Secondhand smoke and Croup?

[eh24fan]

I have a question and maybe some of you might have an answer!

My 7yr old has his first bout of croup of the year. He was with his dad all weekend and came home REEKING of smoke. DS's stepmom and her entire family smoke, a lot. Apparently this weekend they spent a good chunk of Saturday and all day Sunday at her parents' home, where everyone smokes and don't bother to concern themselves with the lungs of the young children that are there as well. My question is this, do you think the barking croupy cough could be related to the smoke?

The reason I'm asking this is because I have asked them over and over to not smoke around him at all...meaning in the car or at home. His stepmom's idea of not smoking aroudn him is going in the kitchen and opening the windows in the car. I know that I should probably expect to be flamed on here for my "anti-smoker" attitude. However, when it affects my kid and his health I have a big problem with it. I'm a former smoker and quit the day I found out I was pregnant with DS7. My ex and I NEVER EVER smoked around his daughters from his first marriage because we didn't feel they should be exposed to the smoke. His feelings changed when he got together with his current wife I guess. Anyway....I'm looking for some opinions here before I talk to him about this...again.

 

[Mermaid02]

Well it sure as heck didn't help him. I'd speak to them both about it. Second hand smoke is a real danger- anyone who doesn't believe that is an idiot.

 

[Tantor]

On Oprah the other day Dr Oz was on and he said that people who smoke in a car/home enviroment, their children are already smoking. For every 4 cigarettes the adult smokes the child is smoking one.

 

[mudnuri]

what test was used to diagnose the croup? My guess is he didnt actually have croup...

Answer that and i"ll come back

Brandy

 

[golfgal]

The barky cough alone isn't croup but the barky cough COULD be asthma. I would get him evaluated by an asthma doctor to see if he has this and then you have extra ammo to get your ex to cooperate.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Second hand smoke is bad, period. Whether it causes croup or not is really secondary.

I would make sure he is checked by a doctor for asthma.

Sounds like your son is in for a rough ride.

ETA....Golfgal....yep, I was thinking the same thing.

 

[mudnuri]

Okay i wont wait.

Here's the deal with croup- respiratory issue's are my life- so...

85% are viral
usually caused by parainfluenza, or RSV.
15% are bacterial- strep, staph, RARELY H. Influenza

really- you have to do a CXR to diagnose- you need to see a steeple sign in the subglittic area...but...thats neither here nor there.

Croup is not a illness that affects 7 year olds. It just doesnt. Age range is 6 months-3years. I have yet to ever see a 7 year old with croup.

If they gave him racemic epinephrine, and it worked- it probably was inflamattion but not croup.

Generally 2nd hand smoke can cause irritation and inflamation in anyones lungs, especially young people. I wont say smoke causes asthma, because it doenst- it agrevates it...makes it worse, but doesnt actually cause it..

Did they give you a script for something? What was it?
oh- wait- was it an ER PA that diagnosed him?

Brandy

 

[golfgal]

Okay i wont wait.

Here's the deal with croup- respiratory issue's are my life- so...

85% are viral
usually caused by parainfluenza, or RSV.
15% are bacterial- strep, staph, RARELY H. Influenza

really- you have to do a CXR to diagnose- you need to see a steeple sign in the subglittic area...but...thats neither here nor there.

Croup is not a illness that affects 7 year olds. It just doesnt. Age range is 6 months-3years. I have yet to ever see a 7 year old with croup.

If they gave him racemic epinephrine, and it worked- it probably was inflamattion but not croup.

Generally 2nd hand smoke can cause irritation and inflamation in anyones lungs, especially young people. I wont say smoke causes asthma, because it doenst- it agrevates it...makes it worse, but doesnt actually cause it..

Did they give you a script for something? What was it?
oh- wait- was it an ER PA that diagnosed him?

Brandy

Sorry but croup DOES effect 7 year olds and older. It probably isn't common but my DS's BOTH have had croup well past 7 years old, DS12 was hospitalized for croup in 2nd grade at age 8 and has had it a few times since then. I was hospitalized for croup when I was in 5th grade, age 12. It DOES happen with older children.

 

[sassyat30]

Yes, croup does affect older children. My DD had it last winter..and she was almost six.

And yes, the smoke could be the cause.

 

[mudnuri]

My guess is that it was a misdiagnosed croup- it more then likely was inflamation of the airway that they diagnosed as croup- doesnt mean it was croup!
Croup is a catchall for inflammation, with a barky cough...just because they diagnose older kids with it- doesnt mean it is..

