Dry cough in a child. Hard cough in a child treatment Rough wet cough in a child

The child's health is the first thing parents should be concerned about, and of course, when the baby is having difficulty breathing, help must be provided. It is best that this be the help of a qualified medical professional, but sometimes you can help the patient cope with such problems on their own.

Description

For a child, the respiratory process is considered normal when inhalation is heard, but exhalation is not.

Due to fluctuations in the alveoli (structures that participate in the act of breathing and carry out gas exchange with the capillaries of the lungs) in children aged six months to 7 years, breathing can be puerile, i.e., differ from the breathing of healthy adults more significantly and continuous noise during exhalation.

It is not a disease or any pathology if there are no other symptoms of lung damage. These are features of the physiological development of the respiratory tract of the child.

And, as a rule, over time, the baby gets rid of such hard breathing on its own, without any intervention. However, if hard breathing is accompanied by a list of other symptoms, this is a signal that something is not right with the body and then the help of a specialist is required.

Did you know?The fact that your baby breathes through his mouth instead of his nose can lead to a series of problems: contraction of the jaw, as a result of which the child’s teeth may begin to grow crookedly, lisping, incontinence during the night.

Symptoms

We found that up to a certain age, hard breathing in children is considered normal in the absence of other symptoms. However, wheezing or too loud sounds when exhaling can indicate serious illness and be just one of many symptoms.

Among the ailments, the appearance and development of which may indicate the phenomenon in question, we can name the following:

• progressive . This disease is diagnosed if, in addition to shortness of breath, hyperthermia and wheezing are observed;
• if hard breathing is accompanied by asthma attacks, shortness of breath, the patient's condition deteriorates sharply after physical exertion;
• trauma to the nose or (enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsil);
• if there is swelling of the nasal mucosa or respiratory tract;
• hard breathing can also signal that the child has a bacterial or viral infection: the flu, etc.

Diagnostics

If you notice that the child makes unusual sounds when exhaling, you should contact your pediatrician. The doctor, first of all, should listen to the baby with a phonendoscope and check for wheezing.
During the examination, the doctor should determine:

• nature of breathing;
• volume;
• Spread;
• whether wheezing and/or shortness of breath is present.

If there is no wheezing, shortness of breath, cough and fever, allergy tests should be done to find out if an allergy is the cause of hard breathing. If there is coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath, an X-ray of the lungs should be taken.

Causes of hard breathing

The most common factors contributing to the appearance of this disease in children:

• a sharp change in air temperature from low to high;
• insufficiently humid air in the baby's room;
• lack of walks in the fresh air;
• lack of drinking;
• chemical irritants;
• chronic form of respiratory tract infection;
• exposure to allergens or other pathogens.

+ and cough

If hard breathing is accompanied by a cough, most likely, the reason lies in the fact that the baby has recently had ARVI, and all the mucus has not yet come out of the bronchi.

Colds in children are often the result of the fact that the child is cold, as a result of which immunity decreases, the body weakens and the infection quickly spreads in it, causing inflammation in the bronchi with increased secretion of sputum. Then, when listening to the lungs, wheezing is heard.

+ and temperature

If noises during the respiratory process in a child are accompanied by fever in the range of 36.5-37.6 ° C, drowsiness, loss of appetite, general fatigue, the presence of inflammatory diseases can be suspected.

A temperature above 37.6 ° C indicates serious problems in the body, the nature and nature of which must be determined by the doctor. In this case, medical treatment under the supervision of a qualified specialist is necessary.

+ and absence (without) temperature

Since an elevated human body temperature is a signal from our body that there are malfunctions, at a normal temperature in a child with hard breathing, you should not be nervous.

Did you know?The temperature of the human body is not the same in different areas: the temperature in the mouth is often half a degree lower than the temperature measured in the rectum. The readings of the thermometer, with which the temperature in the right armpit was measured, may differ from the readings of the thermometer after measuring the temperature in the left armpit of the same person (most often on the left by 0.1-0.3°C above).

