A two-year-old was diagnosed with croup — a viral infection of the upper airway — after his family noticed that his voice had turned hoarse and he had a barking cough, which his doctor said are characteristic symptoms of the infection.
The symptoms and other signs of croup are the results of swelling around the larynx and trachea, Taipei Shu-tien Clinic pediatrician Tai Chi-shan (戴季珊) said.
When air travels through the narrowed airway, it produces a loud and hoarse sound as the person inhales or exhales, Tai said.
Croup often worsens or develops at night and could even be fatal if the symptoms are severe, she said.
It is a common disease among children aged six months to three years old, especially during seasonal changes.
The infection is less common among older children, she said, adding that boys are slightly more susceptible to it than girls.
Many parents mistake croup for asthma, but they are completely different. Croup features a characteristic barking cough due to an infected upper airway, where a swollen throat and tissues make inhaling more difficult than exhaling, Tai said.
Asthma is characterized by a whistling breathing sound due to lower airway obstruction, where contraction of the inflamed bronchial muscle makes exhaling more difficult than inhaling, she added.
Croup is usually not serious and can be treated at home, but children who have croup and breathe with a wheezing sound even when not crying or agitated, or develop breathlessness, should seek a pediatrician’s advice on whether an adrenaline spray and long-lasting steroids are needed to reduce airway swelling, Tai said.
Noting that croup — which resembles a typical cold at the early stage — is also contagious, Tai said that enhanced household hygiene measures should be implemented if any family member has the infection.
People with croup should seek medical assistance immediately if they find themselves having a difficult time breathing and swallowing, becoming weak and pale, or if their symptoms last beyond seven days, she added.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
RSS