confused by croup info - hot steam or cool air?

[lisasimpson]

as me and my 1yr seem to have the nasty virus I have been trawling the archives and found conflicting advice. Can't have hot steam with windows open - but can't have cool air with them shut?
why would wet clothes on hot radiator work if cool air supposed to be good?
a bit too hot for heating at night anyway - and are those cool humidifiers worth the money?

different things work for different children
some are maddened by the steam thing and do better outdoors
some can't cope with the cool air theory and need the kettle on all the time

try each and see which works for you and ds?

for some a humid/steamy atmosphere opens the airway a bit and makes it easier to breathe (works for my ds - so we keep a wet cloth hanging over his bed and a bowl of water with karvol in it when he has episodes of croup).

For others breathing cold air has the same effect.

Basically just try it and see what helps.

Usually croup seems to be a winter thing - but even in summer a damp cloth or a bowl of water will keep the air more humid.

The other thing that helps is propping them up a bit when they sleep.

thanks, it's the night time/nap time that's the problem. Have been doing kettle/shower/saucepans of boiling water during the day but doesn't seem to be making much difference. Interested in the humidifier as an all night option...

my dd first had croup in the summertime so its certanly not limited to winter! She found cool air the best help, so I would stand by an open wondow with her if she woke at night. This seemed to help her.

Think (but I may be wrong - that the definitions are getting a bit muddled here. Croup is specifically an inflamation of the larynx, which becomes constricted, and results in a distinctive 'bark' like an angry seal, not a cough as such. The constriction IS typically eased by warm damp air, from steam, humidifiers, etc etc. You need a lot of steam, though as your dc is too young for inhalations the next best thing is often a steamy bathroom, with humidifiers and vapour inhalers in the bedroom. Also prop the cot up. Throkenholt's treatment is exactly what we have had to do with ds1 for 16 years now!!

Croup is triggered by viruses, but you can't catch it on its own iyswim. Cool air really helps night time coughs, especially those caused or made worse by mild athsmatic tendencies (such as me .) Most of my childhood was spent hanging out of the bedroom window at night trying to breathe, and I will still get chesty in a warm room with the window shut, but I have never ever had croup. You can have childhood athsma and suffer from croup, but luckily ds1 doesnt.

When my dd had croup our dr recommended steam and ice lollies! The steam eased the breathing and the ice lollies helped reduce the swelling of all the little bronchial tubes. It seemed to work well - and she was blagging free ice lollies form the local shop for ages "I'm poorly and Dr Kennett says I've got to have lollies"!