When to Seek Professional Help

By itself, hard breathing does not require qualified assistance, but if it is accompanied by a cough with hyperthermia, or just hyperthermia, you should contact the doctors.

If you hear a noise while the child exhales and notice that the timbre of the child's voice has changed to a lower one, you may suspect the presence of bronchitis or bronchopneumonia. In this case, you also need to go to the doctor.

Treatment

In order to cure hard breathing in a child, you must first determine what it is causing, because it can be either just a physiological feature of the child's body or a consequence of SARS, or a symptom of some more serious disease.

Folk remedies

Non-pharmacological methods for the treatment of hard breathing time, accompanied by a cough, involve the use of infusions of medicinal plants, for example, marshmallow root or licorice, peppermint or psyllium leaves. This method is applicable for children aged from one to 10 years.

Important!Before giving the baby an infusion from any plant, you need to make sure that the child is not allergic to it and consult a doctor, otherwise you may harm your child.

Banana puree with honey diluted with boiled water or figs boiled in milk also helps to get rid of cough. It is necessary to give such a folk medicine to a baby 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

If, along with hard breathing, wheezing is observed in a child, it is necessary to be treated with herbal preparations (ledum, plantain, coltsfoot).

medicines

Diseases such as bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, bronchial asthma, etc., especially when other symptoms include fever, must be treated with medicines, because when trying to help a sick child with folk methods, you can only start the disease until complications appear, from which then it will be difficult to get rid of even with the help of special preparations.

Medicines should be chosen depending on what led to hard breathing, what disease the child has and at what stage of development. As a rule, in the early stages, these are either drugs, pills or which the doctor must prescribe. It is better for the child not to choose the medicines himself.

Under the supervision of a doctor

This is the most effective and safest way to treat a child, because by self-treatment, a non-professional can harm the patient and only aggravate his condition.

It is better to seek help from a pediatrician or an otolaryngologist. He will conduct a thorough examination of the child and, depending on what is wrong in his body, prescribe treatment, which may consist of both folk methods and drug therapy.

The doctor will definitely prescribe a second appointment to make sure that the treatment was successful or prescribe other drugs if your child's condition has not improved.

In the event that hard breathing is not accompanied by any other symptoms and a specific disease has not been diagnosed, the doctor may not prescribe drugs for treatment, but simply advise you to walk with the baby more often, ventilate his room and maintain moisture in it.

Important!If the baby is breathing hard or coughing, give him plenty of warm water, as it helps to remove mucus that has accumulated in the bronchi from the body.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

One of the most famous children's doctors in the CIS countries - Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky - points to the cause of hard breathing: it is inflammation that affects the airways.

Thus, the volume of expiration, which is not heard at all in the normal state of the respiratory tract, becomes the same as the volume of inspiration. This breathing, in which both inhalation and exhalation are equally audible, the doctor calls hard.

According to Yevgeny Olegovich, hard breathing is one of the consequences of an acute respiratory viral infection, when almost all the symptoms have already gone, but due to dry mucus, which makes the surface of the bronchi uneven, there is noise during the exit.

Video: causes of difficulty breathing in a child It is not difficult to deal with this "ailment". Dr. Komarovsky recommends walking more, moisturizing and ventilating the child's room, and not stuffing him with medicines, then hard breathing will go away on its own with time.

Thus, tightened breathing in your child may be a temporary phenomenon, provoked by the peculiarities of the development of the baby's body. If it is not aggravated by signs that can diagnose a more serious illness, the condition most likely does not require treatment.

But if, in addition to the noise manifested during the exhalation of air, the baby has hyperthermia, wheezing, coughing, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment prescribed by the doctor.

Harsh breathing in a child should not normally occur. If this symptom has developed, this indicates a pathological process in the respiratory tract. The severity of this condition and its danger to health depends on the accompanying symptoms - cough, pulmonary insufficiency, swelling, the degree of inflammation of the mucous membrane.

