Cough With The Child. Causes And Treatment

Cough in the baby

Bacterial infection with reduced immunity can lead to damage to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and the appearance of cough in the child. The cause of coughing can also be an allergic reaction to an external stimulus.

Cough in a child may be different

The most safe is a moist cough, when sputum easily leaves and thus the airways are cleared of bacteria. A dry, irritating cough is most dangerous and painful for a child. Typically, a dry cough indicates the onset of the disease (tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia).

A frequent loud barking cough with shortness of breath, with a change in voice (hoarseness) may indicate the occurrence of laryngitis and false croup. In this case, the child should immediately be placed in a moist environment, for example, carried to the bathroom and a hot water jet or into the kitchen, where you put boiled water in a pot or kettle to allow the child to breathe the steam. It is necessary to give a dose of an antihistamine drug (for example, suprastin) immediately to remove the swelling of the vocal cords, and immediately call a pediatrician. As a rule, a child with symptoms of false croup (which can be repeated) is subject to immediate hospitalization.

Another type of cough in a child is a prolonged (up to several minutes) loud wheezing cough, at which the child chokes. Such a cough may indicate pertussis. In this case, the diagnosis is confirmed by special studies, and treatment should be prescribed only by a child's doctor.

Cough treatment in acute respiratory infections

First and foremost, drug therapy, prescribed by a child's doctor, is necessary. Tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergic cough are treated with different drugs and their various doses. If cough is caused by an allergic reaction, it is necessary to use antihistamines, but strictly in the doses prescribed by the doctor. With a dry cough, preparations based on ambrohexal, diluting sputum and promoting expectoration are good.

Universal methods for home use

There are universal methods that allow yourself to help at home in the home cough caused by ARVI.

Inhalations well soften, moisturize and irrigate the respiratory tract of the child with medicinal products. Preferred is an ultrasonic inhaler - nebulizer (sold in pharmacies). Inhalation of a child can be carried out in the absence of a high temperature. As solutions for inhalation use alkaline solutions (sometimes you can use Borjomi water), solutions of eucalyptus, calendula, miramistine, sage, St. John's wort, chamomile. Inhalations can be carried out over a saucepan with hot herbal decoctions, covering the child with a veil. However, for young children, this procedure is complex and unsafe.

In the absence of high temperature, warming compresses can be made. One of the types of compresses for coughing is mashed warm boiled potatoes, in which 1 tablespoon of honey (in the absence of allergy to honey) and vegetable oil are added. The whole mixture is wrapped in film, superimposed on the back of the child, covered with wax paper. On top of the child tie a woolen shawl.

When coughing, it is important to gargle, it removes mucus from bacteria. You can use herbs (sage, chamomile, eucalyptus, calendula), furacilin, soda. The solution should be warm, but not hot. Rinses are good because they can be used even if the child has a temperature.

If there is no temperature, it is good to warm the baby's legs, making foot mustard baths.

With any cough in the child, as it irritates the throat, you need a warm drink. Good warm milk helps, mixed with Borjomi mineral water, soda or honey (if there is no allergy to honey).

You can grind your baby's feet and calf muscles (for example, a mixture of water with alcohol 1: 1 or vodka or use a ready-made ointment for rubbing). It is impossible to use menthol, it will aggravate the course of the disease, since it promotes the appearance of laryngospasm.

In no case can you put a child mustard plasters or cans with a cough that begins. This can aggravate the course of the disease and, for example, provoke the transition of simple tracheitis to bronchitis and then pneumonia. Mustards and mustard wraps are shown only at the fading stage of the disease.