Bronchiolitis is an viral -Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - infection of your lung's airways or the bronchioles (small passages in the lungs). It most often occurs in young children, commonly between 3 months and 6 months of age. About 1 in 9 babies get bronchiolitis in their first year of life, usually during the fall and winter months.

The infection starts out with signs and symptoms similar to those of a common cold but then progresses to coughing and wheezing. Although a child's bout of bronchiolitis may be scary, particularly for parents, signs and symptoms typically last for about a week and then go away. In the meantime, you can take a number of self-help measures to make your child more comfortable.

In a few cases, bronchiolitis may become severe, making breathing increasingly difficult. This can lead to decreased oxygen in the bloodstream - you may observe that your child's lips appear blue. Such a situation is a medical emergency, so see your doctor right away if it happens.

Similar situations that require prompt medical care include bronchiolitis in children born prematurely, with a heart or lung condition, or with a weakened immune system.

• Cold
• Respiratory syncytial virus

Signs and symptoms

For the first 2 or 3 days, the signs and symptoms of bronchiolitis are those that are typical of a common cold:

• Runny nose

• Stuffy nose

• Slight fever (may or may not occur)

Following this, there may be 2 or 3 days of:

• Wheezing — breathing seems more difficult or noisy when breathing out

• Coughing — tends to be harsh, comes in fits and doesn't produce any phlegm

• Rapid or difficult breathing

• Rapid heartbeat

• fever

In otherwise healthy infants, the infection generally goes away by itself in 7 to 10 days. If your child has underlying health problems, such as a heart or lung condition or a weakened immune system, the infection may be more severe and your child may need to be hospitalized.

If your child experiences any of the following signs or symptoms, seek prompt medical attention:

• Vomiting

• Breathing very fast — more than 40 breaths a minute — and shallowly

• Skin turning blue, especially around the lips and fingernails (cyanosis)

• Exhaustion from trying to breathe or the need to sit up in order to breathe

• Lethargy

• Refusal to drink any fluids

• vomiting

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