What Exactly Is Croup–and Can Adults Get It - Article Health

Croup is a condition that affects your upper respiratory airways–the windpipe, bronchial tubes, and vocal cords. With croup (technically called laryngotracheobronchitis), the airways swell and narrow, making it uncomfortable–and sometimes difficult–to breathe and producing a characteristic bark-like cough.

“Croup is commonly considered an acute upper respiratory disease of childhood,” explains Jonathan Tolentino, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at Stony Brook University. “In adults, croup is very rare, with only a handful of cases reported in the literature.” In fact, as of 2017, there were only 15 reported cases of adult croup.

The major reason why it’s so uncommon in adults is that as you get older, your airways become larger and stronger, making it harder for this type of inflammation to cause a noticeable enough obstruction of your breathing.

Causes of croup
Croup is usually caused by a virus. While there are many different kinds of viruses that can cause croup, the most common are parainfluenza viruses. There are four strains of these viruses, but the one mostly responsible for croup is parainfluenza virus 1.

Croup symptoms
So how do you know you have croup and not some other upper respiratory condition? Here are some of its symptoms

When to talk to your doctor
When adults get croup, it’s generally more severe than it is in children. If you suspect that you have croup, you should see your physician immediately.

How to prevent croup
There’s really no guaranteed way to avoid getting croup. However, there are some things you can do to seriously lower your chances.

Tweet

Article Health

Blogger who interesting to provide various tips about health. especially medicines in a natural way.

Subscribe to receive free email updates: