Symptoms of Croup
Symptoms of Croup: Introduction
Croup's severity is difficult to assess.
Although the harsh cough usually sounds bad,
making both parents and child anxious,
many cases are not serious.
However, serious cases can occur, and it is important
to pay attention to the child's condition, and seek medical advice.
Some of the severe conditions that may arise and definitely need
immediate medical consultation include epiglottitis (very dangerous), high fever,
cyanosis (blueness), difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing,
and stridor or noisy breathing.
Because of the diversity of problems that may be serious with croup,
parents should seek professional medical advice early, and without delay or embarrassment.
Symptoms of Croup
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Croup includes the 17
symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Croup:
Croup: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Croup:
Croup Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Research More About Croup
Do I have Croup?
Croup: Medical Mistakes
Croup: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Croup:
- Child Behavior: Home Testing
- Child General Health: Home Testing
- Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
- more home tests...»
Wrongly Diagnosed with Croup?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Croup includes:
See the full list of 13
alternative diagnoses for Croup
Croup: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More about symptoms of Croup:
More information about symptoms of Croup and related conditions:
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Croup
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Croup
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Croup.
Medical Books Excerpts
- COUGH
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- HEMOPTYSIS
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- STRIDOR
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- COUGH
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Cough
- "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis" (1999)
- [ read ]
- Croup
- "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Cough
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Cough, barking
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Cough, productive
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Cough
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Hemoptysis
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Sore Throat
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Stridor
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- COUGH
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Patient Surveys for Croup
Symptoms of Croup: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Croup.
Croup:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The onset of croup usually follows an upper respiratory tract infection. Clinical features include inspiratory stridor, hoarse or muffled vocal sounds, varying degrees of laryngeal obstruction and respiratory distress, and a characteristic sharp, barking, seal-like cough. These symptoms may last only a few hours or persist for a day or two. As it progresses, croup causes inflammatory edema and, possibly, spasm, which can obstruct the upper airway and severely compromise ventilation. (See How croup affects the upper airway.)
Each form of croup has additional characteristics:
In laryngotracheobronchitis, the symptoms seem to worsen at night. Inflammation causes edema of the bronchi and bronchioles as well as increasingly difficult expiration that frightens the child. Other characteristic features include fever, diffusely decreased breath sounds, expiratory rhonchi, and scattered crackles.
Laryngitis, which results from vocal cord edema, is usually mild and produces no respiratory distress except in infants. Early signs include a sore throat and cough, which, rarely, may progress to marked hoarseness, suprasternal and intercostal retractions, inspiratory stridor, dyspnea, diminished breath sounds, restlessness and, in later stages, severe dyspnea and exhaustion.
Acute spasmodic laryngitis affects a child between ages 1 and 3, particularly one with allergies and a family history of croup. It typically begins with mild to moderate hoarseness and nasal discharge, followed by the characteristic cough and noisy inspiration (that usually awaken the child at night), labored breathing with retractions, rapid pulse, and clammy skin. The child understandably becomes anxious, which may lead to increasing dyspnea and transient cyanosis. These severe symptoms diminish after several hours but reappear in a milder form on the next one or two nights.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Whooping cough:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After an incubation period of about 7 to 10 days, B. pertussis enters the tracheobronchial mucosa, where it produces progressively tenacious mucus. Whooping cough follows a classic 6-week course that includes three stages, each of which lasts about 2 weeks.
First, the catarrhal stage characteristically produces an irritating hacking, nocturnal cough, anorexia, sneezing, listlessness, infected conjunctiva and, occasionally, a low-grade fever. This stage is highly communicable.
After a period of 7 to 14 days, the paroxysmal stage produces spasmodic and recurrent coughing that may expel tenacious mucus. Each cough characteristically ends in a loud, crowing inspiratory whoop; excessive coughing; and choking on mucus, causing vomiting. (Patients with persistent cough should be evaluated for whooping cough, because not every patient will develop paroxysms or the distinctive whooping sound.) Paroxysmal coughing may induce such complications as nosebleed, increased venous pressure, periorbital edema, conjunctival hemorrhage, hemorrhage of the anterior chamber of the eye, detached retina (and blindness), rectal prolapse, inguinal or umbilical hernia, seizures, atelectasis, and pneumonitis. In infants, choking spells may cause apnea, anoxia, and disturbed acid-base balance. During this stage, patients are highly vulnerable to fatal secondary bacterial or viral infections. Suspect such secondary infection (usually otitis media or pneumonia) in any whooping cough patient with a fever during this stage, because whooping cough itself seldom causes fever.
During the convalescent stage, paroxysmal coughing and vomiting gradually subside. However, for months afterward, even a mild upper respiratory tract infection may trigger paroxysmal coughing. (Paroxysmal coughing may not be present in partially immunized individuals.)
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Croup:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
The onset of croup usually follows an upper respiratory tract infection. Clinical features include inspiratory stridor, hoarse or muffled vocal sounds, varying degrees of laryngeal obstruction and respiratory distress, and a characteristic sharp, barklike cough. These symptoms may last only a few hours or persist for 1 to 2 days.
As croup progresses, it causes inflammatory edema and, possibly, spasm, which can obstruct the upper airway and severely compromise ventilation. Each form of croup has additional characteristics.
Laryngotracheobronchitis
The symptoms of this form of croup seem to worsen at night. Inflammation causes edema of the bronchi and bronchioles and increasingly difficult expiration, which frightens the child. Other characteristic features include fever, diffusely decreased breath sounds, expiratory rhonchi, and scattered crackles.
Laryngitis
Resulting from vocal cord edema, laryngitis is usually mild and produces no respiratory distress except in infants. Early indications include a sore throat and cough that, rarely, may progress to marked hoarseness, suprasternal and intercostal retractions, inspiratory stridor, dyspnea, diminished breath sounds, and restlessness. In later stages, severe dyspnea and exhaustion may result.
Acute spasmodic laryngitis
This form of croup affects children between ages 1 and 3, particularly those with allergies and a family history of croup. It typically begins with mild to moderate hoarseness and nasal discharge, followed by the characteristic cough and noisy inspiration (which usually awaken the child at night), labored breathing with retractions, rapid pulse, and clammy skin.
The child understandably becomes anxious, which may lead to increasing dyspnea and transient cyanosis. These severe symptoms diminish after several hours but reappear in a milder form on the next night or two.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Croup as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Croup, it is also important to consider Croup as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Croup may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Croup as a symptom:
For a more detailed analysis of Croup as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Croup.
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Croup:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Croup.
This signs and symptoms information for Croup has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Croup signs or Croup symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Croup may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Croup symptoms.
When you have watery eyes, a runny nose, congestion and sneezing, how can you tell if it's a cold or an allergy? Find out the difference and the...
Sneezing in the sitting room? Coughing in the kitchen? Many common allergens occur primarily indoors and can make your life miserable. Join our panel...
Heart trouble may sound like a click away if you have mitral valve prolapse (MVP). But this common misfiring in the heart is seldom serious. Learn...
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» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Croup
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