Why does bronchiolitis sound so freaking scary?

[VirusesSuck]

I'd love some words of reassurance more than anything.

I've already been twice to A n E in two days because he sounds as if he's struggling to breathe and they told me that it's just bronchiolitis and he'll be fine soon.

His breathing sounds really scary. They heard it at A n E and said it's normal with bronchiolitis and basically I needn't worry unless he has episodes where his breathing stops. He is 18 months by the way

It's just been one illness after the other since he's joined nursery but this one is the worst. I've missed so many days of work and lagging behind. I've got a big deadline coming up and now with this latest illness I know I won't be
able to make it. Uggh I dread having to tell my boss tomorrow. Dc1 had bronchiolitis when she was just a few months old and I don't remember her being so poorly with it or struggling so much to breathe.

Sorry I know I'm ranting more than anything. I'm just stressed, tired and worried and I feel so bad for Ds. It can't be fun having to put so much effort into breathing.

November is bronch month!

Dc had it very badly a few times as a baby. Once in Intensive care for a week, another time hdu but the rest just a tough week at home.

It can get nasty but at 18m its not likely.

Watch for - ribs sucking under but also Nostrils flaring. The hollow at the throat sucking in. The lower lip sucking in with every breath.

As I say, I have two little ones who between them have had bronchiolitis 5 times so far and absolutely tons of other illnesses. Lethargic, as in not themselves due to fatigue, can be par for the course when they're so poorly. It's completely different from struggling to stay awake and slipping into unresponsive which is what was happening to DS when I took him to A&E and he was hospitalised. Honestly, if you saw that you would know immediately they needed urgent medical attention, it is very obvious (and scary!). I was about to call an ambulance but my DF turned up and drove us but with hindsight we got stuck in traffic a bit and struggled to find the right place to stop the car at the hospital and all kinds so I probably would have been better to call ambulance. That drive was one of the most stressful experiences of my life so far, he couldn't stay awake properly in the car seat and he'd just slept for over 3hrs at home. My DF is a doctor (not pads tho) and was very concerned himself.

A&E nurse at triage also spotted his toenails were going bluey, this isn't something I'd noticed but he had had a sleep suit on at home and I wouldn't have thought to check it.

I wouldn't advise anyone try to use an oximeter on young children at home unless you are a healthcare professional trained to use it and have the appropriate paediatric pulse oximeter bought from a reputable medical supplier. It could be detrimental to your childs health to trust in equipment that is not made for small children and therefore is inaccurate, may not work correctly at all depending where you bought it, etc. We do have one, because my DH is a physician associate and used to work in paeds, but we only even bought ours after DS's hospital admission. Ours is from a reputable medical equipment supplier and we have the specialist paeds attachment for it but even then, trying to check it at home, and it not being the fancy paeds pulse oximeter just one with an attachment - we are very conscious even that may not be super accurate for home use.

Oh no. What's DW?

No they considered an inhaler but then decided it's not required.

I mean what's WC?

@VirusesSuck whooping cough

Thanks everyone for the messages, your advice, sharing your stories and the good wishes. I really, really appreciate it.

Another night begins. I'm dreading it. He seemed much better in the day but suddenly his breathing has become scarily fast and laboured again. He's sucking in as much as he did yesterday at a n e and they said that's not a concern but I don't trust my own judgment. No flaring nostrils and nothing is blue I think. I can't see the hollow of his neck at all. Too much fat...he's still got the usual amount of wet nappies, I think, even though he isn't taking in much food or as much liquid as normally.

And I've got a deliverable tomorrow that I need to work on now..

Oh ok. Thanks for clarifying.

His breathing has slowed down a bit and he's asleep on my shoulder. I need to go do my work now but I don't want to put him down and I don't want to leave him alone.

Worrying about my GD two weeks old diagnosed with bronchiolitis! In hospital tonight to monitor her o2 levels and hydration levels! Please give me some reassurance!

Hope your son is growing stronger each day! My gd is waiting to hear from doctors as to whether they want to keep her in! !She has RSV so hope it passes in a couple of days!

I just wanted to comment here for anyone Search online for support. I know how you feel. My child has had bronchiolitis twice. Once at 16m, then again at 2.5 yrs. Both were hospital admissions with oxygen and steroids. I've researched online so much since both occasions happened. They were terrifying. I don't how I survived. All research points to my child not suffering so badly with it, but he did. Apparently it's unlikely to get it twice, but he did. You'd think the 2nd time would be easier, but he struggled more and needed oxygen for longer. Apparently they're unlikely to suffer with it after age 2, but the doctor I spoke with has seen more children being admitted to hospital with it, and the children are getting older and older - some as old as age 4. It's scary. Days 3-5 are the worst. After day 5 my child snapped back so quickly. I'm so grateful for the hospital.
My advice to anyone reading this is just to keep going back to the drs or a&e if you're concerned. The 1st time around, I took my son to the drs in the afternoon and by evening, he'd deteriorated and needed an a&e trip and was admitted overnight. The 2nd time, I took him to hospital on Saturday and he was seen by the GP. She sent us to a&e where we stayed for 8 hrs before being sent home. 2 days later I was still worried so I went to the drs who sent us to a&e immediately, where he was admitted. Trust yourself! The drs and nurses would rather see a healthy child than a seriously ill one.

Read the op and thought this sounded just like my son before I realised I was the op and it was my son....😂

Thanks for the help back then everyone and for your more recent advice Tudor girl.

Just to give an update. Ds had many more episodes of breathing difficulties and wheezing and a n e visits and by last summer we were using salbutamol almost every day. We then took him out of nursery and thst stopped him from getting ill in the first place. For this winter he was given the brown steroid inhaler but we still needed salbutamol a few times though nothing as bad as it was last winter (and he's back at nursery).

He's never been admitted to the hospital and has never required oxygen so I'm still hoping he will grow out of it and it isn't asthma but who knows. The gp treats him as if he has asthma and prescribes antibiotics for every serious cold because apparently we can't afford him catching a secondary bacterial infection. We are definitely doing our bit for antibiotics resistance...

Anyway, just wanted to say every time we have been to a n e I asked the doctors if we actually needed a n e or should have stuck it out at home and without exception every single doctor said when in doubt always go to a n e. No one will blame you for it and they'd rather you didn't take the risk. Last time we couldn't even hear him.wheezing but it was detected with a stethoscope and tje doctor said it's good i brought him.

So if you are reading this because your child has got breathing difficulties and you aren't sure if it's serious enough to warrant an a n e visit it's better to err on the side of caution and just take them.