Croup refers to many conditions that involve inflammation of the upper airway which leads to a severe cough normally children. This cough basically sounds like a bark and normally happens to be when a baby is crying. Normally children of age between 3 months to five year suffer from this viral disease.

Croup generally occur during the winter or early spring and kids of age less then 3 are more likely to be harmed by the disease. There are a lot of early signs and symptoms that can be noticed. This also helps in early treatment.

As mentioned above the cough would be loud and sound like a bark. Fast breathing or difficulties while breathing are very prominent signs of croup. At first, the child may have cold symptoms like a stuffy nose for few days and may also have fever. If this continues to exist the upper airway would become inflamed and the child may become hoarse with a severe barking cough thus causing difficulties in breathing as well.

With a severe cough,  one could also notice squeaking noise while breathing and hence the child tends to breathe fast as well. This happens because the child struggles to get required air in the lungs. Kids continuously crying at nights may also be victims of croup. The infection caused by croup not only affects the upper airway but also results in inflammation going further down the airway.

Children of age below 5 are not strong enough to resist the croup so they start crying and cannot sleep well. Croup being a viral illness does not have a complete cure but there are many treatments to help the children feel better. Normally children suffering from croup are fine when the go to bed but at mid night they wake up and start coughing and have trouble in breathing.

The distinctive sign of croup from other respiratory illnesses is the sound of a barking seal when it happens. The harsh and loud squeaking sound while breathing is heard when a child is breathing in and that is because of the infection that occurs in upper airway in the initial stages. Generally the symptoms of croup are more visible 2 to 3 days after the symptoms of infection start. This viral infection usually lasts less 3 to 7 days. A doctor should always be consulted if the signs are there for the better cure of the child. As this illness relates to respiratory system it may result in bigger and more complex disease.

CroupEx Sprinkles comes in a form easy to give to children who are picky eaters – they are small, sweet-tasting crystals that are sprinkled directly onto the tongue. The crystals will dissolve instantly and start to soothe the cough and sore throat. Excess mucus and congestion will start to break down, speeding recovery time. There are a number of high-quality ingredients that makes CroupEx Sprinkles effective.

Aconite (30C) has successfully been used to treat nasal or chest congestion, hoarse, dry persistent cough, and restless sleep; it also helps calm the child psychologically. Hepar. sulph.

(6C) treats the exhaustion that comes with many colds, as well as assisting in the expulsion of excess mucus. Kali. mur (D6) works to break down a deep-seated cough; it is often used as a precursor to prepare the way for other natural remedies.

Mag. phos. (D6) aids in relaxation, which is especially important for a child who has a spasmatic cough.

Rumex crispus (6C) helps to decrease excess mucus production and encourages its expulsion.

Together, these ingredients create a safe, powerful, and effective homeopathic remedy to soothe and heal a child with croup or a bad cough. CroupEx Sprinkles is manufactured by Native Remedies in an FDA and GMP registered pharmaceutical facility under the supervision of qualified homeopaths and pharmacists, using only the highest quality homeopathic ingredients. It is gluten-free and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

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Another early warning sign of Croup cough is the dry hacking cough. The cough is sometimes described as a barking seal, the way it sounds. At night the cough becomes progressively worse and can lead to gagging or vomiting. It is the “barking seal” cough that parents distinctly recognize from other childhood illnesses. The major part of the illness can last for three days with a wet cough following for up to two weeks. Although croup can be frightening for children and parents alike, it can be easily treated. With the proper medical guidance and treatment.

Treatment can include nasal drops to open blocked and narrowed passage ways. Cough suppressants and decongestions can also aide in relieving symptoms while the child is being treated. Before giving any over the counter medicine to your child it is recommended that you seek professional medical advice, see a doctor. A doctor can give you the proper diagnoses and recommend steps that will ensure your child’s health and well being.

When I entered fourth grade, there was a wonderful Language Arts teacher who had also suffered croup in her childhood. She, unfortunately, did not receive the same care I was given as medical advances to understand and treat the illness had not yet come to light. She had a constant, barking cough. And though it had been decades since her bout with croup, she still suffered from a chronic cough that lasted her entire life. It’s interesting how just a few decades of medical advances can change a person’s life. Later in life, when I had children of my own, there was an outbreak of croup at my son’s daycare center. Even though my son had been vaccinated for Pertussis, there were other children at the center who had not been vaccinated. It was spreading quickly among the children in the center.

My son became ill shortly after, and although he had been vaccinated to prevent the illness, he had still become infected with croup. Evidently, the vaccine is extremely effective, but if a child’s immune system is struggling for some reason, they can become ill with croup. He had chronic reactive airway disease at the time, and the croup almost killed him at the young age of two. Fortunately, with a hefty course of IV antibiotics, steroids, oxygen, and a long hospital stay, he recovered fully. It gave my family quite a scare, though, and none of us will ever forget the gurgling sounds of our young son suffocating on the fluid in his lungs, and the hacking, barking cough that was the tell-tale sign of a case of croup.

