How To Relieve Your Child's Croup

How do I relieve my child's croup?

Croup is a virus, and the best thing for this is to go into a steamed-up bathroom, and then outside in the cold air. Being in the bathroom actually loosens up the mucus and the secretions, and the cold air opens up the upper airway. Because what happens in croup is this virus causes inflammation of the big airways that lead to the lungs, and it causes that big airway to shrink. So when you try to get air through it, that's why you sound like that -- that strider sound, and you bark like a dog. The cold airway opens it up.Now, if that doesn't work and your child is still having trouble breathing, that's the time you want to go to the emergency department. One of the first things they actually do in the emergency room is put a mask blowing cold air into your mouth, so it is helpful sometimes to try that first. Or when you get in the car, drive with your windows down, because a lot of times by the time you get to the emergency department, your child is all better.