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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Bronchiolitis is a common infection of the lungs' airways, often caused by a virus. It most frequently occurs in infants, commonly between 3 and 6 months of age. Typically, bronchiolitis occurs during the fall and winter months.

Bronchiolitis starts out with symptoms similar to those of a common cold but then progresses to coughing and wheezing.

Although a child's bout of bronchiolitis may be scary, particularly for parents, symptoms typically last for about a week and then go away. In the meantime, you can take a number of self-help measures to make your child more comfortable. In some cases, especially if your child has an underlying health problem, bronchiolitis can become severe and require hospitalization.

DS00481

Sept. 26, 2008

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