Dry rare cough in a child. What does a cough without a cold mean? Preparations in the form of tablets

Many parents in a child are not perceived as a serious illness. Especially if the temperature does not rise. In most cases, coughing is treated at home, without resorting to the help of doctors. But coughing does not occur for no reason. This is a reflex reaction of the body to airway congestion, sputum formation, or other annoying factors. Therefore, it is impossible to start treatment without finding out real reasons coughing in a child.

All young children are characterized by rare coughing, especially in the morning, after waking up. It is normal to cough up to 10 times a day. In all people, regardless of age, a small amount is formed in the respiratory tract. But in babies, it is thicker and more viscous, and therefore it is much more difficult to get rid of it. With this, the appearance of rare bouts of coughing is associated.

But if the child's coughing is more frequent and repeated throughout the day, then most likely it is a symptom of some kind of disease.

Most often it is bronchitis or another infection. respiratory system(ARI, pneumonia and others).At the same time, significant amounts of mucus are constantly formed in the bronchi of the child. And the fact that children under 3 years old still do not know how to cough properly and do not do it on time exacerbates the situation. The discharge of sputum is difficult, and is delayed for a long time.

Other causes of prolonged coughing can be diseases such as:

• allergic rhinitis
• chronic
• inflammation

During them, viscous mucus is formed in the sinuses, which, flowing down, has irritant effect on cough receptors, provoking.

A more serious disease, one of the symptoms of which is coughing, is whooping cough.

At the same time, the attacks are very painful, repeat up to 50 times a day and do not go away for 1-2 months. In severe cases, there may be signs of suffocation.

Video. Causes of cough in a child.

In addition, the causes of coughing in children may be:

• development of bronchial asthma
• obstructive bronchitis
• heart or lung disease
• physical exercise
• temperature change environment
• foreign body in the airways
• stress

The protracted nature of coughing in children is most often observed in the chronic form of one of the diseases. Acute period illness usually lasts no more than 3 weeks. Accordingly, the cough passes for a similar period.

Without the appropriate or if it was incorrect, the disease can flow into chronic form. In this case, the child coughs for more than 4 weeks and this is repeated from 3 times during the year.

Most often the cause of prolonged coughing in childhood is a respiratory infection.

But there are other causes that must be ruled out before treatment is prescribed:

Prolonged coughing requires a serious attitude and a thorough examination of the patient. Due to the fact that it is usually a symptom of a chronic condition, it can be problematic to identify the cause. To do this, a detailed history is collected, the circumstances under which seizures occur are clarified, and an x-ray is taken.

Often, the diagnosis in such a situation is possible only by successive exclusion of the most probable causes. Sometimes a trial treatment is carried out even in the absence of direct evidence of a particular disease.

Sore throat and dry cough

The reasons are also many. With such a cough, sputum is not secreted and discharged, its second name is unproductive.

It is typical for initial stage many respiratory diseases and viral infections, such as:

• tracheitis

A few days after the child becomes ill, sputum production usually begins.

A severe, agonizing dry cough may be a symptom of one of the bacterial infections: whooping cough, diphtheria, or tuberculosis. With whooping cough, it is paroxysmal, debilitating, at the end of the attack a whistling sound is heard. With diphtheria, it is rough, and with tuberculosis it can have absolutely any character.

Various allergens are capable of provoking attacks of dry coughing: dust, pollen, feather pillows, pet hair, and so on. With an allergic reaction, the accompanying symptoms are lacrimation and runny nose.Cause dry baby cough may be insufficient humidity in the room or excessive dust. As well as various chemical irritants: detergents and cleaners, paints, perfumes, tobacco smoke.

Gastroesophageal reflux can also cause tickling.

This is a phenomenon in which food from the stomach, along with gastric juice, enters the esophagus, having an irritating effect on it. In this case, the child may complain of abdominal pain and heartburn. Most often this happens when the baby takes a horizontal position.

A sudden dry cough may indicate that food or a foreign object has entered the respiratory tract.

Coughing at night

The appearance of coughing in a child at night is easily explained. When he is in lying position, the resulting mucus flows freely through the nasopharynx to the respiratory tract. There, it interferes with normal air circulation, it becomes difficult for the baby to breathe, as a result of which the cough reflex is triggered.

The causes at night can be the same as in other cases. These are diseases of a cold or viral nature. As a rule, in the first stages, the symptoms of such diseases appear mainly at night.

Bronchial asthma in the early stages can also manifest itself in this way. Coughing in a child at night is a residual effect of bronchitis.A nighttime cough can be a symptom of an allergic reaction. Its exacerbation during sleep is due to the fact that the allergen is in the baby's crib or next to it.

It could be:

• washing powder with a pungent odor, which was washed baby clothes
• poor quality bedding, pajamas
• allergenic materials inside the pillow, blanket, mattress
• toys made of synthetic, rubber or plastic
• items that have been recently painted

In addition to a night cough, an allergic reaction is evidenced by such concomitant signs, as the appearance, slight swelling, sweating and tearing in a child.

To identify the allergen, it is necessary to remove suspicious things and objects from the children's room one by one, try to replace the bedding, change the washing powder to hypoallergenic. Once the child has been shielded from the cause of the allergy, nighttime coughing will stop.

Cough without fever

Most viral or respiratory diseases, as a rule, are accompanied not only, but also sharp rise. But it happens that the child begins to cough for no apparent reason, besides, his body temperature is within normal limits. In any case, a cough does not occur for no reason, and if it has already appeared, then this should alert the baby's parents.

The first thing that can lead to such a cough is a foreign object in the airways. It urgently needs to be removed on its own or call an ambulance, otherwise the child will start to suffocate.

Improper treatment of bronchitis, tracheitis, and some other diseases leads to their transition to a chronic form. It is characterized by a sluggish current inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs, as well as a cough without fever. Tuberculosis is another reason.

With bronchial asthma, coughing is not always accompanied by fever.

At the same time, with him, the child has asthma attacks. Paroxysmal cough without any other symptoms may be a sign of inflammation. Coughing at normal temperature perhaps as a manifestation of a reaction to some kind of allergen or irritant, as well as dry air.

Coughing in an infant

This phenomenon in baby, as in older children, in 9 out of 10 cases it is a symptom of an acute respiratory or viral infection.

But if the baby coughs no more than 20 times during the day, then for sure it is of a physiological nature. That is, it does not indicate the development of a certain disease, but is necessary for the baby in order to clear the airways of accumulated mucus. In this case, it is not necessary to treat the baby.

Insufficiently humid and overheated air in the children's room leads to drying of the mucous membranes and perspiration in the baby. A slight cough is possible during teething.

But in addition to relatively harmless coughing in an infant, more serious reasons can also be caused.

Sometimes it is a concomitant symptom of a fairly serious disease that requires immediate treatment.Therefore, if such a phenomenon is detected in a baby, you must definitely contact a pediatrician or call an ambulance. Only an experienced specialist will be able to objectively assess the condition of the child and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Treatment

Treatment methods for children's cough directly depend on the causes of this phenomenon.

• If coughing is caused by dry, overheated air, then you need to regularly ventilate the room. A humidifier will help prevent excessive drying of the air.
• Cough allergic nature treated by identifying the allergen and eliminating it.
• Coughing, as a symptom of a cold or viral disease, requires complex treatment. With a dry child, drugs that suppress the cough reflex (Bronchicum, Codelac and others) are shown. With a productive cough - expectorant, mucolytic (, and others). The action of the former is aimed at stopping the debilitating, often recurring cough. The latter reduce the viscosity of sputum, contribute to its better discharge. Various ointments and rubbings have proven themselves well for coughing, for example, Vix Active in combination with massage.
• Promotes liquefaction and expectoration of sputum plentiful drink. The child can be given all kinds of fruit drinks, compotes, milk with honey, blackcurrant tea, decoctions medicinal plants: plantain, chamomile, linden.
• With more serious illnesses treatment must be prescribed by a doctor.

Coughing in a child is not independent h. Therefore, before doing anything, you must certainly find out the reason. To do this, contact your local pediatrician. After all, trying to get rid of coughing on your own can only aggravate the situation.

All parents sooner or later face the appearance of a cough in a child. As a rule, they explain it with a viral infection or a cold. But a cough without fever is a very alarming phenomenon. He can be like natural reaction organism to the stimulus, and the first manifestation of the pathological process.

Main reasons

In general, don't worry if:

A stable rare cough in a child on the background of an allergy can turn into Chronical bronchitis, and after a couple of months - in bronchial asthma. Therefore, for any type of cough that persists for a long period of time, a mandatory consultation with a specialist is required.

A cough without fever may indicate the presence of an infection in the child's body. Babies in their first year of life require special attention, so do not delay going to the pediatrician if the cough persists for more than 3 days.

What diseases does it accompany?

The cause of the cough must be determined by a doctor, especially if:

• the cough is protracted and disturbs the child for 10-14 days;
• dry cough occurs at normal body temperature;
• home first aid methods are ineffective;
• when coughing, purulent or bloody discharge appears;
• the temperature rises;
• the child has difficulty breathing.

How to cure dry cough

First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the disease and prescribe competent treatment. The next mandatory step is to soften the tissues of the mucosa and take funds that eliminate irritation. Part complex therapy should include drugs that relieve inflammation, as well as local anesthetic drugs. Lozenges, inhalations, rinses have an instant analgesic effect. The effect of these drugs is short, but they help soften the tissues and save you from coughing fits.

More effective are complex drugs that have anti-inflammatory effects and kill harmful bacteria. So, plantain syrup consists of natural ingredients, softens the mucous membrane and prevents seizures, has an enveloping and antiseptic effect. Herbal syrups often contain vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immune system. Herbal preparations even the smallest children can be treated, they have practically no side effects and have a beneficial effect on the children's body.

Regular moisturizing of the mucosa will also speed up the transition from a dry cough to a wet one. Improper treatment is fraught with serious complications, which will not be easy to overcome.

The effect of homemade medicines is to relieve pain and alleviate the general condition of the child. Home methods are adjuvant therapy, which can be used only after consulting a specialist regarding the main treatment. Remember: self-medication leads to the development of complications. Eliminate the medicine if any product in its composition causes an allergic reaction in the child.