Natural remedies for croup cough have been documented since ancient times. In a book on “Gypsy Healing Remedies”written in the early 1800’s, a mixture of chamomile leaves, flowers and sheep fat rubbed on the neck and chest was thought to cure this condition. I can’t say if this works or not, I have never tried it. It almost sounds plausible though, as chamomile leaves and flowers are a relaxant and herbs can be absorbed through the skin, so who knows, maybe it relaxed the lungs and diaphragm enough to stop some of the coughing. If the coughing lessened, maybe the child could get some sleep and that would increase their immune function.

In Native American cultures many herbs were used for treating conditions and it was thought by some that the application of mud mixed with ashes from a fire ( cool, of course) would stop the hacking cough associated with croup. I’m not sure how that one would work, but I do think you would be adding minerals to the body, absorbed through the skin. Remember, the skin is your largest organ system and it absorbers everything. Maybe the increase in minerals increased immune function enough to fight the viral infection. In the 1988 edition of Merck’s Manual, the reference text for M.D.s of that day, it lists 35 different natural remedies for croup including things like lime water spray, sodium bicarbonate, petroleum, and lactic acid applied as a spray to dissolve the developing membrane. This was before doctors used pharmaceuticals, and homeopathy was popular. Homeopathy for croup would include Belladonna, Aconite, Spongia, and Hepar Sulph.

Today we have other natural tools to use, including supplements. Garlic supplements have been proven to fight viral infections and can be taken by anyone, including a child with no adverse side effects. Echanicea, another herb has been shown to increase immune system function and, along with doses of vitamin C, would be a reasonable choice for first line defense against the croup.

Stridor, which is a wheezing, whistling noise produced in the throat as the victim tries to breathe or speak, is a hallmark characteristic of croup. The illness causes the windpipes and voicebox to swell and the result is some difficulty breathing and eventually the crouping cough which some people describe as a seal’s bark. The disease can occur at anytime of the year but it seems to be more prevalent in the fall and winter. For children the symptoms resemble a cold - aches, pains, fatigue, runny nose, and cough - in the early stages, usually with fever. The child will become hoarse and finally the characteristic barking cough will occur. For adults the symptoms are usually sore throat followed by laryngitis. In adults the disease can be almost benign.

Treatment: antibiotics are useless since Crouping Cough is caused by a virus. Instead, the typical support and symptom alleviation methods used for colds and flu should be used. Try treating the fever with ibuprofen or acetaminophen based medicines being careful to reduce the dosage to the appropriate amount if treating a child. The cough, which can be very painful, can be alleviated with cough suppressants. A medicine which consists of only cough suppressant without a blend of other ingredients is best. Look for dextromethorpham in the active ingredient list.

Otherwise, have the victim drink plenty of fluids, rest and sleep as much as possible. It is normal for the appetite to be suppressed, don’t worry if a child does not wish to eat. That is normal and swallowing is probably painful anyhow. Try warm soups: the warm vapor may help alleviate the swelling in the throat. For breathing difficulty try temperature change. Warm humid vapor from any source, a hot shower, or sitting in a hot humid bathroom can help. Sometimes cool night outdoor air will alleviate the problem. If breathing difficulty becomes severe a trip to an emergency room is warranted.

Croup cough occurs commonly in young children and is characterized by a harsh sounding cough that sounds severe, but is rarely serious. Croup most often starts a few days after the start of a common cold, and causes swelling in the windpipe and breathing tubes leading to the tell-tale barking cough.

Croup symptoms often improve during the day and worsen at night. The total duration of symptoms may last anywhere from 2 to 5 days. The diagnosis of croup should be made by a health care professional and may be done over the phone. Although there is no magic bullet cure for the cough you can help alleviate the symptoms with some at-home treatments.

The most important thing you can do as a parent is try and keep your child calm during a croup cough attack – be calm yourself, and your child will be re-assured. Breathing in moist air for ten minutes helps a croup attack. Moist air can come from a sink filled with hot water or a humidifier. If an attack occurs at night try to use moist air to reduce the coughing and then place your child back in bad with a humidifier nearby. Make sure your child takes in plenty of water to keep hydrated since dry throats make the symptoms worse. If your child has a croup cough attack lasting more than 30 minutes, or the period of croup lasts more than 5 days, consider seeking professional medical help. You may be prescribed medication to help speed up the healing process.

You should also call your doctor if your child has trouble swallowing, has blue lips or fingernails, or becomes listless. Cough medication and antibiotics do not help with croup cough symptoms and have not been found to shorten the duration of croup. To prevent your child from getting croup cough in the first place is to keep your child away from others who have croup or croup symptoms. Anyone in contact with someone who has croup cough should wash their hands thoroughly and avoid letting children play or come in contact with other children that have croup. If your child experiences severe difficulty breathing call your local emergency services immediately.