The mechanism and causes of hard breathing

During physiological breathing, the circulation of air in the lower respiratory tract creates certain noises. This is due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure. On auscultation, a breath of air is always audible. In this case, the exhalation remains soundless. The amount of air exhaled is three times less than inhaled.

The volume level of noises that harden breathing depends on the degree of inflammation in the bronchial tree. During illness, you can always hear the exhalation of air from the lungs. The act of breathing becomes equally loud.

The appearance of stiffness contributes to the accumulation of pathological exudate in the bronchi. Dry mucus forms irregularities on the inner surface of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, which creates noise. If there is little sputum, the pediatrician hears only stiffness, if there is a lot, they join with different intensity.

Causes of the symptom:

• residual effects after a respiratory infection (ARVI, influenza);
• bronchitis - acute, chronic, obstructive;
• allergic edema of the mucous membrane of the respiratory system;
• contact with the mucous membrane of chemical irritants;
• aspiration of the respiratory tract (getting the contents of the stomach through the esophagus into the bronchi);
• the presence of a foreign body;
• childhood infectious diseases - whooping cough, chickenpox, measles, false croup against the background of laryngitis, scarlet fever;
• bronchial asthma;
• adenoids 2-3 degrees.

In children, inhalation and exhalation may become harder when the body temperature rises to 38°C or more. With insufficient breathing, stiffness appears after physical exertion or sports.

Violation of inhalation-exhalation is manifested after injuries in the face, chest, with anomalies of the anatomical structure - curvature of the nasal septum, defects of the larynx, trachea, and lungs. Impaired breathing occurs with a diaphragmatic hernia, esophageal atresia (a severe birth defect in a child, in which the esophagus has no exit and ends blindly).

Harsh breathing in newborns and infants in the first months of life is the norm. This is due to the immaturity of the respiratory system and the process of opening the lungs.

Clinical manifestations of hard breathing

If heavy breathing is not accompanied by a cough, this means that the child's condition does not cause concern. This happens after a viral infection in the autumn-winter period, when the situation is aggravated by cold air and reduced immunity. In this case, the general condition of the baby is satisfactory, sleep, appetite, physical activity, and psychological balance are not disturbed.

In the presence of a serious pathology in the body against the background of respiratory failure, the development of a hard cough is observed. This condition is typical for acute inflammatory processes of the bronchi and lungs, exacerbation of chronic diseases, childhood infections, bronchial asthma.

Characteristic signs of deterioration in the general condition and progression of the disease:

• unstable intermittent breathing;
• unevenness between inhalation and exhalation;
• spastic attacks of suffocation in the chest;
• short-term cessation of breathing (apnea);
• severe, unrelieved, dry cough;
• cyanosis of the skin of the nasolabial triangle;
• loss of voice, hoarseness, hissing.

In an infant under 1.5 years of age, hard breathing may be associated with increased elasticity of the airway epithelium. Over time, the cartilaginous tissue of the larynx thickens, and additional sounds during inhalation disappear on their own. If bronchial noises are suspicious, it is better to call a pediatrician at home for examination and consultation.

If a child’s hard breathing is accompanied by increasing suffocation, continuous coughing for 2 hours, hoarseness appears, body temperature rises, and all these symptoms increase in the evening, then diagnosis for bronchial asthma is necessary.

Distinctive signs of the development of pneumonia are hardness and heaviness of breathing with retraction of the intercostal spaces, a persistent increase in body temperature, and increased sweating at night.

How to treat illness in children

If a child’s respiratory failure is associated with residual effects after a cold, pharmacological preparations are not needed. To cure the baby, it is enough to properly organize the daily routine:

• a complete and varied diet, enriched with proteins, vitamins, fiber;
• daily walks in the fresh air for at least an hour 2 times a day, except when there are severe frosts outside, cold autumn rains;
• ensuring the correct microclimate in the children's room - air temperature 18-20 ° C, humidity 50-70%;
• daily wet cleaning of the premises;
• quality night and day sleep.

If hard breathing is associated with a disease of the broncho-pulmonary system, drug treatment is prescribed in accordance with the diagnosis.

With obstruction of the bronchial tree, children are prescribed mucolytic (expectorant) drugs. They not only contribute to the evacuation of mucus, but also relieve the severity of the inflammatory process, eliminate epithelial edema, and alleviate the condition with a dry cough.

Names of expectorants used in the treatment of children:

• Erespal;
• Ascoril;
• ACC (acetylcysteine);
• Herbion;
• Bronchicum;
• Stoptussin;
• Doctor Mom;
• Dr Theiss.

To eliminate hard breathing and asthma attacks in bronchial asthma, inhalations with bronchodilators are prescribed - Salbutamol, Berodual, Fenoterol, Berotek.

Simultaneously, symptomatic treatment is carried out. At elevated temperatures, children under 2 years of age are given antipyretics based on ibuprofen, after 2 years paracetamol can be used. To reduce inflammation and pain in the chest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed - Ibuprofen, Nimesulide, Nimesil.

Children over 3 years old can take teas and decoctions from medicinal herbs.. Effectively soften the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and facilitate breathing such plants - plantain, licorice, figs, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, linden, thyme.

Harsh breathing in a child is a symptom that requires monitoring. In case of deterioration of the condition, it is necessary to carry out physical, instrumental and laboratory diagnostics. With timely and adequate treatment, the rigidity of inhalation or exhalation does not pose a threat to the life of the baby.

Such an unpleasant phenomenon as a cough is familiar to every person. He can be completely harmless. Arise as a single act, which serves to clear the throat and respiratory tract from accidental ingestion of the smallest foreign particles, dust, water droplets. In that case, there is nothing to worry about.

However, sometimes reflex spasms of the diaphragm may not be fleeting, but severe, hard, persistent. If this is so, then there is no need to suffer from an unpleasant phenomenon and wait for it to pass by itself. The right decision would be to go to the hospital to see a general practitioner or pediatrician. An experienced specialist will establish: why a hard cough arose, how to treat an ailment, how to alleviate the suffering of a patient. After that, it remains only to strictly follow all medical prescriptions and wait for relief.

Why is it necessary to treat a hard cough?

Heavy reflex exhalations are almost certainly companions of serious diseases. When they occur, you can not do nothing. If persistent cough is observed, its treatment should be started as soon as possible. After all, an unpleasant phenomenon can be a messenger of such serious pathologies as:

• Bronchial asthma.
• Pneumonia.
• Tuberculosis.
• cardiac dysfunction.

Even if the cause of a hard cough is a less serious illness, in no case should the moment of effectively starting treatment be missed and nothing should be done. The fight against the symptom should be timely, since the consequences of inaction can be fraught with complications, the development of the disease into a more severe form.

What are the features in the treatment of hard cough?

When dealing with persistent reflex spasms of the airways, there are some nuances:

How to treat a hard cough?

The choice of methods and ways to deal with severe persistent reflex spasms of the respiratory tract is quite diverse. Most often these are: medicines, herbs, products, compresses, inhalations, warming up and other available, simple techniques. How to treat a hard cough, what means to use only the doctor decides.

Medications are used in the form of syrups, tablets, mixtures. Medicines such as:

• Broncholitin.
• Lazolvan.
• Mukoltin.
• Bromhexine.
• Ambroxol.

Before treating a terrible cough with a particular pharmaceutical preparation, you must carefully read the contraindications and side effects. At the doctor's appointment, it is necessary to dedicate it to the features of your physical condition, mention the presence of allergies, and other individual characteristics. If everything is fine, then you can safely start taking medication. If there are certain restrictions, then you should consider how to treat a severe cough with other methods.

