allergic croup

[Anonymous]

We think out 5 month old may have croup brought on by allergies to dogs (visiting away for the holidays).

Has anyone else had this experience? Advice?

All the books seem to say that croup can come from an allergy but that a virus is more likely. Our son also has reflux, which is sounds like increases your chances of getting croup. The problem, I am thinking, is that with a virus the cause of the croup eventually dies away. But with an allergy, the cause continues to be present until you remove the kid from the allergy source.

[Anonymous]

If it's croup, I'd definitely see the doctor today. My child was hospitalized with it at 6 months, and had low blood oxygen levels. Not fun. But in any event, at that age, I think it's best to have a doctor truly lay eyes on the baby. Hope he feels better soon.

[Anonymous]

Croup is a viral infection, not an allergic reaction. If you have something caused by allergies, that would be a different thing. However, my ped said it takes longer than that for babies to develop the nasal allergies.

[Anonymous]

It could be an allergic reaction to something else in the new environment other than the dog, too. My DS gets a barking cough when he is exposed to air freshener and dryer sheets. This developed when he was 3 -- the first time he was significantly exposed to them. The ped. recognized this as an allergic reaction, though, not croup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Croup is a viral infection, not an allergic reaction. If you have something caused by allergies, that would be a different thing. However, my ped said it takes longer than that for babies to develop the nasal allergies.

OP here, the books are clear that croup can be caused by allergies as well. I take it that croup is the inflammation of the voicebox which is usually but not always brought on by a virus.

Interesting to hear that he couldn't have nasal allergies at this age, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Croup is a viral infection, not an allergic reaction. If you have something caused by allergies, that would be a different thing. However, my ped said it takes longer than that for babies to develop the nasal allergies.

My son has had recurrent severe croup since a very young age with multiple er visits and is now almost 5. His pediatrician is having me see a new specialist to rule out allergic causes of it because it is known that allergies can be a trigger. We had to give away our cat because longterm animal exposure is a trigger for his croup.

[Anonymous]

Do you use dryer sheets or air freshener?

[Anonymous]

my son has had multiple croup coughs and, at three, has allergies and asthma. i think it's all related. he gets a distinctive croup sounding cough when he has bad allergies/asthma symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you use dryer sheets or air freshener?[/quote

We use dryer sheets at home but this came on while visiting relatives (where we still are) with dogs and, no doubt, different cleaners, etc. I'll do some digging. He's doing okay but I think we'll be leaving a day early and seeing the doctor.

[Anonymous]

My son (3) had croup a year ago. It was definitely caused by a virus, but he does have allergies, so that may have contributed. It was nasty and scary. He woke with a barking cough in the middle of the night, I called the ped and held up the phone to DS so she could hear his breathing. She told me to take him to the emergency room immediately to get steroids to open his airway and prevent suffocation. I took him out in the cold, and his breathing got better, so he fell asleep. I ended up standing over him all night listening to his breathing, and in the morning took him to the ped who gave him steroids. It's not happened again, but we give him probiotics and took allergens (milk, wheat, nuts) out of his diet and took steps to keep dust mites and dust out of his sleeping environment.