Recipes and methods of folk treatment

• Carrot porridge. Rinse the carrots, peel and grate smaller. Bring the milk to a boil and put the carrots in it. Remove from the stove and leave the porridge for 20 minutes. Take the mixture without filtering.
• Vegetable cocktail. Combine half a glass of carrot juice with the same amount of radish juice, sweeten with honey. Children's dosage - 5 ml up to 5 times a day.
• Milk mixture. Boil 250 ml of milk, add a small piece of butter, honey, soda (on the tip of a knife) and stir well. Remove the mixture from the stove and add the beaten egg yolk. Cool the mixture to 30-40 ° C and give the baby 15 ml up to 5 times a day.
• Onion tea. Pour 180 g of granulated sugar into 1 liter of boiling water and add 2 large unpeeled onions. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 1 hour, remove the onion at the end of cooking. Drink tea 15 ml 4 times a day.
• Milk and vegetable puree.
• A whole head of garlic and 2 large onions pour 500 ml of milk and boil for about a quarter of an hour. Grind the vegetables in a puree with a blender along with milk, cool until warm temperature and add a couple of tablespoons of honey. Consume 5 ml puree up to 4 times a day.
• Flour compress. 30 g of oatmeal (wheat can be used) combine with olive oil and mustard powder in equal amounts. Add 20 ml of vodka. Mix the ingredients and steam them until a sticky dough, wrap it in a piece of gauze. Apply a compress to the chest area, fixing it on top with a natural dense cloth, and keep it until it cools completely. The tortilla will have the best effect before going to bed.
• Sweet syrup. Cut the radish into small pieces and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the oven for several hours. The syrup will be the liquid that the root crop will release during baking. Dosage - 5 ml several times a day.
• Vanilla honey. Combine 90 g of honey with 90 g of butter, stir in a small bag of vanilla sugar. Dosage - 5 ml 3 times a day.
• Cabbage juice. Effective remedy to expel mucus. Sweeten a little with honey before drinking.
• Pine tincture. Pine buds pour 250 ml of boiling water. Close tightly, wrap in a warm cloth and leave to infuse for about an hour. Take coniferous tincture 1-2 sips. The tincture will help stop the painful bouts of coughing.
• Medicine for bronchitis. 500 g walnuts chop, add 10 tablespoons of honey and 100 g of aloe juice, enter Fresh Juice 4 lemons. Stir and take the balm 5 ml 3 times a day.
• Vitamin juice with honey. Mix half a glass of radish juice, the same amount of carrot juice, add 30 g of honey. Take 5 ml 5 times a day.
• Honey with viburnum. Wash 100 g of viburnum fruits and add 7 tablespoons of honey, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, cool to a temperature of 30-40 ° C. Take the remedy by diluting it in a mug with a little water.
• Cucumber juice. An effective remedy for respiratory diseases. Drink a quarter cup 3 times a day.
• Creative cake. It is the only compress that can be treated with elevated temperature body. Warm the curd and separate the whey. Put the curd mass on a piece of gauze and fix it in the chest area for an hour.
• Bronchitis compress. Mix 1 teaspoon of the following ingredients: dry mustard, cornmeal, olive oil, honey, vodka. Divide the dough in two, put on a piece of gauze and attach to the chest and back. Secure with a natural cotton cloth and put the pajamas on the patient. In the morning, wipe the places where the cakes were, with a warm, damp cloth.
• Flour with mustard. Combine dry mustard and any gray flour 1:1. Pour the mixture into a tight bag, attach to the baby's chest, avoiding the heart area, and fix it with thick fabric. It is advisable to do a compress for the whole night. By morning the cough will be gone.
• Coniferous inhalations. Prepare a decoction of pine buds and inhale with a towel over your head. Stay indoors after the procedure for 2-3 hours.
• Orange syrup. Cut 1 unpeeled orange, sprinkle with sugar and boil for half an hour. Take 5-10 ml for severe cough.
• Healing pot of radish. For medicinal purposes, black radish is best suited. Cut off the hat and remove inner part to make a pot. Fill it with honey 1/3 and put in a deep bowl for a while. Give the separated juice to babies 5 ml up to 4 times a day. This medicine is also suitable for adults, the dosage should be increased to 15 ml.
• Drinking with lugol. In 250 ml of water, add apple cider vinegar and honey (determine the amount yourself, the medicine should be pleasant to use), add the number of drops of lugol corresponding to the age of your child. Give the medicine little by little throughout the day.
• Ginger mixture. Grate the ginger root on a fine grater, separate the liquid. Puree a couple of onions in a blender. Pass a few cloves of garlic through a press. Add onion with garlic and half a cup of honey to the ginger. Mix the ingredients, pour the mixture into a glass container. Take 5 ml 3 times a day.
• badger fat. Rub the chest and back of the child, except for the heart area, with fat, cover with polyethylene, wrap with cotton cloth, a woolen scarf and put the child to bed. Badger fat can be replaced with fat tail.
• Flatbread with potatoes. Boil, without peeling, two potato tubers and mash the vegetable with the skin. Pour vegetable oil(35g) and water (18g). Sprinkle the mixture with dry mustard and add some honey. Knead the dough well and divide into two cakes. They should be warm, pleasant for the body temperature. Wrap the cakes in napkins and apply to the chest and back of the child at night. For best effect alternate the remedy with mustard plasters.

