{"id":6336,"date":"2019-05-09T04:20:46","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T04:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=6336"},"modified":"2021-06-09T14:15:09","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T14:15:09","slug":"14-common-symptoms-of-croup-in-kids-and-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-common-symptoms-of-croup-in-kids-and-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Symptoms of Croup in Kids and Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The croup is a common illness that can affect both kids and adults. It is an infection that affects the throat and vocal cords. The symptoms usually come on gradually and can be mild or severe. Children typically have more severe symptoms, but the elderly can also suffer from complications caused by croup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the symptoms of croup mimic those of the flu and common cold. While the croup can occur at any time, it is more common in the spring and fall. It is sometimes called laryngitis in adults and older children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While croup usually only lasts for a few days and can clear up on its own, some people do require medication to help clear up the infection and treat the symptoms. If symptoms become severe, hospitalization may be necessary. Understanding the symptoms of the croup can help you decide if you or your child are suffering from it or another illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Cough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things most people notice when a child or adult has croup is a cough<\/a>. The cough sounds like a deep barking sound and can last for a long time. The cough is the result of the virus that causes the lungs to become inflamed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The change in breathing causes the child or adult to hack to try to clear the mucus from the lungs to breathe better. The barking sound is different from other types of coughs and is usually a telltale sign of croup. The viral infection that causes croup can cause other symptoms too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults and children may often suffer from slightly different symptoms, and the severity may be different too. Croup cough usually gets worse at night. Both children and adults may experience severe bouts of coughing during the night and struggle to sleep or even rest. Lying on your back can make it worse, and many people have to sit up and sleep when they have the croup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Fever<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fever <\/a>can accompany the croup, especially when it is caused by a virus. The early stages of the croup usually present symptoms similar to that of the flu or common cold. The fever may be one of the first symptoms to appear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children typically have low fevers and adults are less likely to suffer from a fever. If a fever gets too high, it can be dangerous. It is important to monitor children and adults who develop a fever and seek medical attention if it gets too high. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medications can help reduce fevers as can cool baths. It\u2019s also important to drink plenty of water if you have a fever, to avoid dehydration. The fever may come and go and can return as long as the virus responsible for the croup is still in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Hoarseness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many kids and adults lose their voices when suffering from croup. This happens because the infection that causes croup can directly affect the throat<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the throat becomes sore and inflamed, it prevents the vocal cords from closing all the way, which leads to hoarseness. Hoarseness can get worse as the vocal cords are strained and a person tries to talk more. The best way to treat hoarseness is with warm liquids and resting the voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hoarseness is often one of the first symptoms experienced or noticed by parents. Hoarseness alone isn\u2019t usually a cause for concern,  but it can be a sign of an underlying cause. If left untreated, hoarseness and croup can lead to breathing problems, which can be dangerous. Croup can be treated with medication and usually only lasts a few days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hoarseness can last a few days after the other symptoms, and underlying infection is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Labored Breathing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Labored breathing can be one of the more serious symptoms of croup. As the breathing becomes more labored, the wheezing and coughing can become worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both children and adults can suffer from labored breathing, and it can be serious regardless of age. It can also be tiring, so it\u2019s not uncommon for those who are struggling to breathe because of the croup, to feel fatigued. It can also make it hard to sleep, which can lead to more fatigue<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating may be difficult, and in severe cases, the sufferer may fail to get the oxygen they need to function properly. Breathing difficulties may require medical treatment and in some cases even hospitalization. People who suffer from asthma or other breathing problems could be at risk for serious complications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have the croup or if your child has croup, monitor their breathing carefully and seek medical attention if it seems to become too labored or severe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any illness can take a toll on the body and make the sufferer tired. Croup can make it hard to breathe, sleep, and eat, which can cause severe fatigue. As the body fights the illness, it uses a lot of energy<\/a>, which makes a person more tired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the body is not getting enough oxygen because of labored breathing, the fatigue can be severe. Since children have smaller airways than adults, they can struggle to get enough oxygen and may have worse fatigue. Children are also more likely to suffer from fevers, more sever hacking, and crying spells, which can make the fatigue worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rest is the best way to deal with the fatigue, but treating the underlying cause is essential. Once the croup infection clears up, and the airways open up for better breathing, the fatigue may subside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an adult or child becomes too lethargic, seek medical attention to rule out a serious problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Congestion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people get croup before they get sick with a cold or the flu, or right afterward. Congestion <\/a>can be a symptom of the croup, a cold, or a respiratory infection. Typically, chest congestion with the croup has a hacking sound and may or may not produce any phlegm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When phlegm is present, children and adults may both continue to the couch and hack until they produce the mucus. In children, they may continue to jack and cough until they throw up. There are over the counter medications that can be used to treat congestions and help remove mucus from the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are usually safe for all adults, but may not be safe for some children. Always check with a doctor before taking medications or giving them to children. Over the counter medication can treat the symptoms but it won\u2019t treat the underlying cause. Congestion is usually one of the first symptoms that clear up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Drooling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Drooling is a common symptom of croup and is more common or noticeable in the elderly and in young children. The drooling is a result of the stomach reacting to the illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It usually gets worse at nighttime or when a person lays down to go to bed. This symptom can come on quickly