Signs and Symptoms of Croup

One of the scariest things ever for a parent to hear is when their child has the croup. The croup is something that is very common for babies and children to have. It is unusual for an adult to get the croup. The croup is when there is narrowing of the air passages and inflammation in the body which causes great difficulty in a person's breathing. It narrows the air passages so badly that it can sometimes be a life threatening situation. That is why it is so important to know the signs and symptoms of croup.

Barking Cough

The number one sign of having the croup is a barking cough. If it sounds like you suddenly have a seal living at your house, this may be a cause for concern of having the croup. The cough is loud, and it really sounds like a barking seal. This is usually the tell tale sign of a person having the croup because it is uncommon for any other condition to make a person sound like this. So, if someone has a barking cough take them to their doctor right away for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Cold Symptoms

It is pretty normal for a person to have cold symptoms a couple days before the barking cough starts. If your child has the croup, you might notice them complaining about not feeling well before the coughing begins. The symptoms are of a mild cold. The person with croup will probably feel tired and unwell. The croup usually begins from a person having a respiratory infection.

Breathing Difficulty

Another one of the symptoms of croup is breathing difficulty. A person with croup usually is wheezing. You will hear a whistling sound coming from their chest. These noises are very high pitched. This is from them trying to struggle to inhale and breathe. Breathing in cold night air may help, and so is breathing steam from a hot shower in non-emergency cases.

Night Time

Usually croup gets worse at night time. The first couple nights will probably be the worst in having croup. You may wake up in the middle of the night hearing someone have the croup. That is one of the reasons why it is so scary for a parent to hear a child have the croup symptoms. Imagine being woken up by your child struggling to breathe. That is why it is so important if you are a parent that you know the signs and symptoms of croup so you know how to act right away.

Emergency Symptoms

Croup can be life threatening. If you notice the following symptoms of croup, take the person to the hospital right away. These symptoms include blue looking lips, great breathing difficulty, rapid heartbeat, consciousness loss, coughing, wheezing, enormous difficulty in breathing, and huge difficulty in swallowing. Call 911 immediately. Having the croup is nothing to mess with, and if you even suspect that someone has the croup talk to a medical professional right away. Knowing the signs and symptoms of croup may just save someone's life.

Source:

http://health.yahoo.net/channel/croup.html