However, even if medication is not limited in any way, pharmaceuticals alone are not enough. Folk remedies are great help:

• Drinking milk with honey, decoctions of herbs, viburnum, rose hips, mint, raspberries, thyme, sage.
• Warming the feet in water with mustard.
• Rubbing the chest with animal fat.
• Eating radish with honey.

And these are just a few methods taken from centuries-old folk experience.

Also, inhalation gives an excellent effect in the fight against a heavy, hard cough. They can be done with the help of special devices - nebulizers, into which therapeutic solutions are poured. However, even if there is no inhaler, it does not matter. Old proven methods using a saucepan or kettle are also quite effective. Inhaling the steam of boiled potatoes for 10 minutes over several days is a great help in combating an unpleasant symptom.

The use of compresses has long established itself as one of the most effective methods of dealing with a hard cough. The application of warming bandages does not require any special skills or the availability of expensive drugs. As a remedy, potatoes, cottage cheese, vodka, cabbage, honey are perfect.

In addition to the above remedies, in the treatment of hard cough, experts recommend the inclusion of milk porridges, mashed potatoes, chicken broths in the diet, the constant use of fluids in large quantities, as well as the use of various vitamin supplements.

Regularly applying all the doctor's prescriptions, including these methods of treatment, you can successfully cope with a hard cough and quickly regain your good health.

Coughing is a normal physiological reaction of the body, designed to clear the airways of foreign substances, mucus and other things. Cough serves as a protective reaction of the body to the penetration of foreign objects into the respiratory tract and in case of damage to the mucous membrane.

A strong cough is a symptom of many diseases. Often in young children there is a rough cough with "barking" sounds. Some serious illnesses can cause a barking cough without fever in a child. Therefore, it is necessary to know what kind of diseases such a reaction can be signs of.

With inflammation and swelling of the larynx, the vocal cords are affected. The voice becomes low and hoarse or disappears altogether. The sounds made when coughing in this state become rough and staccato, like a dog barking. Therefore, such a cough is called barking.

A barking cough in children is usually dry, painful, the sputum contained does not go away, and may be accompanied by vomiting. At the same time, the child’s sleep and his general well-being are disturbed.

Such a cough is often exacerbated at night, because in the supine position, blood circulation changes, sputum comes out worse, mucous membranes can dry out, especially if the air in the room is dry.

The cause of a barking cough can be both a cold and viral and infectious diseases.

Sometimes this condition can be the result of an allergic reaction or other disorders. It happens that the child, it would seem, suddenly woke up with such symptoms.

Cough with fever

If the temperature is elevated during a barking cough, then this indicates a viral disease or a childhood infectious disease.

The most common childhood cough-related illnesses are whooping cough, parapertussis and diphtheria. Thanks to vaccination, diphtheria is now very rare. But whooping cough and parawhooping cough are not rare.

Especially if the parents refuse to vaccinate the child. Vaccinated children also sometimes get sick, but in a milder, non-dangerous form and recover faster.

It is urgent to consult a doctor if there is a characteristic cough. The temperature in this disease is at the initial stage, and then it can go down. Whooping cough and parawhooping cough require special treatment.

With SARS, a barking cough can also be observed quite often. At the same time, the baby has a fever, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat. Acute otitis media may occur.

The presence of cough in ARVI is associated with damage to the mucous membrane of the upper and lower respiratory tract by viruses. At the same time, the reflex endings are irritated, and a cough begins. Inflammation of the throat, larynx and trachea causes them to swell, so the cough becomes barking.

Often in children there is a so-called false croup syndrome. Against the background of inflammation of the larynx in the region of the vocal cords, a narrowing of the lumen occurs and difficulty breathing appears, the child coughs and suffocates. This condition requires urgent medical attention.

Most often, the development of croup occurs at night, when the child is lying down. Therefore, if a child has signs of laryngitis, then it is necessary to provide him with conditions at night so that croup does not occur (cool, moist air, drink plenty of water).