Every person has faced such a problem as a cough. This symptom may appear for various reasons: infection, inflammation, or foreign body entering the respiratory tract. The cause of a cough can also be allergens, which, after penetrating the body, contribute to, less commonly, a wet cough. Prolonged cough in an adult or may be a symptom dangerous disease flowing in the body, therefore, when a cough appears, you need to contact specialists as soon as possible to determine the etiological factor. Very often, parents observe a rare cough in a child. Many do not betray him much attention, but still it is worth knowing for what reasons he can disturb the baby and whether there is any danger in this.

Rare coughing is usually observed after a person has undergone complex treatment for a cold and is in the recovery stage. This symptom is due to the fact that there is still sputum in the lungs, which slowly comes out. There are other reasons that can cause such a symptom:

• dry indoor air;
• fever, sore throat, runny nose, you should consult a doctor, as in these cases there is an uncured cold;
• a person who has had pneumonia often suffers from bouts of rare coughing;
• the child may develop a cough if he has an allergy;
• adult working in harmful conditions labor, may also suffer from prolonged coughing due to polluted air;
• asymptomatic pneumonia;
• psychoneurological disorder;

In a situation where you have recently had a viral disease, and a rare cough has not gone away, do not despair. Continue treatment with pharmacy medicines or traditional medicine.

Read also - What causes it and how to treat it?

Symptoms

With the help of a wet cough, the body is freed from dust particles, dangerous and toxic substances. There are many receptors on the mucous membrane of the larynx. When they are irritated, the person begins to cough. In addition to the cough itself, it is important to monitor its frequency and intensity:

• Ordinary. The baby coughs about 5-7 times a day, while not experiencing pain. In children, as in adults, this type of cough often goes away without fever, it is considered the norm.
• accompanied by pain in the chest, arising from the tension of the respiratory muscles. Such a symptom may be a sign of the development of an inflammatory process in the lungs.
• usually occurs with various pathological conditions. It is usually not accompanied by fever.

With such a cough, the child cannot sleep fully, respectively, protective functions his body is declining. Thus, it becomes more difficult to recover from a cough.

Children develop a rare cough for a variety of reasons. For example, allergies, passive smoking or prolonged exposure to dust.

Other causes of coughing in children.

• The immune system is weakened.
• The presence of irritating factors.
• The presence of a viral infection in the body.

Diseases of the pleura and lungs may be accompanied by a dry cough. In this case, the child may have a high fever or chest pain.

What is a dangerous symptom

Rare and shallow. This is due to the fact that the problem may lie in the larynx, trachea, or throat. Distinguishing these types of cough is easy.

Dry pulmonary cough. With this symptom, the chest suffers, therefore, with it, the child may experience pain. Seizures last about a minute. Pulmonary cough greatly exhausts the body.

Superficial dry cough lasts less than pulmonary view. This symptom is quite quiet, but is often accompanied by hoarseness. Occurs when inflammatory process in the throat.

How to treat a rare cough

When the cough is not caused viral diseases or a cold, it is necessary to exclude tuberculosis, cardiac, allergic and oncological etiology of its origin. Only after a thorough examination by the doctor, he will appoint you effective treatment. There are many folk methods of dealing with cough in a child or adult. Each of them has certain contraindications that must be considered.

Medications

Among pharmaceutical products, it is better to choose such drugs.

1. This medicine is often prescribed by pediatricians to eliminate dry cough. The active ingredients have an antitussive effect on the cough center, improves breathing. Available in the form of syrup, tablets and drops.
2. Glauvent. This medication is used to eliminate cough and ease breathing. It has an analgesic effect. Medicine in the form of syrups can be used by children after 6 years, after eating. Active ingredient is codeine, which effectively fights cough.
3. It is used both in the form of tablets (children over 12 years old) and in the form of drops for internal use (children over six months old). Take the medicine after a meal. The composition of the drug contains herbs.
4. Glycodin. This is a multicomponent preparation in the form of a syrup, which helps to have a mucolytic and antitussive effect on the body. The drug helps to inhibit the excitability of the cough center. It has an antitussive and analgesic effect.
5. Libeksin. This drug is effective in eliminating cough. Produced in the form of tablets. Contraindicated in case of abundant sputum formation.

These medicines can be taken only after consulting a doctor in accordance with the instructions in the instructions.

Traditional medicine recipes

There are a lot of effective traditional medicine recipes against a long cough. They can be prepared without much effort.

1. Clay compress. You need to take 100 grams of this substance, dilute in hot water to the consistency of sour cream and add one tablespoon there apple cider vinegar. Apply the mixture on a rag, put it on the throat. The compress should be kept for half an hour.
2. Sage leaf tincture. It is necessary to take 1 spoon of raw materials, pour a glass of milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and strain. A hot decoction should be drunk before going to bed. Continue the course of treatment for 5-6 days.
3. Tangerine peels. Can be dried, ground in a coffee grinder. Pour half a glass of boiling water over one spoonful of the mixture, let it brew. Drink one tablespoon for 5 days in a row.
4. Dry cough mashed potatoes. It is necessary to boil potatoes, ceiling, add butter, 2 cloves of garlic. There is this drug 2 times a day, previously, warming up.

