Now that the weather seems to change daily, croup season is
here. Have you heard the sounds of raspy, throaty voices in your
house lately? This "noise" is ushering in croup season! Croup is
an infection that causes swelling of the larynx (vocal box) and
trachea (windpipe) that in turn makes the airway just beneath
the vocal cords become swollen and narrow. When you have
swelling and narrowing of the airway breathing becomes more
difficult and noisy and the sound that is made, almost like that
of a seal barking, is called being croupy. Croup is quite common
in young children, but the sound the emanates from that child
when they cough, can be scary and concerning for both parent and
child. Children are most likely to get croup between the ages of
six months and three years. As a child gets older croup is not
as common as the trachea gets larger with age and therefore the
swelling does not cause as much compromise. When you awaken in
the middle of the night to hear your child barking in the next
room you need to