Children catch cold quite often. In this case, the symptoms can be very diverse. But coughing occurs in most young patients.
This is such a response of the body, more precisely a certain part of the brain, and it is aimed at restoring airway patency (AP). Cough itself is not a disease. However, it should be taken seriously. What to do when a child coughs? Let's figure it out in this article.
Predisposing factors
The prerequisites for this pathology may be different. Cough is classified as pathological and physiological.
Physiological - a common occurrence in everyday life, with its help the body clears the DP from accumulated sputum or foreign bodies. As a rule, it is rare and short-lived in the absence of other signs of the disease. It is advisable to observe a child who has begun to cough: measure the temperature, monitor mood, appetite. In the event of a hightemperature, runny nose, diarrhea and other things, it is better to consult a pediatrician for advice. This may mean that the child has SARS.
Komarovsky is a very famous pediatrician. He gives different advice to parents. The specialist confirms that pathological cough is more often a symptom of a disease of the respiratory system (tonsillitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis). Depending on the nature of the disease, such an ailment may have a different character.
What is bronchospasm?
This is a fairly common occurrence in children, accompanied by a cough. Bronchospasm - narrowing of the bronchi. This condition occurs with obstructive bronchitis, bronchial asthma, blockage of the DP with sputum, swallowed foreign objects, liquids. Pollen, animal dander and other household allergens are also common causes of cough in children. When they are eliminated, it passes.
When else does a child cough?
Particularly dangerous are the conditions caused by the presence of a foreign body in the DP. When they are blocked, the cough is strong, accompanied by signs of suffocation. At the same time, the skin turns blue, consciousness is disturbed, breathing is difficult, there is no voice. In this case, you need to urgently remove the foreign body and show the child to the doctor.
Worm infestation
Persistent but not severe coughing is often a symptom of helminthic infestation. The larvae of some parasites develop in the lung tissue, then irritate the DP, enter the oral cavity with a cough. They then enter the digestive tract.path, where their cycle repeats.
But most often a child coughs because of a cold. More on that later.
Cold symptoms
Acute respiratory infections are the most common cough-related illnesses.
Signs:
• cough develops from several hours to several days;
• temperature over 37 degrees, runny nose, general weakness, the child is restless, naughty, refuses to eat;
• Over time, the nature of the cough changes (from dry to wet).
All these phenomena are accompanied by a sore throat, hoarseness in the voice.
What is the cough with whooping cough in a child? These are spasmodic attacks, a kind of hallmark of this disease. In this case, the exhalations follow each other, as separate respiratory shocks and convulsive whistling breaths. Inhalation is replaced by exhalation with jerky movements. The attack is accompanied by excitement.
Loud cough happens with tracheitis. At the same time, it is accompanied by severe pain behind the sternum. A chesty, loud, painless cough with wet rales is a sign of bronchitis. The clinical picture is complemented by the presence of a large amount of sputum.
We examined the causes of cough in children. How can I help?
First aid
Baby needs rest and plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
When coughing with an infectious nature, foot baths with mustard help well, after a bath, keep your feet warm (put onwoolen socks), you can put mustard plasters. A good folk remedy is drinking warm milk with warm mineral water (half a glass). Steam inhalation works well. But it should be remembered that at a temperature it is contraindicated to do steam inhalations, put mustard plasters and soar legs.
What to do if the child coughs for a long time?
Therapy
Medications should be started when the baby feels unwell and the general condition of the baby worsens.
Dry, obsessive cough in children in the first year of life is associated with an increase in the viscosity of sputum. There are special products designed to thin it.
Intense, debilitating wet cough, accompanied by vomiting and sleep disturbance, requires reflex suppression therapy.
To prescribe the right drugs, it is important to correctly diagnose, assess the condition, its duration and intensity, the presence of bronchospasm, etc. You should not self-medicate, because. can inadvertently cause harm. To do this, you need to contact the local pediatrician. SARS Komarovsky recommends treating immediately.
Medications that are mucolytics or mucus thinners help to clear it up. The most famous are Bromhexine, Ambroxol, Muk altin. Children from 3 years of age with a dry cough are prescribed "Bronholitin", and from 1 year old - a plant-based drug "Gedelix".
If the disease is accompanied by bronchospasm, bronchodilators are used ("Eufillin", "Theophylline").
Treatment of a baby with a respiratory infection is carried outcombined preparations, such as: Codelac Phyto, Doctor Mom. They relieve inflammation, dilute sputum.
But before therapy, it is necessary to establish the causes of cough in children.
Home Therapy?
In the treatment at home, steam inhalations with the addition of medicines or herbs are successfully used. They help to reduce irritation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. It is possible to use enveloping agents in the form of lozenges, syrups or tea. Since ancient times, the following medicinal plants have been known for their expectorant abilities: coltsfoot leaf, plantain, marshmallow, violet, anise, thyme, wild rosemary, oregano, elecampane, thermopsis, pine buds, licorice root, etc.
They are effective when the baby is constantly coughing.
Other remedies
Fast and effective treatment will help and a special diet. The diet should include various cereals, cabbage, mashed potatoes. Grapes and their juice work well as an expectorant (mix 1 glass of grape juice with honey and add lemon, ground with peel).
It will make you feel better if your child coughs like it's a scratchy throat.
Phytotherapy helps to reduce intoxication and increase the body's resistance.
Compresses
There are different kinds of them. Compresses can be cold and hot, alcohol and oil, dry and water. By their warming effect, compresses increase blood circulation in theplace of application. This leads to a reduction in inflammation and pain. The appointment of compresses is carried out by a doctor. It is not recommended to install them on your own. Contraindications to the use of compresses are the presence of various skin diseases.
Inhalations
Parents often go to the doctor when a child coughs. How to treat this pathology?
Inhalations at home are carried out both with the help of improvised means and with the use of special inhalers. Having penetrated into the DP with steam, medicines reduce cough, cleanse microbes and toxins.
Children under 3 years of age should not be inhaled, because. there is a risk of bronchospasm. The course of treatment with inhalations is 5-10 procedures for 10 minutes. In some cases, their number can be increased.
Another recipe: using a small amount of water, boil potatoes in their skins. Then inhale the vapors of potato steam for 15 minutes. This remedy works well when the child is constantly coughing.
You can use medicinal herbs for inhalation: chamomile leaves, thyme, coltsfoot. Pour boiling water over the grass, you can add a couple of teaspoons of soda, a drop of eucalyptus oil or geranium. Iodine can be added to inhalations, but with caution, because. it can cause allergies in children.
Yard plasters and jars
Mustard plasters have an effective effect. The mustard oil contained in them irritates the nerve endings on the skin, reflexively improves blood circulation at the site of application, causing the effectwarming, enhances metabolism, bioactive substances are formed that help in the fight against infection and relieve pain. But success depends on the nature of the child's cough.
Usually, mustard plasters are placed on the back under the shoulder blades, between the shoulder blades, in front of the chest, while avoiding the heart area.
The exposure time of mustard plasters for children depends on their age and, of course, individual sensitivity. For children from 1 to 3 years old, mustard plasters are placed for no more than 2 minutes, for children from 4 to 7 years old for 3 minutes, from 8 years to 12 the duration of the procedure is up to 10 minutes. You can not use mustard plasters at a temperature of more than 37, 5C °, children with various skin diseases, individual intolerance to mustard.
In the past, special warming jars were very popular. They were usually placed on the back, thereby improving blood circulation and warming up. To date, cupping by pediatricians is not recommended, especially for very young children, because. the skin is severely damaged. It may even leave severe burns.