Treatment helps to quickly eliminate a prolonged cough. The above recipes are not only effective, but also delicious.

Local treatment

Local treatment of dry cough involves the use of complex therapy. Rare cough without temperature in an adult or a child is treated with massages and rubbing, as well as compresses. Ointment can be used for rubbing

• "Badger"
• "Pulmex".

Most pediatricians do not advise the use of these drugs in children under 2 years of age. If the child is prone to allergies, they will be inappropriate.

Massage is best done after bathing. Special attention focus on the area of ​​the shoulder blades. After this procedure, the baby should lie down in a warm bed for about half an hour.

For a compress, you can make a solution of one tablespoon of sunflower oil, vodka and honey. This mixture must be heated in a water bath. Soak a linen rag in the solution and put it on the neck area, between the shoulder blades, put cellophane and a towel on top. Keep the compress for 30 minutes.

1. It should be remembered that all pharmaceutical preparations should be taken only as directed by a doctor.
2. Self-medication is dangerous with serious consequences.
3. Some folk remedies also have their limitations. They can be used by children under 5 years of age with caution, make sure that the child does not have an allergy to certain drugs.
4. Massage should be entrusted to a specialist, carried out only during the recovery period of the body after an illness.
5. Inhalations with a rare cough are quite useful, but they are indicated only in the absence of elevated body temperature.

A rare cough in a child is not always a pathology, so before taking any treatment measures, you need to consult a doctor.

Coughing is a reflex that helps clear secretions from the airways, protects the airways from foreign body aspiration, and may be symptomatic. Cough is one of the most common complaints for which parents bring their children to health care providers.

When nerve endings, located in the larynx, windpipe or lungs, feel irritation, reflexively they force air out through the respiratory tract.

As a rule, cough is associated with such respiratory diseases like a cold/upper respiratory infection, bronchiolitis, croup, influenza, or pneumonia. If a child's cough is accompanied by a high fever, general agitation, or difficulty breathing, they may have one of these infections.

If a child has a cold, the cough may be wet (productive or congestive) or dry and irritating; the cough may not go away longer than the concomitant runny nose. If there is a high fever and difficulty breathing along with the cough, the child may have pneumonia. The breathing of a child with pneumonia is more frequent than usual. If you notice these signs in your child, see your doctor.

In many ways, the source of the health problem is determined by how the cough sounds: when the throat (larynx) is irritated, as during croup, the cough becomes like a barking dog or seal. When irritated by larger airways, such as the trachea (windpipe) or bronchi, the cough becomes deeper and sharper, and is clearly worse in the morning.

Allergic reactions and sinus infections can cause chronic cough, because the mucus flowing down the back of the larynx causes a dry, incessant cough, which is especially pronounced at night. A child who only coughs at night may have asthma.

The respiratory system is the place where air from the environment enters and where it interacts with internal environment. The main goal of this interaction is gas exchange: replacement carbon dioxide, accumulated by the blood flowing through the capillaries, delivered here as part of the inhaled air with oxygen. But at the same time, all sorts of other substances enter the respiratory tract: dust particles, poisonous gases and other toxins, viruses and bacteria. Depending on their size, these "particles" - let's call them that - penetrate the respiratory tract, which are further, which are closer.

The bronchial tree is covered from the inside (think of a sheepskin coat) with cilia, hair that constantly vibrates. The movements of these cilia allow you to constantly clean the bronchi, removing all unnecessary. And the cough completes the cleansing process, because it is thanks to it that either foreign bodies, or sputum, or mucus containing dust particles are pushed out - in a word, everything that prevents the bronchi from functioning normally. Investigator - we can say that the cough is a reflex mechanical protective process, which contributes to the cure and which, therefore, should not always be suppressed.

However, a cough can equally indicate a special sensitivity of the bronchi to certain pathogens that come into contact with them. And if a cough of this kind often recurs, then it should be stubbornly and vigorously treated.

Cough is the main symptom of a number of bronchopulmonary diseases, but you need to be able to distinguish one of its varieties from another.

The cough may be dry (unproductive). Such a cough affects only the upper respiratory tract (throat, larynx, trachea).

But it can become wet (productive) if accompanied by expectoration of sputum. This indicates that the disease has spread to the lower respiratory tract, i.e. to the bronchi.

The tone of the cough may vary depending on the nature of the disease: with tracheitis it will be hoarse, and with laryngitis it will be “barking” (similar to the barking of a puppy). ". The frequency of coughing fits can also be one of the symptoms. Infrequent coughing fits (sometimes occurring during the day), sometimes expressed in a normal cough, do not require that the same Urgent measures as in recurrent attacks.

Convulsive (convulsive) cough, as a rule, the child endures with great difficulty. Attacks can last from a few seconds to 10-15 minutes, depending on which parts of the respiratory system are affected.

The child may have a cough different time- and this is also a symptom. Coughing during the day and coughing at night are signs various diseases.

A seasonal cough, as well as a cough that occurs when moving from an area with clean air to another where environmental conditions are worse, should suggest some kind of asthma-like illness. The same applies to spasmodic cough. Cough that occurs only when moving to the supine position (in an infant of the first year of life) may be a sign that the child has gastroesophageal reflux.

