Bronchiolitis Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Understanding

Bronchiolitis is inflammation of the bronchioles. The bronchioles themselves are small airways before reaching the alveoli in the lungs. Alveoli are air bubbles in the lungs that function for gas exchange.

This disease generally occurs in children under 2 years of age, with a peak age of 3–6 months.

Reason

Bronchiolitis is an inflammation that is generally caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Other viruses that can cause these symptoms are parainfluenza, coronavirus, adenovirus, and rhinovirus.

Diagnosis

Bronchiolitis that is not handled properly can cause shortness of breath so that the child will find it difficult to breathe. Some of the symptoms below indicate the progress of the disease is already severe, namely:

• history of respiratory arrest
• respiratory rate > 70 breaths per minute
• bluishness on nails and lips
• chest wall retraction
• nostril breath
• weak tired lethargic
• fluid intake in 24 hours decreased by more than 50%

The diagnosis is made on the basis of a physical examination by a doctor. Chest X-rays can be used to support the diagnosis to differentiate cases of bacterial pneumonia. Testing for the causative virus is rare and not recommended for routine use in everyday practice.

Symptoms

Some signs of bronchiolitis that can be recognized include:

• cough
• hard to breathe
• difficulty eating
• blue lips
• Jesus

Treatment

Treatment of bronchiolitis is focused on relieving clinical symptoms. Without active treatment, 50% of cases of bronchiolitis will resolve on their own within 13 days and 90% will resolve within 3 weeks. However, in some cases, this condition can cause an emergency, so treatment must be done as soon as possible.

Handling that can be done in the form of providing adequate oxygen, monitoring vital signs, monitoring fluids, and providing adequate nutrition.

Prevention

To prevent bronchiolitis attacks, there are several ways you can do it, including:

• Washing hands with soap and running water is a proven effective way to reduce disease transmission.
• Exclusive breastfeeding (breast milk), especially at the age of 0-6 months of life, has strong evidence that it can prevent bronchiolitis.