With SARS, mucus can accumulate in the bronchi. The accumulation and weak expectoration of sputum in acute bronchitis and pneumonia also causes an unproductive exhausting cough in the child.

Dry cough at elevated temperature can develop against the background of bronchitis, acute laryngitis, tracheitis, both viral and secondary bacterial. So, with mechanical damage to the larynx or pharynx, infection with pathogenic microorganisms can occur and a bacterial complication can develop.

Cough can also cause rhinosinusitis, when mucus flows down the back of the nasopharynx and causes irritation.

Cough without fever

If there is no fever with a barking cough, but there are general symptoms of the disease, then various infections can also cause it. Such a cough can occur with the development of chronic respiratory diseases, other pathologies.

A barking cough can be caused by an allergy to dust, animal hair, and other allergens. They irritate the respiratory mucosa and cause an unproductive dry cough. This condition requires not only treatment, but also the elimination of the allergen. Allergic cough can lead to chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

Sometimes with allergies, swelling of the larynx can occur. It should be noted that in a child of early years of life, the lumen of the larynx is much smaller than in an adult. Therefore, any allergic reaction can provoke swelling of the larynx and its complete overlap.

At the same time, the child begins to suffocate, his voice sits down and his voice disappears, the cough becomes hoarse, intermittent. It is urgent to take action, as this situation is life-threatening.

A dry barking cough, sometimes with signs of choking, in the absence of a high temperature, can be caused by such problems:

1. 1. Nonspecific course of infectious diseases

SARS, whooping cough and others.

1. 1. Chronic diseases of the respiratory system

Chronic bronchitis, asthma and others.

1. 1. allergic reactions
   2. Respiratory neurosis

This is a psychological disease in which a dry cough occurs.

1. Neurological pathologies
2. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
3. Tumors and cysts of the larynx

In any case, before starting the treatment of a child with any drugs, it is necessary to seek the advice of a doctor who will establish an accurate diagnosis. Often, it is not cough treatment that is required, but the elimination of the cause of its occurrence.

How to help a child

If the child has a dry, rough cough, and a little later he began to choke, then, first of all, it is necessary to call an ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors, you can help the child like this:

• • provide access to fresh air to the child

Loosen clothing that makes it difficult to breathe.

• • comfortable seat, give a drink

Better warm sweet tea.

• • if an allergic reaction is suspected, give an antihistamine
  • organize humid air in the room

Humidity is from 50% to 70%, and the temperature is 18-21 degrees so that the mucus does not dry out and it is easier to breathe.

• • If the room is warm and there is no way to lower the temperature, there is no humidifier, then you can go to the bathroom, turn on the cold water faucet and keep the child close

The steam must not be hot!

• If there is a fever, give an antipyretic
• If you have an inhaler, you can inhale with mineral water

Or just with saline (meaning cold inhalation).

The emergency doctor, if the attack does not stop, makes an injection of a glucocorticosteroid drug, which has an anti-shock, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effect. If necessary, hospitalization is provided.

Further assistance depends on the causes of the situation.

The reasons

The appearance of a barking cough in a baby can be caused by such problems:

• • Laryngitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis

Or their combination, wearing a viral or bacterial nature.

• • Bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis
  • pneumonia
  • Children's infectious diseases

Whooping cough, parapertussis, diphtheria.

• • Allergic reactions
  • neuroses

Or other functional disorders.

• Foreign object inhalation

Thus, before starting the treatment of a cough or an asthma attack that occurs against its background, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence.

How and what to treat

Treatment for a barking cough depends on the underlying cause. Medical treatment, physiotherapy, herbal treatment and folk methods are used. In any case, the doctor should prescribe treatment. Even when using folk remedies with a rare cough, you must first consult with a pediatrician.

Medications

When treating in childhood, it is convenient to use drugs in the form of mixtures and syrups.

With ARVI, if the cough is against the background of a runny nose, vasoconstrictors are prescribed. Prescribe antiviral therapy.