In order to make a more accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to look closely at what are additional symptoms. So, when coughing, you should definitely measure the temperature (preferably every 3 hours) and record the thermometer readings. In addition, if a child has purulent discharge from the nose, this should also not be ignored. Skin rashes should also alert parents, because in this case we are most likely talking about a viral infection.

We must always remember that most of infectious diseases respiratory tract - viral origin, so you can do without antibiotic therapy. But a viral infection most often passes into a bacterial one or is supplemented by it. So anyway, no medicines Do not use without consulting a doctor!

If the baby simply “flows” from the nose (the discharge is liquid and light), the temperature is normal, and the dry and rarely occurring cough during the day turns into a wet cough a few days later, it is necessary to rinse the child’s nose saline(salt water) and thus clear the upper respiratory tract.

With frequent bouts of dry cough, expectorants are used (usually they are produced for children in the form of delicious syrups). But at wet cough it is not worth giving drugs that stop the attack, because by doing this you will deprive the child of the opportunity to get rid of sputum (either by swallowing it or spitting it out), and therefore freeing the airways from it.

Parents should understand that the baby is not able to blow his nose or spit out sputum on his own to clear the airways. Therefore, they must learn to rinse his nose with a special solution, and if this is not enough, to pull out the snot with a device designed for this, resembling a small enema (you can buy it at a pharmacy or in a store that sells goods for newborn care). In addition, you can thin the bronchial secretions (and thereby promote its release) with the help of expectorants. And for those cases when the bronchi are heavily clogged with mucus and it is difficult for the child to breathe, massage techniques and complexes have been developed. exercise. And all these parents are advised to master in a timely manner.

It should also be remembered about the “little tricks” that can improve the condition of a sick baby: sometimes it is enough to humidify the air in the room, slightly lower the air temperature in it, hold the child in a warm bath longer twice a day. If the general condition of the child is not too severe, and it is not cold and damp outside, there are no contraindications for walking.

Causes of a cough in a child

Causes of cough vary depending on whether the symptoms are acute (less than 4 weeks) or chronic.

At acute cough the most common cause is viral infections upper divisions respiratory tract.

For chronic cough, the most common causes are:

• asthma (most common);
• gastroesophageal reflux disease;
• postnasal drip.

Foreign body aspiration and diseases such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia are less common, although they can all lead to a persistent cough.

Spicy:

Chronic:

When to See a Doctor...

While your baby is considered a newborn, i.e. in the first months of life.

When a child coughs, the temperature rises and the discharge from the nose becomes greenish, purulent.

When coughing fits are too frequent (even at normal temperature).

When a child does not tolerate a cough, the attacks are painful for him, accompanied by nausea (sometimes they can cause vomiting).

When suffocation, difficulty in inhaling or exhaling join the coughing fits.

When, due to coughing, the baby cannot sleep or seizures prevent him from eating normally.

When, in addition to coughing, there are also skin rashes, the temperature rises and other signs of deterioration in the general condition of the baby are observed.

How to determine the disease by the nature of the cough?

Rhinopharyngitis: dry cough, but soon turning into a wet, attacks are not too frequent.

Laryngitis: "barking" cough, wheezing.

Bronchitis: moist cough.

Tracheitis(or spasmodic cough): a hoarse cough that begins when the child is laid down.

Whooping cough: attacks of hoarse convulsive cough, accompanied by suffocation (the child suffocates and turns blue).

Increased excitability of the bronchi: dry cough with recurring bouts that occurs with the slightest physical effort or with the usual runny nose, or with bronchitis.

Gastroesophageal reflux: hoarse cough that occurs some time after eating, especially if the child is laid down.

Foreign body in the airways: sudden attack of convulsive cough, in which all its types are mixed, incessant change in the timbre of the cough. Most often this happens during a meal or during a game.

Assessing a child's cough

Story. The medical history should cover the duration and quality of the cough (barking, harsh dry, paroxysmal), its onset (acute or chronic). The doctor should ask about accompanying symptoms, some of which are common (eg, runny nose, sore throat, fever). Other related symptoms point to a cause and include headache, itchy eyes and sore throat (postnasal drip); wheezing and cough with tension (asthma); night sweats (tuberculosis); gagging after a violent bout of coughing, spitting up after a feed, or obvious discomfort or arching while lying down (GERD). For children 6 months to 4 years of age, parents and older siblings should be asked about the possibility of foreign body aspiration, access to small objects, and consumption of small, smooth foods (eg, peanuts, grapes).

Review of systems should identify symptoms of possible causes, including abdominal pain (some bacterial pneumonias), weight loss or poor weight gain, foul-smelling stools (cystic fibrosis), and muscle soreness (possibly associated with viral disease or SARS but usually not with bacterial pneumonia).

Story past illnesses should cover recent respiratory infections, recurrent pneumonias, a known history of allergies or asthma, risk factors for developing tuberculosis (eg, contact with a person with or suspected of having tuberculosis infection, time in prison, HIV infection, travel or immigration from countries endemic for this infection) and exposure to respiratory irritants.

