What causes shortness of breath in children?

There are many possible reasons why a child may be short of breath. The key lies in the child's own individual situation. If a child is breathing rapidly and has a high temperature, it may be pneumonia. If the body is not hot, it cannot be said that the child does not have pneumonia. It may be a mild case of pneumonia. No matter what the cause of shortness of breath is, it needs to be taken seriously. Let’s take a look at the reasons why children have shortness of breath.

If you experience shortness of breath even when you are not doing strenuous exercise, it may be due to lack of oxygen, which could be tracheitis or pneumonia.

To determine whether the child has pneumonia, we also need to see whether the child has cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Coughing and wheezing caused by colds and bronchitis are mostly paroxysmal and generally do not cause difficulty breathing.

Look at the fever. Children suffering from pneumonia usually have fever symptoms, with body temperature above 38°C, which lasts for two or three days. Antipyretics can only temporarily lower the body temperature for a while, but it will rise again soon. Although children may have fever when they have a cold, the temperature is mostly below 38°C and lasts for a short time, so the effect of antipyretics is more obvious.

But at the same time, we should also be wary of pneumonia in children without fever. Babies with pneumonia may have a very high temperature, but they may also not have a fever, or even have a temperature lower than normal. The duration of fever cannot be used as a basis for diagnosing pneumonia. Some babies develop pneumonia after only two days of fever, while some babies do not develop pneumonia even after a week of fever. Therefore, fever alone cannot determine whether a child has pneumonia. It also requires a combination of other aspects to determine.

Watch coughing and breathing

To determine whether the child has pneumonia, we also need to see whether the child has cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Coughing and wheezing caused by colds and bronchitis are mostly paroxysmal and generally do not cause difficulty breathing.

There are so many reasons why children have shortness of breath, and of course the treatment for children must be tailored to the symptoms. Do not give medicine to your children blindly. You should go to the hospital in time to check your child and see what the doctor says. When the seasons change, you should dress your children in more clothes to keep them warm, so as to prevent them from catching a fever or a cold, and thus from getting pneumonia and shortness of breath.