and can make it hard to sleep and even talk. Children may also have trouble talking and eating as a result of the access saliva<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drooling is not usually dangerous but can be annoying. Parents of children with croup may want to use extra pillows to help elevate their children so they can sleep more easily. There are no medications that can help treat drooling, but it should subside once the underlying cause of the croup is found and treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encouraging children to cough and remove the mucus and drool from the body can help reduce the amount of drooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Phlegm <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Phlegm <\/a>is the mucus that is produced and expelled as a result of the hacking and coughing. The virus or infection that causes croup can make the lungs, airway and voice box become inflamed and covered in mucus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the child or adult tries to breathe, that mucus is sucked into the airways. This aggravates the lungs and causes congestion. The cough or hacking associated with croup pushes the mucus back up out of the lungs. It may be expelled or may slip back into the lungs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As long as the underlying problem of infection is still in the body, more mucus may be produced. There are medications that can help loosen the mucus, so it is easier to expel it from the body. Once the infection is cleared up, the phlegm may stay in the body for several more days until it is all coughed up or removed in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Insomnia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Insomnia <\/a>can be associated with thousands of different medical conditions, and it can also occur as a chronic medical condition on its own for which there appears to be no other obvious cause. It can also often be combined together with many conditions such as croup, where it sticks around for as long as the condition does \u2013 and the symptoms associated with croup can keep anyone suffering from it from sleeping properly for weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents and carers are likely to notice this as a consistent symptom in their patients, who might be obviously awake and in pain without the ability to voice what they are currently feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are natural remedies, over-the-counter options and pharmaceutical choices that can help to control temporary insomnia. For croup, a course of antibiotics is usually prescribed and the insomnia tends to go away in a few days once the initial croup has infection has been treated.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Recurring Restlessness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Restlessness is a symptom that carers and parents are likely to notice in small children and the elderly, and it\u2019s usually the kind of symptom that they can\u2019t voice but that should be very obvious even when they don\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most small children, restlessness involves insomnia and crying when no other apparent reason for it can be found. This is considered very common in colicky babies or ones with croup. A fever is likely to be present at the same time together with some of the other symptoms that have been mentioned on this list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the elderly who are unable to express the problem in words, look for any nonverbal cues that might signal discomfort<\/a>, and consider it a serious problem where. symptoms like fever are present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small children and adults are especially more likely to develop associated problems with their condition due to an automatically weaker immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Nausea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nausea <\/a>is one of the most common symptoms that you are likely to experience when you are sick, and this is a general symptom that can appear with any number of different illnesses. Sometimes nausea is a temporary symptom that\u2019s caused by something you ate or stress that upsets your digestive system \u2013 and other times nausea happens together with something else (like croup) and you should be able to find the cause by looking at what other symptoms are combined with one another.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any instances of nausea can be treated as a separate system with the use of natural remedies (like ginger) that might help to settle the digestive system. Some medications can also be prescribed that can help nausea to subside \u2013 and often in suppository form where vomiting is also one of the symptoms present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If nausea persists in spite of being treated, then you should consult with your doctor to talk about available options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. A Weakened Immune System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Older people and small children are considered to have a compromised immune system<\/a> by default, and should always be treated with care in order to ensure they are less likely to pick up other infections due to their immune system being compromised. Anyone who has recently recovered from a croup infection or taken antibiotics for the same should consider themselves at high risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a lowered immune system means that you are more likely to get sick. (Two people can be exposed to the same flu germs and only  one person with lower immunity might contract it, for example.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s advised that you follow what measures you can in order to improve your health after you have recently been sick. Increase the amount of healthy, natural ingredients in your overall diet, drop the number of salts and fat-containing products you consume and make sure you stay hydrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. General Body Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

General body pain is usually one of the first symptoms that you might be sick, often accompanied by fever or shaking as related symptoms. If you experience any kind of general body pain that you find outside of what would be normal for you, see your doctor in order to find the cause \u2013 and remember to take special notice of any other symptoms that you experience at the same time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body pain can be part of a croup infection, and it can stick around for as long as the other symptoms of the infection do. Usually, the use of medication <\/a>that helps to bring down a fever (usual paracetamol) is prescribed for reducing body pain too, though it won\u2019t treat the main condition causing it and should be used with caution when it comes to older people and small children with potentially weaker systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Asthma Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you already have an existing condition that affects your heart or lungs<\/a>, it\u2019s likely that you will experience associated flare-ups of your condition when you are affected by any health condition that might affect your heart or lungs. An increased instance of asthma attacks can be common in cases where asthma has already been diagnosed and where a croup infection is present.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some environmental factors and certain medications combined with croup can also make conditions like asthma much worse.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precautionary measures can be taken for this: Inform your doctor if you have any health conditions that affect your lungs (or suspect that you might) and make sure that the right medication to counter an asthma attack is always readily available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of different asthma medications can be stored safely for several weeks or months under the right conditions, making it easier to buy them ahead of time and keep them close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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