Physical examination. Vital signs including respiratory rate, temperature and O 2 saturation should be assessed. Signs of respiratory distress (eg, nasal burning, intercostal retractions, cyanosis, groaning, stridor, severe anxiety) should be recorded.

Examination of the head and neck should be aimed at identifying the presence and amount of nasal discharge and the condition of the turbinates (pale, flabby, or inflamed). The pharynx should be checked for postnasal drip.

The neck and supraclavicular areas should be examined and palpated for lymphadenopathy.

Evaluation of the lungs focuses on the presence of stridor, wheezing, wheezing, dry rales, decreased breathing, signs of consolidation (eg, egophony, E to A change, dullness on percussion).

Examination of the abdomen should look for pain, especially in the upper quadrants (indicating possible left or right lobe pneumonia).

Evaluation of the extremities should be followed by clubbing or cyanosis of the fingers. nail bed(cystic fibrosis).

Warning Signs. The following signs are of particular concern:

• cyanosis or hypoxia on pulse oximetry,
• stridor,
• respiratory failure,
• toxic manifestations,
• abnormal lung examination results.

Interpretation of results. Clinical manifestations often point to specific causes; distinguishing between acute and chronic cough is particularly useful.

Other cough characteristics are important but less specific. Barki's cough suggests croup or tracheitis and may also be characteristic of a psychogenic cough or cough after a respiratory infection. A staccato cough is consistent with viral or SARS. Paroxysmal cough is characteristic of whooping cough or some viral pneumonia(adenoviral). Developmental delay or weight loss can occur with tuberculosis or cystic fibrosis. A nocturnal cough may indicate postnasal drip or asthma. Cough at the beginning of sleep and in the morning on waking usually indicates sinusitis; coughing in the middle of the night is more consistent with asthma. Sudden cough in young children in the absence of fever or symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections should raise the suspicion of foreign body aspiration.

Testing. Children with warning signs should receive pulse oximetry and a chest x-ray, as should children with prolonged symptoms (eg, more than 4 weeks) or deterioration.

Children with stridor, drooling, fever, and marked restlessness should be evaluated for epiglotitis, usually in the operating room by a laryngologist who is ready to immediately insert an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube.

Children with repeated episodes of pneumonia, poor growth, or foul-smelling stools should have a chest x-ray and a sweat test for cystic fibrosis.

Acute cough in children with symptoms of upper respiratory infections and no warning signs is usually caused by a viral infection, and testing is rarely indicated. Many children without dangerous symptoms make a presumptive diagnosis based on history taking and medical examination. In such cases, testing is not mandatory, but if empiric treatment was initiated but was not successful, testing may be necessary. For example, if allergic sinusitis is suspected and treated antihistamine that does not relieve symptoms, a CT scan of the head may be needed for further evaluation. Suspected GERD not responding to H2 blocker treatment may require pH testing and swallowing assessment.

What to do when coughing?

A dry cough (accompanied by a runny nose), turning into a wet one for several days, but remaining predominantly daytime, should not cause much excitement. Simple measures are recommended to eliminate symptoms: cleaning the nose, if necessary, expectorants (herbs, syrups, etc.).

A "barking" cough that occurs near midnight, accompanied by labored wheezing - all these signs help to immediately recognize acute laryngitis (or false croup). You should immediately take the child to the bathroom and hold him over a washbasin filled with very hot water(steam comes from it!). Sometimes this is enough; to stop the attack. If this does not happen, immediately call " ambulance". The doctor will use strong anti-inflammatory drugs, most likely corticosteroids. Such drugs act quickly, and if after half an hour it turns out that the child has not improved, he must be hospitalized for sure.

Wet cough in the evening or at dawn (and besides, during the day the child coughs) for several days Suggests that the baby has bronchitis. It is urgent to show it to the doctor, especially if the coughing fits become more frequent and the temperature rises.

A hoarse cough of a spasmodic nature, convulsive, accompanied by the fact that the baby "flows" from the nose, breathing becomes wheezing and difficult (especially with difficult exhalation and signs of suffocation), makes one suspect the presence of bronchiolitis and requires immediate medical consultation. Spasmodic cough, hoarse, convulsive, appearing in one year old baby mainly in the supine position, rarely occurring during the day, should suggest that it is tracheitis, i.e. inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. It is recommended to raise the child higher and apply the most simple ways treatment (cough syrup, expectorants), and if this does not help, you need to show the baby to the pediatrician.

Coughing attacks with suffocation, observed throughout the day, at normal or elevated temperatures, ending with a characteristic sound reminiscent of a rooster crowing, make it possible to suspect a disease, in everyday life called false, croup, and in the language of medicine - acute laryngitis pertussis type. Urgent examination of the child by a pediatrician and vigorous therapeutic measures are necessary.

A hoarse cough that occurs regularly at certain hours of the night (about 11 p.m. or before dawn) during the first months of a child's life or, in any case, up to a year, often indicates that he has, regardless of whether the attack is accompanied by habitual vomiting or not, gastroesophageal reflux.

Spasmodic cough that occurs with a runny nose or after bronchiolitis should be considered as a sign of excessive excitability of the bronchi. To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, it is necessary to apply preventive measures and preventive therapy prescribed by the attending physician.

