The best way to prevent croup is to keep your children away from others who have symptoms of the condition. Unfortunately, this isn't always practical or possible. However, it will help if everyone in the home, and school or daycare washes their hands often and throws away tissues used for runny noses and sneezes right away. Anyone with a cough or cold should be asked to avoid kissing or playing with your child.
Cases of mild-to-moderate croup can be treated at home. Since crying makes symptoms worse, keeping your child comfortable and happy will help. In addition, encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids and ensure they get as much rest as possible.
Although several recent studies have not shown a clear benefit from using mist or humidity for children with croup in the emergency department, this is still recommended for the management of croup at home. If your child has stridor, a humidifier may help him or her breathe more easily. A cool mist vaporizer or warm moist air may both be effective. Sitting with your child in a bathroom filled with hot shower steam for 10 to 20 minutes often helps. Taking your child outside into the cool air for about 10 minutes may also help.
Like the common cold, we haven't found a way to kill the viruses that cause croup. If your child has a fever or chest discomfort, you can give them acetaminophen* or ibuprofen.
Cough medications have not been found to be of any benefit for children with croup. Because antibiotics do not kill viruses, your doctor will not prescribe them unless another infection (such as an associated ear infection) potentially caused by bacteria is suspected. A single dose of an oral cortisone medication may be prescribed by your doctor to reduce the swelling in your child's trachea.
The first 3 nights of croup are always the worst, after which symptoms will begin to abate.
If your child is one of the few that has severe croup and requires hospitalization, they will be given inhaled medication and oral or intravenous (IV) cortisone medication to relieve the airway inflammation and to open up the breathing passages.
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