Brandy

 

[sassyat30]

My guess is that it was a misdiagnosed croup- it more then likely was inflamation of the airway that they diagnosed as croup- doesnt mean it was croup!
Croup is a catchall for inflammation, with a barky cough...just because they diagnose older kids with it- doesnt mean it is..

Brandy

Sorry, but I'll believe what my doctor told me over what you *think* it was.

 

[jenwolgey]

Older kids DO get croup. I was told he would have outgrown it by now, but my DS 8 had to visit the ER again this winter for croup. He was so bad, we had to get a nebulizer to do Albuterol treatments at home for over a week, along with oral steroids. The ER doc couldn't believe he was 8 years old and still getting it. (He is small for his age, and just started losing his baby teeth this year, as well.) I feel your pain, OP. We are so careful with him...no second-hand smoke in our lives though, fortunately.

 

[golfgal]

My guess is that it was a misdiagnosed croup- it more then likely was inflamation of the airway that they diagnosed as croup- doesnt mean it was croup!
Croup is a catchall for inflammation, with a barky cough...just because they diagnose older kids with it- doesnt mean it is..

Brandy

Sorry, but my DS's croup was diagnosed by a very well respected pulmonlogist I doubt he was wrong on top of which, he had every textbook symptom and having suffered with croup for a good portion of my childhood I KNOW that is what he had.

 

[eh24fan]

My guess is that it was a misdiagnosed croup- it more then likely was inflamation of the airway that they diagnosed as croup- doesnt mean it was croup!
Croup is a catchall for inflammation, with a barky cough...just because they diagnose older kids with it- doesnt mean it is..

Brandy

Whatever you want to call it, my 7 year old has the "croupy" barking seal cough. He gets it every single year, usual more than once. Do not tell me that 7 year olds cannot get it. He hasn't gone to the doctor yet, as he just came home last night. I'm calling the doctor today though. He may not have "croup" but I can assure you that the coughing that is a symptom is very present.

Beyond that, I'm simply making sure that I'm not jumping the gun here in believing that the smoke he is being exposed to is a contributing factor. I am furious that my child is being exposed to begin with here. His ENT has even written a note to give my ex telling him that DS shouldn't be around the smoke. It worked for awhile, but clearly they have "forgotten." I don't give a crap if they smoke, that's on them. But do NOT expose my child's lungs to their cancer causing habit.

 

[eh24fan]

Older kids DO get croup. I was told he would have outgrown it by now, but my DS 8 had to visit the ER again this winter for croup. He was so bad, we had to get a nebulizer to do Albuterol treatments at home for over a week, along with oral steroids. The ER doc couldn't believe he was 8 years old and still getting it. (He is small for his age, and just started losing his baby teeth this year, as well.) I feel your pain, OP. We are so careful with him...no second-hand smoke in our lives though, fortunately.

We've been lucky in that it hasn't landed us in the ER, but he has been on the oral steroids at least once or twice a year thanks to croup. My brother was like that when he was young too. I never had it that I know of, but it seems my son is susceptible.

DS is one the smaller ones in his grade as well. He's also one of the youngest though. Since his birthday is in June and the cut-off date for starting school is the end of August, a lot of the kids in his class are older.

 

[eh24fan]

On Oprah the other day Dr Oz was on and he said that people who smoke in a car/home enviroment, their children are already smoking. For every 4 cigarettes the adult smokes the child is smoking one.

That's scary.

 

[wishspirit]

Croup is not a illness that affects 7 year olds. It just doesnt. Age range is 6 months-3years. I have yet to ever see a 7 year old with croup.

Thats not true! I had croup till i was at least 12 years old, i was a small kid, but i definatly had when i hit 7. You try telling my mom who was up with me all night cause i was on the verge of passing out and coughing like a madman that i didnt have croup (and shes a nurse, she would know!), or when i was in an amubulance to A&E.

When i has croup (before the age of steroid inhallers for it) i was told to watch out for high pollution and second hand smoke near bedtime esspcially if i had any sort of cold. Any kind of cold or flu bug made me a lot worse.

Hope the kids are ok, and that you can incourage the relatives not to smoke around them

 

[KariC]

Just did a quick yahoo search, and came up with loads of reputable sources linking second hand smoke with croup and asthma in children.

I won't go into all my family's anecdotal evidence (it would take too long), but the most recent, and the "scariest", is that my dad's doc just told him that they would be monitering his lungs as if HE had chain smoked for 18 years, as his parents were huge chain smokers (lighting the next cig with the one they were finishing).

OP, I would make sure to take your son to a doctor to get this documented, as well. Good luck!

 

[Tantor]

That's scary.

Exactly what I thought.
My friend who smokes said to me that they don't believe that. Can you say "Denial"