Eye Care: The Wonders of Technology

Helping Your Child Cope With A Chest Infection

by Stella Robinson

During the winter and spring it is not unusual for children to have coughs and colds due to the change in weather. Most of the times the common cold is nothing to worry about. However, there are times when the common cold can lead to more serious conditions such as a chest infection. Chest infections can be very serious in young children and need to be treated immediately. In order get your child help when they have a chest infection, you should be aware of the symptoms and the steps you can take to help your child to cope.

Chest Infection Symptoms

The symptoms of a chest infection are relatively easy to spot, especially if your child has had colds before. You will notice a marked difference if the child has a chest infection. Here are few major signs of a chest infection.

1. Wheezing

Wheezing occurs because the nasal passages are blocked. Wheezing can sometimes be heard loudly or if you place your head near your child's chest and catch the buzzing sound.

2. Grunting sounds

Grunting sounds often go along with a chest infection, since your child is having great difficulty breathing.

3. Rapid chest movements

It is time to visit the doctor if you can see your child's ribs when they breathe. Ribcage exposure while breathing means that either the large air sacs or small air sacs in your child's lungs have been infected.

If you notice these three symptoms, then get your child to an emergency room quickly. This will prevent the infection from spreading throughout your child's lungs.

Tips For Boosting Your Child's Immunity To Chest Infections

Once your child is diagnosed with a chest infection and is being treated by a doctor, there are some things you can do to help the healing process:

  1. Give your child lots of blueberry juice. Blueberry juice is high in antioxidants and can immediately help to boost and strengthen your child's immune system.
  2. Give your child a lot of oily fish to eat such as salmon and mackerel. Oily fish contains a lot of essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids will help your child's white blood cells to ward off an infection quickly.

Recognizing the warning signs of an infection and getting medical treatment along with consuming nourishing juices and food will help your child recover from a chest infection quickly. For more information, talk to a professional like Kitsap Children's Clinic LLP.

Share