Mommies most often seek help from a pediatrician when children cough. Parents are especially anxious about a dry paroxysmal cough in a child, which causes a lot of inconvenience to the baby. His excruciating and frequent attacks, day and night, exhaust the child and worsen his condition.
Repeating them repeatedly causes irritation and injury to the mucous membrane of the throat, which manifests itself in painful sensations. Sometimes a dry and severe cough can cause small hemorrhages, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. The task of parents is to alleviate the suffering of the child with a dry cough. It is necessary to reduce inflammation in the throat and thereby reduce the frequency of attacks.
Cough in children
Cough is a protective reaction of the body. With the help of it, everything superfluous is pushed out of the respiratory tract - from foreign bodies to dust particles, microbes and bacteria. Paroxysmal cough in a child occurs whenBronchial peristalsis and ciliated epithelium cannot provide cleansing of the respiratory tract. Without coughing, any inflammation of the respiratory tract would end in inflammatory processes in the lungs. The child should cough, but it is necessary that sputum is secreted. Such a cough is called productive or wet. All other species - paroxysmal, importunate, barking, dry - are not useful. They increase respiratory failure, cause muscle pain, vomiting, prevent sleep and lead the patient to a depressed state.
Dry cough in a child appears as a result of excitation of the nerve endings of the walls of the trachea and bronchi. It is necessary to deal with it, depending on the cause of its occurrence. All medicinal antitussives are divided into three groups:
- mucolytics used to thin sputum;
- expectorant, increase the volume of mucus and promote the removal of sputum;
- soothing - reducing the activity of the cough effect.
There are also combined preparations that thin the mucus and contribute to its withdrawal. The task of medicines is to make a dry, paroxysmal cough in a child wet.
Dry cough in babies
In newly born babies and children under one year old, the cough reflex may be completely absent (children with cerebral palsy and premature babies) or be mild. The child is not able to cough up and expel the resulting mucus or foreign object from the respiratory tract. As a result, chestthe infant chokes on accumulated mucus and vomits. It is a protective function that allows you to remove accumulated sputum.
A paroxysmal cough in a child without signs of illness, which occurs in the morning, and sometimes in the afternoon (not more than 5 times), is a normal phenomenon. It helps clear the airways. You should carefully monitor the baby, but do not rush to give him medicines.
How to recognize a dry cough?
The main sign by which a dry cough can be identified is the source of the sound. A wet cough (with phlegm or not) comes from the depths of the chest, and a dry one occurs directly in the larynx. Inflammation of her throat and throat causes itching and tickling.
This gives rise to a coughing fit, which further injures the mucous membrane as a result of air currents. So, one attack of coughing causes another, not facilitating, but, on the contrary, aggravating the condition of the sick baby. The next criterion that helps to establish the type of cough is the sound. A wet cough is accompanied by a dull and gurgling sound. Dry - hoarse, loud, crackling, barking. Paroxysmal cough in a child without sputum does not allow him to restore strength even at night.
Causes of dry cough
The appearance of dry cough in children occurs with the following diseases:
- Acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI). Dry cough usually appears at the onset of the disease. The upper respiratory tract, affected by the virus, becomes inflamed and swollen, beginssore throat.
- Tracheitis, laryngitis, sometimes bronchitis. Paroxysmal cough in a child can be both at the beginning of the disease and at the end, and sometimes it continues after the end of the disease. Separate obsessive coughs can last more than a month after the acute form is removed.
- Children's infectious diseases (whooping cough, measles, influenza, diphtheria).
- Allergic reactions to various irritants (smells, dust, pollen, drugs).
A child has a dry paroxysmal cough. What to do?
Cough is not a sign of any one disease, therefore, to make a diagnosis, it is necessary to find out all the causes of its occurrence:
- Parents should consult with their doctor and follow his recommendations.
- When buying medicines, it must be taken into account that tablets and capsules are much more difficult for babies to swallow than solutions, syrups and elixirs. A single dose is selected according to the age or weight of the child. Many liquid formulations come with measuring spoons or cups, making them easy to dose.
- It is important to read the instructions before buying a medicine. Attention should be paid to at what age and for how long the drug can be used, what contraindications and side effects it has.
- Compliance with general rules by parents is also necessary, namely, to create calm conditions for the child, increase fluid intake, and moisten the air.
How to treat a dry paroxysmal cough in a child?
There are a number of directions whentreatment of dry persistent cough:
- It is often the result of a virus in the upper respiratory tract, so doctors, along with other medicines, prescribe antivirals. Their effectiveness in this case has no evidence.
- Irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx can be removed with warm milk, honey and butter. They do not completely relieve the cough, but the softening effect calms the cough for a period, giving the child a little rest. Drinking plenty of fluids warmly will help reduce toxicity and reduce the frequency of coughing fits. Sour fruit drinks and fruit juices increase mucosal irritation, so it is better not to use them.
