Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the bronchi in the lungs. Bronchitis is therefore a disease of the respiratory tract and occurs particularly frequently in childhood and adolescence. Bronchitis also occurs in babies, especially in the cold season, as the respiratory tract is attacked by the cold winter air and many viruses circulate.
Bronchitis usually lasts no longer than two weeks. If the child develops bronchitis more frequently during the year or over a longer period of time, it is called chronic bronchitis. The airways are structured as follows: After inhalation, the air enters the trachea, which divides into the main bronchi in the chest.
These draw into the lungs and branch out there to transport the air to the end of the finest and smallest bronchial branches. This is where the pulmonary alveoli (alveoli) are located, which are surrounded by small blood vessels (capillaries). The passing blood absorbs the oxygen from the air we breathe and releases carbon dioxide back into the exhaled air.
The airways are lined with a mucous membrane with small, movable cilia. These move continuously in the direction of the air that is exhaled, with the task of removing small dust particles or other foreign bodies from the bronchi with the mucus that is constantly formed. If this mucosa becomes inflamed, secretion accumulates and breathing difficulties occur.
Causes
In most cases, bronchitis is an infection with so-called respiratory viruses. These viruses particularly often infect the respiratory tract and lead to colds like bronchitis. In addition to bronchitis, a cold (flu-like infection) often leads to inflammation of the windpipe (tracheo-bronchitis).
Bronchitis can also occur in addition to bronchitis in other diseases and especially in the classic childhood diseases such as measles or whooping cough (pertussis). In rare cases, babies with a weakened immune system can become infected with fungi in the respiratory tract (for example: Candida albicans), which leads to so-called thrush bronchitis. Toxic gases or smoke can also irritate the mucous membranes of the bronchi and lead to inflammation.
The causes of chronic bronchitis in babies are many and varied. Often there is a congenital malformation of the airways or a congenital metabolic disease with increased susceptibility to infection, such as cystic fibrosis. But allergies or some enzyme deficiency disorders, such as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, can also trigger chronic bronchitis. One of the most common causes of chronic bronchitis in babies or small children is damage to the mucous membrane by toxins in the air we breathe, cigarette smoke in particular is very harmful.
Symptoms
What are the signs of bronchitis? Depending on its course, bronchitis can be divided into an acute or a chronic disease. In most cases, acute bronchitis first manifests itself in a dry (non-productive, non-mucus) cough in the baby.
Only later does sputum usually appear, which can become slimy or even purulent. There may be shortness of breath or rales when breathing. Fever in the baby usually only occurs in the early stages.
In chronic bronchitis, the symptoms of acute bronchitis occur more frequently or over a long period of time. Especially in babies and infants, in the first three years of life, so-called obstructive, constrictive bronchitis often occurs. This disease is also caused by viruses and can lead to respiratory distress in the baby, which can become very severe to life-threatening.
A typical symptom is a whistling sound when breathing out, which sounds similar to that of an asthma patient (gulling). Due to their still very small airways, babies quickly have difficulty in exhaling when an inflammation of the bronchial mucosa occurs. Bronchitis damages the lungs and makes them more susceptible to additional infections. Signs of a purulent bronchitis caused by bacteria include purulent, cloudy, yellowish or greenish sputum. If the disease progresses further, the baby may develop pneumonia, in which case a paediatrician should be consulted.
