisy breathing.

Radiographic studies of a child with stridor should include studies of the lateral projections of the neck and nasopharynx and a direct projection of the neck taken at the time of head extension. The space under the glottis on the frontal projection should be symmetrical, and the lateral walls of the airways should fall off steeply. Asymmetry is indicative of subglottic stenosis or mass injury, while a narrow cone-shaped narrowing is indicative of subglottic edema.

Direct visualization of the respiratory tract is the most informative method for noisy breathing. The flexible bronchoscope allows for a clear definition of dynamic compression as patients are only lightly sedated and breathe spontaneously. However, a rigid bronchoscopy may be required to conduct a complete examination of the posterior pharynx.

Noisy breathing in children - examination for possible foreign bodies

A common cause of stridor in children aged 1 to 3 years is the ingestion or aspiration of a foreign body. The pressure of a foreign body on the airway provokes coughing, and this problem is characterized by localized unilateral wheezing. The identification of secondary asymmetric overdistension due to a valvular effect on radiographs requires immediate action. Inspiratory and expiratory chest x-rays may exacerbate asymmetric hyperextension and help clarify the diagnosis. In infants who cannot inhale and exhale voluntarily, right and left lateral x-rays in the supine position may show overdistension because the mediastinum does not move toward the affected lung in this position. However, radiography will be informative only if the foreign body is radiopaque. Peanuts are the most common foreign body in children. Foreign body aspiration in children may be asymptomatic until a secondary infection develops.

Lower airway obstruction

In contrast to upper airway obstruction, lower airway obstruction is more commonly associated with expiratory than inspiratory dyspnea. During inspiration, intrathoracic pressure becomes negative relative to atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the airways tend to increase in diameter during inspiration, and unless there is a real, relatively fixed obstruction (or increase in airway secretion), little or no breath sounds are produced during inspiration. Intrathoracic pressure increases relative to atmospheric pressure during exhalation, thus tending to collapse the lower airways and causing wheezing. Whistling is a relatively continuous expiratory sound, usually more musical than stridor, which is caused by turbulent airflow. Partial airway obstruction may cause wheezing only during the late expiratory phase.

The etiology of wheezing is multiple, the most common cause being diffuse bronchial obstruction resulting from bronchial smooth muscle contraction, airway inflammation, or excess secretions.

Childhood never passes without illness. Every parent worries about their kids if they suffer from various acute respiratory viral infections. After all, they can be accompanied by symptoms such as coughing, runny nose. Our article will discuss what to do if the child wheezes when he breathes and what this may be connected with.

A lot of mothers start to panic if they hear heavy breathing from a child. Of course, this is an alarming symptom, which in no case should be ignored. This difficulty breathing may be accompanied by wheezing or whistling.

Wheezing is a variety of extraneous noises that are not characteristic of the breathing of a healthy person. They are a little more difficult to hear in children than in adults, since the respiratory organs in babies differ in their characteristics and sounds.

If you suddenly hear whistles in your child, wheezing on exhalation, or simply notice that it is hard for him to breathe, then immediately call an ambulance. One of the causes of such breathing may be the narrowing of the larynx (laryngeal stenosis), it has various degrees and is a very dangerous phenomenon for all children. In another way, this disease is called laryngitis. And it is due to the fact that children still have an anatomically unformed larynx. It can narrow reflexively due to spasm, there is a narrowing of the glottis, which prevents the child from breathing fully.

Shortness of breath in a child is also a fairly serious symptom and a reason to see a doctor.

Often shortness of breath in a child may be due to the fact that some kind of foreign body has entered the respiratory tract. Therefore, if you see and hear that the child is breathing rapidly and heavily, immediately call a doctor or go to a medical facility.

Another cause of shortness of breath in a child may be a stuffy nose or an abundant discharge of snot, dried crusts in the nose. Very often in infants during feeding, when they breathe through the nose, grunting and shortness of breath can be heard. In this case, you need to pull out all the boogers and snot from the baby's nose.

Consider the symptoms that should alert you:

The child has heavy breathing and cough. Call the doctor and he will listen to the baby with a stethoscope. This device is able to locally amplify sounds and the doctor clearly hears breathing and all the features when the phonedoscope comes into contact with the chest and back. Sometimes parents can even hear wheezing or gurgling in the chest of a child. If the child is breathing heavily and coughing, most likely he is suffering from some kind of SARS. Associated symptoms may include fever and runny nose.
The child has hoarse breathing. It may be accompanied by a barking cough. These are the first signs of incipient laryngitis. Especially often it worsens at night. If suddenly you hear a loud barking cough, then you need to inhale the child with physical. solution or alkaline soda solution, after releasing gases. This must be done through a nebulizer. In parallel, call a doctor or an ambulance to prevent swelling of the larynx.
The child is suffocating and cannot take a full breath or exhale. It is very important that the child has the same depth and time of inhalation and exhalation.

Causes

Causes of laryngitis:

Viruses. The most common reason. Viruses penetrate the body and affect the upper respiratory tract, and in most cases they are localized (sit down) on the larynx and vocal cords. As a result, edema and stenosis of the larynx occur.
Allergens. If a child is prone to allergy manifestations, then in the event of a collision with some highly allergenic factor (for example, animal hair, food allergies, allergies to medications, dust), laryngeal edema may occur.
Congenital anomaly and constitutional inclination. Some children are prone to developing lymphatic-hypoplastic diathesis. They are characterized by pale skin and soft puffy facial features. The main reason for this anomaly is a genetic failure that occurred during pregnancy in the mother.
Also, the cause may be malnutrition, transferred SARS in the expectant mother. Spraying in the throat and nose. It is contraindicated for children under 3 years of age to use “pshikalki” in the mouth and nose, as this can lead to reflex spasm of the larynx.
Breakdown. Since children have an unformed nervous system, various severe stresses can cause such a reaction.

