No doctor can make a correct diagnosis without first examining the patient. Therefore, the classic phrase of parents: "Our child coughs incessantly - what to do?" doesn't tell him anything. Frequent coughing is the first signal of the body about problems, which should be listened to and, by some features, to establish the root cause of this failure.
Description
Cough is an important reflex of the body, which allows you to completely clear the airways from both large foreign objects and the smallest dust fractions that interfere with clean breathing by their presence. A perfectly he althy baby can cough up to thirteen times a day, and this, according to experts, is considered a common occurrence that helps cleanse the trachea, lungs and bronchi. Babies often cough after crying, during teething, or while eating. A physiological cough is very easy to distinguish from a cold: as a rule, it ends very quickly, and the child continues to go about his immediate business. But what if the child coughsstopping? What to do in this case, the doctor must decide, since the wrong therapy can lead to a significant deterioration of the situation.
Types of cough
Cough itself is not a disease, but it is a clear symptom that has a number of causes. Only their correct elimination can lead to positive results. A cough is considered a normal physiological phenomenon, which is not accompanied by a disorder of the stool, the presence of a runny nose, rash or fever. The reason for this phenomenon may be the presence of too dry air in the room, increased salivation, and even a sharp change in temperature. But how to help if the child coughs incessantly? What to do? Seek a doctor or try to cope on your own? You should seek the help of specialists in case of detection of additional symptoms:
- general deterioration in well-being;
- sluggishness;
- high temperature;
- chest and muscle pain;
- presence of a runny nose.
Pathological cough
It is usually divided into wet and dry. It can be severe or intermittent, and sometimes with bouts of vomiting and choking. What to do if the child coughs non-stop? You can solve the problem after determining the cause of this phenomenon. The choice depends entirely on the nature of the cough, so doctors pay maximum attention to this aspect.
- Wet - clearly indicates the presence of a viralinfections in the respiratory tract. Experts call it productive, since such a cough causes less discomfort, is accompanied by high-quality sputum discharge and, with appropriate treatment, passes rather quickly.
- Dry - occurs due to irritation of nerve receptors. It can be a foreign body or various kinds of infections. The most painful cough occurs with complications of SARS, untreated influenza, tonsillitis. It is also the most dangerous, because it leads to the development of inflammation, deterioration of the situation and long-term treatment.
Expert Opinion
Child coughs incessantly - what to do? Komarovsky E. O. on this occasion makes a clear verdict - go to the doctor. He himself is a pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, and for his long medical practice he has written more than one useful book. No self-respecting doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis without examining the patient, and even more so, he will not prescribe the appropriate treatment for him, the doctor believes. There are no “cough” medicines in medicine, just as there are no separate drugs “for the head” or “for the common cold”. Each symptom has its own causes, which an experienced specialist must find out and eliminate. The indecisiveness of most parents leads them to seek advice from local pharmacists, who offer them a range of medicines with a wide variety of compositions.
What does this lead to?
Before deciding what to do if a child coughs incessantly, at home,you need to get some information. The lungs of any person are engaged in the constant production of mucus, which contributes to their high-quality cleansing. Its main part is formed in the bronchi, from where it is removed with the help of periodic coughing. But coughing can provoke not only irritation of the respiratory tract, but also various types of pathologies of the central nervous system, which cause disruption of the cough center in the brain. The cause may be the development of the following diseases:
- whooping cough - it is characterized by a paroxysmal lingering cough;
- allergies - the reasons may be different, a vivid example is bronchial asthma;
- bacterial and viral infections - tuberculosis, laryngitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections;
- tumors - affect different parts of the respiratory tract and lead to disruption of their functioning;
- chemical irritation - paint poisoning or gasoline fumes:
- worm infestations.
A number of cardiac pathologies can lead to impaired blood circulation, congestion in the lungs. Its withdrawal will require increased production of sputum, which, in turn, causes a constant cough.
