What e the symptoms of bronchiolitis?
The symptoms of bronchiolitis include wheezing, caused by the narrowing of the bronchioles. This is similar to asthma, except that, since the narrowing is caused by swelling and mucus blockage, bronchodilators such as albuterol may not be as helpful as they are in an asthma exacerbation. Usually the child has a high-pitched sound on breathing out (wheezing). In most infants, the symptoms are mild; even though the infant may breathe somewhat rapidly and be very congested, he is alert, happy, and eating well. Other infants are more severely affected, breathing rapidly, shallowly, and with difficulty. Sometimes the child turns blue from a lack of oxygen. The rapid breathing creates a difficulty in drinking, which may result in dehydration.