In any case, if it is difficult for a child to breathe, only a doctor can tell the reasons. Do not self-medicate, always call a doctor in a timely manner in order to avoid various complications and consequences.

The prognosis for recovery is usually very good. Children outgrow laryngitis as their larynx and vocal cords develop with age. The main prevention is to strengthen the immune system and timely sanitation of chronic foci of infection.

Any changes in the child's condition cause panic attacks in parents, especially if such an important body function as breathing is affected. It is clear that a small toddler does not breathe like an adult. He often sighs in a long sleep, the movements of his tummy and chest occur more often and superficially, but this is a physiological norm.

The situation is completely different when the natural process begins to be difficult for the baby, with a confused frequency or an unusual sound accompaniment. In some cases, this is due to nightmares or accompanies a cold process, but in some situations, hard breathing indicates more serious problems and requires an immediate response.

The main causes of heavy breathing in children

Most often, heavy and noisy breathing in a child occurs against the background of diseases such as false or viral croup. Often, the phenomenon is associated with the activity of pathogens of influenza, measles, chickenpox, rubella, diphtheria, scarlet fever. As a result of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the trachea and larynx, their lumen narrows. The baby, when breathing, experiences a lack of air compared to its usual state. For this reason, he sighs deeply and expressively in his sleep, his voice changes and becomes more hoarse, a characteristic barking cough appears.

Tip: Although hard breathing always occurs as a result of damage to the same organ system, different conditions need different help. It is strictly forbidden to prescribe inhalations to the baby on their own if they brought relief to someone they know in the same situation. Such experiments can provoke a crisis, which even the doctor will not be able to cope with in the future.

Quite often, hard or heavy breathing is a symptom of an allergy. In this case, the type of allergen is determined without fail and its effect on the child is excluded. In addition, it is necessary to agree with the doctor on drugs that can, if necessary, relieve an attack. The risk of such manifestations is reduced if the baby’s diet is adjusted in time and his body is provided with vitamins and minerals to relieve the reactivity of the immune system and strengthen it.

In addition to pathological causes, hard breathing can also be due to the physiological characteristics of the child's body. This applies to babies who are not yet one and a half years old. If the little one eats well, grows normally and sleeps soundly (even if he sighs quite often in his sleep), the cause of the phenomenon may be the increased elasticity of the tissues of the respiratory tract. By the age of 1.5, the cartilages of the larynx will thicken and the process will normalize. True, in this case, it is worth paying the attention of the doctor to the peculiarity of the baby during a routine examination.

Methods for eliminating the pathological condition

Treatment is selected in accordance with the cause that provoked heavy breathing. If the child's condition allows, it must be shown to the local pediatrician. In cases where a small patient becomes worse literally before our eyes, it is necessary to call an ambulance. This is necessary when breathing is not just noisy and harsh, but also difficult, the skin around the lips turns blue, the baby is not able to make normal sounds, is slowed down and tends to sleep.

Colds, SARS. In this case, the baby has a cough or runny nose. It is necessary to consult a doctor for confirmation of the diagnosis and treatment. Before his arrival, we provide the child with comfortable conditions and plenty of drink. Heavy breathing will disappear as the main symptoms disappear.
bronchiolitis. A disease, often of a viral nature, in which the smallest bronchi are affected. It is noted in children under the age of one year. Against the background of a persistent prolonged cough, it is not only difficult for a baby to breathe, but rather problematic. He takes a deep breath rather than a breath. Along with this, his appetite disappears, the baby is irritable, shows anxiety. Be sure to call a doctor who will decide on hospitalization.
Asthma. In this case, the baby often coughs, during physical exertion and in a dream, he begins to choke. Usually in his anamnesis there is asthma or a tendency to allergies in the next of kin. Effective treatment, usually based on inhalation, can only be prescribed by a doctor.
Croup. Inhalation is difficult, the cough is barking, the voice is hoarse, the temperature is elevated. Noisy and hard breathing becomes more evident at night. In case of an attack, we call an ambulance, before the arrival of which we try to alleviate the condition of the child. To do this, we take him to the bathroom, pour hot water into the bath, close the door tightly. As a result of inhalation of warm humidified air, it will be possible to expand the lumen of the respiratory tract. If this does not help, then you can give the baby a breath of cool night air.

. The child sighs very often, while distinct wheezing is heard, there is a strong cough, the temperature rises above 38ºС. When inhaling, there is a retraction of the skin in the intercostal spaces. Only emergency hospitalization will help here, treatment at home, even under the supervision of a doctor, is fraught with complications.
Foreign body. Occasionally, harsh, irregular breathing with severe wheezing may indicate a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract. This is an emergency that requires professional help. Until the doctor arrives, it is necessary to maintain ventilation of the lungs artificially.
Adenoids, allergies. Enlarged adenoids are also accompanied by breathing problems. The child sighs deeply in sleep or snores, breathes through the mouth due to constant nasal congestion, wakes up in the morning irritated and tired, regularly suffers a cold. In this case, again, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will make a final diagnosis and prescribe conservative or surgical therapy.

In addition to all of the above, breathing problems in children are often due to poor indoor air quality (it is too dry) or forced inhalation of cigarette smoke.