A wet cough with bronchial obstruction associated with gastroesophageal reflux suggests that not only should the reflux itself be treated, but breathing exercises and physiotherapy, at least 1-2 sessions per week.

"Coughing" - a cough (usually beginning during play) in which the child's complexion changes (cyanosis appears), and then during long period there is a lung dry cough, makes us suspect that a foreign body has penetrated into the child's airways, which he has not been able to "cough up" out. The same phenomenon can be observed while eating, if a piece of food or a sip of liquid "hit the wrong throat." It is urgent to take the child to an appointment with an otolaryngologist in order to perform an endoscopic examination.

What to avoid if a child has a cough

To think that a child is seriously ill if he often has nasopharyngitis, accompanied by a cough, but without bronchitis and otitis media.

In general, if your child is constantly in children's team and acquires immunity in contact with other children, you have nothing to worry about (as well as if your child is brought up at home, but he has brothers and sisters who go to Kindergarten or school).

Trying to treat a recurring cough on your own, claiming that "now everything is exactly the same as last time."

To do so is to get rid of the symptom without finding out the cause of its occurrence!

Assert that a sneezing newborn coughs.

Nothing like that: sneezing is for him the only possibility blow your nose, clear your nose.

Ignore coughing when it looks like a foreign body has entered the airways or food has “gotten down the wrong throat”.

First of all, you need to make sure that this did not happen, that neither small objects nor pieces of food could penetrate the bronchi. If necessary, you need to quickly take an x-ray, and sometimes a bronchoscopy (this study allows you to see the bronchi from the inside with a special probe and make sure that there are no foreign bodies in the upper respiratory tract).

Call asthma excessive excitability of the bronchi.

Such a child will not necessarily become asthmatic if preventive measures are taken in a timely manner and general strengthening treatment is started.

Cough is an extremely ambiguous symptom, and different types coughing can be a sign of various diseases. No matter how much parents worry about the fact that the child is coughing, first of all, you should figure out what's wrong. When the cause of the cough is established, one must begin to treat it - on their own (if possible) or resort to the help of a doctor. In the event of a relapse, you need to remember whether the current cough is similar to the one that was already there when the child was sick.

Here are some moments in the life of children associated with coughing.

• You should be serious about any infant cough that is not an isolated case. The most common causes are colds and bronchiolitis, which improve within a few days. It is important to monitor the manifestation of signs of difficulty in breathing and seek medical advice in time. medical care. These signs include not only rapid breathing, especially during sleep, but also retraction of the ribs and sternum (chest).
• Some children cough so hard that they vomit. The contents of the stomach are usually vomited in the form of liquid and food, but vomit can also contain large amounts of mucus, especially during a cold or asthma attack.
• Wheezing is a tense wheezing sound during breathing that occurs when there is airway obstruction in the chest. This is one of the symptoms of asthma, but it can also occur if the child has bronchiolitis, pneumonia, or something else.
• In children with asthma, coughing is often accompanied by shortness of breath and wheezing. This mainly happens during active games or at night. Sometimes you can hear the child coughing, but whistling and wheezing can only be heard by a doctor when listening with a stethoscope. Coughing (and wheezing) usually resolves with asthma medication.
• Most often, the cough worsens at night. A child's nighttime cough may be caused by throat irritation or a sinus infection. Another cause of night cough is sometimes asthma.
• The child has sudden cough may start simply because the child is choking. This means that some food or liquid goes down the wrong throat and ends up in the lungs. Coughing will help clear your airways. However, if the cough does not stop within a few minutes, or if the child has difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention. Don't try to put your fingers in your child's mouth and clear their throat, as you can only push the food or whatever is causing the obstruction further.

When Should You Call Your Pediatrician?

An infant under two months of age who starts coughing should be seen by a doctor. If your infant or older child starts coughing, call your doctor when:

• coughing makes it difficult for the child to breathe;
• the child has a painful incessant cough, accompanied by increased convulsive breaths, vomiting or blue skin;
• cough does not stop after a week;
• cough begins suddenly against the background of the child's high temperature;
• cough begins after the child chokes on food or other object.

The pediatrician will try to determine the cause of the baby's cough. If the cough is caused by a health problem (other than colds or influenza), such as a bacterial infection or asthma, it must be treated. In some cases, when the cause of a chronic cough cannot be determined, further tests may be needed, such as a chest x-ray or skin test for the presence of tuberculosis.

Treating a cough in a child

The choice of treatment depends on the cause of the cough. But whatever the reason, extra fluid never hurts. Your child may feel better, especially at night, if you increase the humidity with a humidifier or spray bottle.

Humidifier powered by cold water, is as effective as a spray gun powered by hot water. In addition, a cold water humidifier is considered safer if accidentally dropped. However, be sure to thoroughly rinse the instrument. detergent and water every morning so that it does not become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria or fungi.

Be sure to check with your pediatrician before giving your child any cough medicine.

Treatment consists of treating the underlying disorder. For example, antibiotics should be given for bacterial pneumonia; bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs - in the treatment of asthma. Children with viral infections should receive maintenance therapy, incl. O 2 and bronchodilators as needed.

There is little evidence to support the use of antitussive and mucolytic drugs. The use of non-specific cough suppressants in children is not recommended.