- How to treat a paroxysmal cough in a child? There are lozenges for resorption, which have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. They reduce inflammation, suppress the cough reflex. When using them, you must take into account the age of the child. Lozenges need to be sucked to be effective and are often swallowed by young children.
- The intake of drugs that inhibit cough, acting at the central level, quickly improves the condition of babies. Suppression of dry cough does not lead to negative consequences, since there is no sputum and its stagnation does not form. By taking medication before bed, the child can fall asleep and sleep peacefully.
What can not treat dry cough?
Parents need to remember:
- Don't treat your child at the same timefor wet and dry coughs. The cough reflex is suppressed, and the amount of sputum increases and the airways are not cleared.
- Ointments and rubbing with a smell should be used with caution. The inflamed mucous membrane can be irritated by aromas and cause another bout of coughing.
- Do not use mustard plasters, they can hurt.
- In case of prolonged cough, re-show the child to the doctor. This may be a sign of asthma or heart and rheumatic diseases.
What is the danger of a prolonged dry cough?
A paroxysmal cough in a child without fever does not always signal serious problems with his he alth, but if it continues for a long time, you should consult a doctor. Inflammation can turn into a chronic form, which is difficult to treat, and sometimes impossible. The absence of fever may also indicate serious illnesses (pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer). Treatment not started on time can lead to serious problems.
Reasons for lack of temperature
They are very different and are divided into three groups:
- Allergic reactions.
- External factors.
- Internal diseases.
It will not be possible to find out the cause on your own, you can only make assumptions on some symptoms. So, a morning cough can indicate bronchitis. Tuberculosis, rhinitis and sinusitis cause coughing at night. Frequent coughing while eating is an oncology of the stomach or throat. Although the cases listedquite rare, but not worth the risk. In any case, be sure to consult a doctor. Only a blood test and additional examinations can make a correct diagnosis. And depending on the disease, treatment will be prescribed.
Signs of dangerous diseases
Sometimes, instead of coughing, a child only hears wheezing and whistling. In this case, you must immediately consult a doctor. Barking cough indicates serious illness:
- laryngitis and pharyngitis cause severe inflammation of the larynx and throat;
- false croup is very dangerous, the vocal cords and larynx swell.
Dry cough may indicate that the child has a false croup. The most common cause is a viral infection. The disease occurs as a complication after infectious diseases of influenza, parainfluenza, SARS, pharyngitis.
Signs by which an ailment can be identified:
- cough barking;
- hoarse voice;
- heavy breathing.
With a false croup, swelling of the vocal cords occurs, the movement of air into the respiratory tract is disturbed and the child suffocates.
What to do:
- quickly call an ambulance;
- doctor using medicines to ease breathing;
- Inpatient treatment required.
Foreign body in airways
A child's paroxysmal cough to vomiting can occur when a foreign body enters the respiratory tract. Various small items that babies use when playing and take them in their mouths can get into the larynx. The strength of the cough is determined by the location and size of the foreign object. The child develops blueness around the nose and mouth, there is a lack of air, a strong cough and vomiting, breathing becomes difficult. Signs may come and go.
Foreign bodies of small size enter the bronchi when inhaled. In this case, at first everything is asymptomatic, only with time there is an inflammation that cannot be treated. When a larger object is hit, cyanosis occurs, breathing quickens, the child becomes inhibited or physical activity occurs, he may lose consciousness, convulsions appear. Urgent help needed.
Psychogenic cough
Cough in children older than three years of age may occur due to a violation of the activity of the department of the nervous system that regulates the respiratory system. In stressful situations, high emotional and physical stress, the child develops a dry paroxysmal cough to vomiting. Psychogenic cough with seizures is formed in children from 3 to 7 years. Then the attacks are repeated if the child gets into a non-standard situation. They start during the daytime and end at night. Sometimes such a cough appears in emotional children, especially in adolescence. In special situations, they are overcome by a dry cough, shortness of breath and hiccups.
Folk remedies for dry cough
Child's paroxysmal cough? What to do? Traditional medicine can help in the treatment of such a cough in children of any age, heremultiple recipes:
- Milk with honey. In the absence of an allergic reaction to honey, you can use this medicine. Twice a day, give your child a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey dissolved in it.
- Make tea with mint leaves, add a slice of lemon and drink warm throughout the day.
- Pass the tangerine peel through a meat grinder and prepare an infusion. Drink two tablespoons before meals.
- Black radish juice insist with honey. Take one teaspoon three times a day.
- Anise seeds (2 tsp) insist in a glass of hot water. Drink a few sips before each meal.
Folk remedies cannot completely eliminate the problem of dry cough, but they will alleviate the patient's condition.
An attempt at self-treatment, even without the temperature of a dry paroxysmal cough in a child, can lead to sad consequences. And the use of drugs without prescription and supervision of the attending physician is dangerous for the he alth of the baby.
