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Pneumonia syptoms- what are they?



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amother


 

Post Sun, Nov 04 2012, 8:20 am
Can anyone shed light on this? What are the symptoms of pneumonia in kids & when do I take them to the doctor to get checked out if I suspect? Tia!
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 04 2012, 8:21 am
Coughing, fever and breathing quickly are all classic signs of pneumonia. It is possible to have pneumonia and only have one of the signs though. Usually there is some lethargy as well.
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 04 2012, 8:23 am
http://www.health.ny.gov/profe.....s.pdf here is a chart with normal respiratory rates. If your child is breathing faster than they should be, for their age, it is important to get them checked.
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B"H YOM YOM




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 04 2012, 8:54 am
Bottom line, if you have any type of inkling that your child is not breathing right and might have any respitory illness, please don't ask us-get to ped asap!
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:17 am
OP here- ds has croup Sad the doctor said I could give him a nebulizer/ventilator or prednisone (a corticosteroid) along with belladona for the fever. He's supposed to take the meds on a full stomach. When a child is sick he hardly agrees to eat anything... He had some cereal & then meds & now just threw up...! What do you do for croup?
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:20 am
Steam helps croup, as does cold air. Changing from one to the other often helps. Steam up the bathroom by running hot water in the shower, spend a bit of time in there and then open the freezer door and stand there with his face getting as much cold as possible or if it is cold outside bundle up and go out into the cold.

Refuah shelayma!
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:30 am
I usually trust their dr but I'm just curious- is the meds really necessary?
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:37 am
If he is coughing to the point of throwing up and steam/cold aren't helping I most certainly would give the medication. If you were given the option of nebulizer or oral steroids, I would start by trying the nebulizer though. If that works and you can avoid oral steroids that would be best case IMO.

Usually symptoms get worse at night. If the coughing is that bad during the day please either sleep in your child's room or have them sleep in yours to make sure they are breathing alright at night.


Last edited by Liba on Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:43 am; edited 1 time in total
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 7:38 am
I never gave meds for croup. And weve been through it so many times with all my kids. And myself too when I was a kid.
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imamiri




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 8:35 am
My DD had pneumonia last January. It started with a tiny cough on a Saturday night. She had had no cold symptoms at all. By late Sunday she was coughing harder and harder and running a fever. I looked at her while she was breathing and she was having retractions. This is when they are laboring to breathe and you can see the skin pulling in and up around the ribs or near the collar bone. I raced her to the ER and on the way there she vomited. They admitted her right away and she ended up staying for 2 days on an antibiotic drip and fluids drip.

Anyway, as far as nebulizers go, they are really helpful because they open the airways. That makes it easier to breathe.

Refuah Shlema.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 9:57 am
Op here- do kids agree to use the nebulizers when they are miserable & feverish? Ds's breathing seems normal- maybe a bit faster than regular. He's sleeping in my bed.

Can someone pleaseeee tell me what steroids are?! I know to avoid them but have no clue what they are, what they do, etc.
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 10:14 am
http://www.mayoclinic.com/heal.....01431 Mayo Clinic is a relaiable source for information.

When breathing treatments are needed, if the child is new to them they might fight them the first couple times. Crying gets the treatment more deeply into their lungs, so it isn't a bad thing. Once they feel that they help IME they stop fighting. I have kids who actually hold the mask on their face even if they are sleeping...
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Tamiri




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 05 2012, 10:20 am
My son had pneumonia this summer and I had no clue. Only my sister, who had been through it, told me to check it out.
His symptoms: feverish one day, fine the next so he went to school. Came home feverish. Was feverish on and off. Then, he was too exhausted to move and fell asleep where he stood.
We didn't notice any particular breathing distress initially - we only noticed it 4-5 days later.
So, I guess I'd say that if your child has a fever (I mean a significant one) even on-and-off for a few days, it's time for the doctor.
Note: I don't medicate for fever. I allow the fever to kill the germs. If the fever persists, I know that something else (as in antibiotics) is needed. Had I given medication for the fever, the outcome of my son's pneumonia may have been worse.
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