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Our Croup Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Croup |
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Definition of Croup
Croup: A respiratory problem that occurs mainly in
children, particularly from 2 to 4 years of age, due to an
infection of the respiratory tree -- the larynx (voice box), the
trachea (windpipe), and the bronchial tubes.
The symptoms of croup include a cough that sounds like a barking
seal and a harsh crowing sound when the child is inhaling. A
low-grade fever (around 100° to 101°) is common. The child may become
very frightened. The major concern in croup is breathing difficulty
as the air passages narrow.
Croup is most often caused by a virus, less often by a
bacteria.
Treatment includes moist air, saline (salt water) nose drops,
decongestants, cough suppressants, pain medication, fluids, and
occasionally antibiotics. Close monitoring of the
breathing of a child with croup is valuable, especially at night when
croup usually gets worse.
Croup may last up to a week. Each night tends to be better than
the last. While most children recover
from croup without hospitalization, some children can develop
trouble breathing that is life-threatening. Therefore, staying in
close
contact with the doctor during this
illness is important.
The word "croup" is one of the few in general use worldwide in
medicine that came from
Denmark. It is from the Danish "hropja" which sounds like a croupy
child trying to get air in and out of
the lungs.
Last Editorial Review: 11/22/1998Common Misspellings: croop
- Laryngitis - Learn about laryngitis causes such as viral infections, which causes vocal cord inflammation, voice overuse, GERD, polyps, nodules, vocal cord paralysis, and more.
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