Antibiotics are indicated only if there are signs of a bacterial infection.

It is important to create suitable conditions for recovery: moisturizing, ionization, ventilation, drinking plenty of water.

With a barking cough, it is important that it becomes wet. To thin the mucus and to restore the mucous membranes of the bronchi and trachea, expectorants and mucolytics are prescribed. Most often used:

• acetylcysteine ​​(ACC, Fluimucil);
• ambroxol (Ambrobene, Lazolvan,);
• bromhexine (Bronchosan, Nycomed).

With an allergic barking cough, treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms of an allergy. Antihistamines are used. Sometimes the use of hormonal glucocorticosteroids is indicated.

Good for treating cough help inhalation with a nebulizer. To do this, use special solutions of drugs.

Folk remedies

You can also use folk remedies in the treatment of cough. To do this, use tinctures, compresses, steam inhalations based on medicinal herbs. Their action is aimed at restoring the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, relieving inflammation, thinning and removing sputum.

The most widely used are such herbs: marshmallow, plantain, linden, licorice, pine buds and others.

In a pharmacy, you can buy a chest collection, consisting of several herbs. They also produce cough syrups based on marshmallow and licorice (Alteika, Licorice Root Syrup).

Instructions for preparing an infusion of herbs are usually attached.

Compresses are made from a cloth soaked in a warm decoction. They are applied in the area of ​​the bronchi and well wrapped.

You can do steam inhalation on a decoction of medicinal herbs.

Often, along with herbs, honey and propolis are used. They can also be used in compresses.

Soda steam inhalations (with the addition of soda to a hot decoction or water) effectively contribute to the discharge of sputum, soften the sore throat.

Attention! Perhaps this is a symptom of a dangerous disease!

A barking sharp cough can signal the occurrence of dangerous diseases: whooping cough, diphtheria, the development of false croup.
Diphtheria is a dangerous infectious disease. Its main danger lies in the fact that the larynx is damaged, it is tightened with a film and the person suffocates.

Before the invention of the diphtheria vaccine, it was one of the leading causes of infant mortality. The condition when the lumen narrows and the access of air is blocked is called croup. At present, thanks to vaccination against diphtheria, it is practically not found.

false croup

Acute inflammation of the larynx, in which its edema occurs, leading to stenosis and obstruction of the upper respiratory tract, is called false croup. False croup is accompanied by a dry rough cough, shortness of breath, wheezing noisy breathing. Often develops within hours, especially rapidly at night. This is its main danger. The main thing is to help the child in time.

Symptoms of laryngitis, which can turn into false croup, look like this:

• hoarse hoarse voice;
• the presence of dry rough cough;
• symptoms of SARS (runny nose, fever, weakness may be);
• difficulty in breathing.

If there are signs of laryngitis, then it is better to be prepared for the occurrence of false croup and know how to help the child. When this condition occurs, it is better to call an ambulance. First aid from parents is described above. The main thing in this situation is to remain calm. Panic can adversely affect the health of the crumbs.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough is another common childhood infectious disease. It is highly contagious. It can be dangerous for its complications, especially for infants. Despite vaccination, whooping cough is still common.
In the presence of this disease, the child has the following symptoms:

• Cough barking, paroxysmal;
• The child suffocates when coughing, vomiting may occur;
• Improvement does not occur for more than two weeks;
• The temperature is raised to 38 degrees, general weakness.

If the child has been vaccinated, then the course of the disease is mild. Cough increases up to 7 days. The duration of the disease is about two weeks. Then the symptoms slowly subside. With a severe course of the disease, coughing attacks increase sharply, there is a risk of complications.

When the eyes hurt and itch, it is very unpleasant. Do you know, ?

A barking cough is not always caused by an infection, it can also be allergic. About what is dangerous and how to make it as effective as possible, read the following article.

