Why does bronchiolitis cause cough?

Bronchiolitis is usually a viral illness affecting the bronchioles, the narrow breathing tubes deep in the lungs. Their lining can swell and produce secretions. Air moving through these irritated tubes can activate the cough reflex. A cough may sound dry at first and later become wetter as secretions are brought upward.

Cough is a very common presentation of Bronchiolitis. In infants and young children, it may come with a runny nose, feeding less than usual, faster breathing or a wheezy sound.

Offer fluids or feeds in smaller, more frequent amounts if coughing makes feeding difficult. Keep the child upright while awake for comfort, and use saline nose drops and gentle suction if a blocked nose is making feeding harder. Keep the environment free from cigarette smoke and vaping aerosols.

Do not give cough and cold medicines to a young child unless a clinician or pharmacist says they are suitable. Antibiotics do not treat viral bronchiolitis unless a clinician identifies a separate bacterial infection.

Get urgent medical help if the child is struggling to breathe, has pauses in breathing, looks blue or grey around the lips, is unusually floppy or difficult to wake, or cannot keep fluids down. Seek prompt advice for clearly reduced wet nappies, worsening work of breathing, or a child who is taking much less fluid than usual.

Ask how to recognise increased breathing effort, how to support feeding during the illness, and whether the child needs to be examined today. If coughing continues after recovery, ask what duration or accompanying symptoms would make a follow-up useful.