Pharmacy products
What to do if the child coughs incessantly? Find out the cause of this phenomenon and act directly on the source of development of this unpleasant symptom. Most of the over-the-counter drugs are not aimed at the cough center in the brain, but at the sputum itself, helping itliquefaction and rapid elimination from the bronchi. But their mechanism of action is not exactly the same. So, some of these drugs have combined properties, they are able to weaken the signals going to the brain (antitussive functions) and thin the sputum. Used by all, "Bronholitin" contains in its composition the cough antagonist glaucine, ephedrine, basil oil and citric acid. Typical antitussive representatives also include Stoptussin, Tusuprex, Libeksin, Glaucin and Paxeladin.
Correct treatment
Convinced of the importance of coughing, we just have to make it as productive as possible. If the child coughs incessantly, what to do at home? Use only drugs that help alleviate this symptom and the correct withdrawal of sputum. Use drugs and folk methods that improve the functioning of the bronchial mucosa and thin the mucus in them. For these purposes, a number of medicinal expectorants are used. They have a variety of release forms. In the case of young children, it is more appropriate to use the medicine in the form of suppositories and syrups. Older children are shown inhalations, and in difficult cases, the doctor may prescribe intravenous and intramuscular injections. All types of expectorants can be divided into two categories:
- natural - created on a plant basis, including elements useful to the body;
- chemical - a number of pharmaceutical preparations with an artificial composition.
Combined products containing substances fromboth groups, not the most useful for the child's body. Here it remains to read the composition or refer to natural folk methods of treatment.
Important Items
The child is coughing non-stop, what should I do? Folk remedies here include a number of mandatory measures that contribute to a better withdrawal of sputum:
- keep drinking regimen - warm drinks in large quantities help thin sputum;
- humidify the air in the room - you can do this with ordinary towels (wet them under the tap and place them in the room on batteries);
- Check the bed linen - baby may have developed an allergy to one of the laundry detergents with which it is treated;
- pay attention to house plants and objects around the child - their strong aroma can also cause a sore throat and frequent coughs.
First Aid
What to do if a child coughs non-stop at night? Try giving your baby a gentle massage. In the supine position, the removal of sputum from the lungs becomes difficult, and soft stroking movements will help the baby quickly cough up. Use inhalation. This effective method was successfully used by our parents, preparing a container with hot steam, moisturizing the larynx and allowing the bronchi to open qualitatively. Now pharmacies offer us a more convenient and modern method - nebulizers. They are equipped with special nozzles for proper irrigation, and the kit, as a rule, includes an infusion of medicinal herbs of the desired effect ormineral water. Such an inhaler is able to quickly relieve even a strong coughing fit in a child.
Folk recipes
What to do if a child coughs non-stop? At home, it is recommended to use natural medicinal decoctions based on collections from medicinal plants. It is possible to qualitatively liquefy and remove sputum with the help of coltsfoot, licorice root, marshmallow, black radish juice, thermopsis. A drink based on warm milk with a small amount of soda and honey soothes an irritated throat. It works in three directions at once: relieves symptoms, thins mucus in the lungs and eliminates pain. Make a radish juice compress for your baby, it is applied immediately before bedtime, and if the child does not have a fever, try warming baths with mustard. After that, be sure to put on warm socks and carefully wrap the baby in a blanket.
Night attack
The child is coughing non-stop, what should I do? If a warm drink does not help, the humidity in the room is normal, and inhalation has given a temporary result, stop the attack using the following methods:
- Upright position - this method promotes better ventilation of the lungs and soothes cough.
- Medicines - they should be taken according to the scheme and prescription of the doctor, but in emergency cases they will help stop the attack. Depending on the age of the childdecide on the dosage, if necessary, you can call an ambulance and ask them for advice on this matter.
- Rubbing - with their help, you can quickly warm the legs or chest of the baby. For these purposes, badger and goose fat are often used. Camphor oil has excellent warming abilities, it is mixed with honey in equal proportions and applied to the chest and back of the child, avoiding the heart area. After that, be sure to wrap the baby in a warm scarf and put on a comfortable blouse.
If the cough does not stop for ten days, accompanied by additional symptoms - fever, pain in the body, lethargy and drowsiness, the child should be seen by a doctor. In cases of a sudden change in state, impaired consciousness, refusal to eat, drink, obvious difficulty in breathing, immediately call an ambulance.
