Kids

💡TL;DR: Epiglottitis is a sudden, bacterial throat infection that can block the airway within hours and needs emergency care, while croup is a common viral illness with a barky cough that usually improves in 3–4 days with calm care and a single steroid dose from your doctor. Look

💡TL;DR: Stridor is a harsh, high‑pitched sound on inhale from the upper airway; wheezing is a musical whistle on exhale from the lungs. Location (throat vs chest) and timing (in vs out) are the fastest ways to tell them apart. Stridor at rest, blue lips, or trouble swallowing

💡TL;DR: Croup = a barky upper‑airway cough that peaks over 1–2 nights, RSV = a wet cough with wheeze that runs about 1–2 weeks, and whooping cough = long coughing fits with a whoop that can last for weeks. Nearly all children encounter RSV by age 2 (CDC), while

💡TL;DR: RSV and whooping cough are different illnesses: RSV is a virus, while whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterium. Antibiotics treat pertussis (especially early) but not RSV; RSV care is mainly supportive at home or in the hospital if breathing is hard. Protection also differs: DTaP/Tdap prevents pertussis,

💡TL;DR: Recurrent croup means more than two barky-cough episodes in a year or croup showing up outside the usual age window (about 6 months to 3 years). It can be a risk signal for asthma, but most children do not develop chronic asthma. Practical next steps: watch for wheeze

💡TL;DR: Most kids with croup can spread the virus from about 1 day before symptoms start until around day 3 of illness. A steroid such as dexamethasone eases breathing within hours, but it does not shorten how long your child is contagious. Plan for home rest for about 3–

What Is Croup? Croup is a viral swelling of the upper airway around the voice box and windpipe. The narrowed airway causes a barking, seal-like cough. Kids can also make a harsh, high-pitched noise on the inhale called stridor. Croup usually starts like a cold, then gets louder at night.

💡TL;DR: Most kids with croup sound worse after bedtime because small airways, lying flat, drier cool air, and low nighttime cortisol stack up. Nights 1–2 are usually the worst; most cases improve in 3–5 days. Calm cuddles, steamy bathroom air, a few minutes of cool air, and

💡TL;DR: RSV and the common cold start the same, but RSV is more likely to move into the chest and cause wheezing or hard breathing, especially in babies and older adults. A simple cold usually stays milder in the nose and throat and improves in 5–7 days; RSV