Prevention

In order to prevent the recurrence of laryngitis and laryngotracheitis, it is necessary:

• Increased immunity, hardening;
• Compliance with sleep and rest, more walks in the fresh air;
• Normalized nutrition;
• Compliance with the desired temperature and humidity in the room;
• Prevention of SARS;
• Timely treatment of inflammatory diseases.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky - video

Young mothers are very often alarmed by the smallest changes in the behavior of a newborn. Often the cause of maternal anxiety is the hard breathing of the baby. Is it normal? What can it indicate, and what should be done in this case? Let's try to figure it out.

Harsh breathing in a child without coughing

Parents should be aware that the normal breathing of a small child is when inhalation is heard, but exhalation is not. This is the so-called puerile breath. Also called tough. If it is not accompanied by cough and other symptoms, then there is no cause for concern.

Often, the breath of the parents is disturbing that the newborn breathes hoarsely and harshly. However, they should know that not all hard breathing is a pathology. It may be due to the physiological characteristics of the children's respiratory system, which causes respiratory noise. Moreover, the younger the child, the harder his breathing. Breath sounds are produced when air moves through the respiratory tract. In children, these noises have features, because they are associated with the physiological development of the respiratory system. So, in the first months of life, this is the result of underdeveloped alveoli and muscle fibers. Although this phenomenon occurs at the age of one to ten years. Then it disappears.

Hard breathing of a child sometimes occurs with bronchitis or bronchopneumonia. You should consult a doctor if you hear increased noise on exhalation and a rough timbre of the voice. You should also consult a doctor if the child's exhalation has become very audible and noisy. After all, inhalation is an active process, and exhalation does not require body tension and normally occurs involuntarily. The volume of the child's exhalation also changes if there are inflammatory processes in the body that affect the bronchi. Then the exhalation is heard as loudly as the inhalation of air.

Hard breathing and cough in a child

Colds in children are caused by hypothermia - a process that contributes to the development of inflammation in the bronchi. As a result of such hypothermia, immunity is greatly reduced, and the infection spreads throughout the child's body. The inflammatory process begins, as a rule, on the bronchial mucosa. There is increased mucus secretion. When the pediatrician listens to the baby, he has hard breathing. The doctor hears both the inhalation and exhalation of the child. Also, wheezing associated with the formation of sputum appears. At the same time, the cough is first dry, and then wet - as a result of expulsion of sputum.

In most cases, breath sounds with a cough indicate a recent ARVI, when not all mucus has yet been removed from the bronchi.

Hard breathing in a child: causes

First of all, it is worth recalling that the child's immunity is weak, and therefore provoking factors cause diseases in the child's body. What are these factors:

Temperature fluctuations, alternation of cold and hot air.

1. The presence of chemical irritants.
2. The presence of a chronic respiratory tract infection.
3. action of allergens.
4. Usually pathogens enter the body with inhaled air.

Penetrating into the bronchial mucosa, they provoke an acute inflammatory reaction. Sometimes it can be accompanied by both edema and increased bronchial secretion. Young children are difficult to tolerate illness. Therefore, with bronchitis, an acute respiratory failure occurs with its exasperation.

Hard breathing in a child: treatment

Without coughing and fever, such a symptom does not require treatment. It is enough just to walk more in the fresh air, drink more fluids, observe the daily routine. It is important to ventilate and humidify the room where the child stays. And special measures to eliminate respiratory noises are not necessary.

Noticing hard breathing with a cough in a child at any age, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Only a pediatrician or an otolaryngologist will help to find out the cause of an unusual condition and prescribe the correct treatment if necessary.

When hard breathing in a baby is observed as a residual phenomenon, it is also not necessary to use therapeutic agents. It is necessary to give the child to drink warm liquid to soften the remaining mucus and humidify the air in the room where the child sleeps.

A hard cough in a child is also characteristic of allergic reactions. If there is a suspicion of an allergy, then you need to find out its nature and exclude contact with the allergen.

Especially for - Diana Rudenko