Cough can be a manifestation of various diseases, but it does not always speak about the disease, being sometimes a protective reaction of the body from external influences that are harmful to it. For example, when it comes to allergies. This situation is often faced by young parents and begin to stuff the child with medicines. But before treating an allergic cough in a child, it is urgent to make a diagnosis and understand what exactly caused it. Then eliminate the cause.
What is an allergy?
Allergy in medicine is the reaction of the body's defense system to certain stimuli. We can say that it is beneficial, because if the immune system had not reacted to the negative impact, the body might not have coped. And so measures are taken, the effect of the allergen is eliminated, and everything returns to normal.
"How is allergic cough treated in a child?" is one of the most popular questions that youngmothers ask in the offices of pediatricians. The current generation of children does not have strong immunity, and allergies at a tender age, alas, are a frequent occurrence.
Who is at risk?
Someone never wonders what is used to treat an allergic cough in a child. Allergy symptoms never make themselves felt. And someone suffers all his life.
Whether a person is allergic or not, as a rule, becomes clear already in infancy. Children whose bodies react violently to certain foods or other substances with skin rashes are likely to continue to suffer from allergic reactions. Parents of these babies need to be on the lookout all the time.
In addition, the cause of allergies in the future can be diseases suffered in infancy, when immunity is still practically at zero. It is difficult for the body to fight the sore, and it fails.
Are at risk and those children whose close relatives also suffer from allergies. The hereditary factor in this case is of great importance.
Allergy Prevention
One of the most alarming conditions for parents is a dry allergic cough in a child. Than to treat him and stuff the child with drugs, of course, it is better to prevent the disease.
And you should start to engage in prevention even during the bearing of the baby. From the first weeks of pregnancy, a woman should walk a lot away from polluted highways, refuse to useeating known allergenic foods and, of course, cross out all bad habits.
Both before and after the birth of a child, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the house - to do wet cleaning, to ventilate the room more often. It is better to protect the newborn from contact with animals. At the slightest suspicion of diathesis, the baby should be urgently shown to the doctor.
Allergic cough symptoms
So, what is the treatment for an allergic cough in a child whose symptoms are quite specific? Before giving any medication, it should be precisely established that the baby is coughing precisely because of the allergy. The main signs of an allergic cough are:
- dryness (if sputum happens, it is not abundant and transparent);
- protracted, paroxysmal, debilitating character;
- cough starts suddenly, under certain conditions (after eating some food, after communicating with animals, during the flowering of certain plants, etc.);
- cough like barking;
- seizures occur more often at night;
- cough is often accompanied by sneezing, itching in the nasopharynx and runny nose;
- cough is not accompanied by fever;
- breathing often present;
- cough resolves after taking anti-allergic drugs.
Types of allergic cough
Specialists identify several types of allergic cough. Among them are:
- Dry - most often during cold or hot weather.
- Barking character –accompanied by a hoarse voice. Sounds like the barking sound of a dog. Breathing difficult.
- Night cough - lasts a long time (two to three hours). Eyes watery, clear mucus flows from nasal passages.
How can you tell an allergic cough from the symptoms of bronchitis or whooping cough?
As noted above, coughing can be manifestations of various diseases, including bronchitis or whooping cough. It is important for parents to correctly assess the condition of the baby in order to take the necessary measures in time. After all, in particular, whooping cough can pose a direct threat to life, and you can not hesitate to get medical help.
Of course, it's best to see a doctor right away. Competent doctors, before treating an allergic cough in a child, analyze the symptoms in depth. And they make the right decisions. And parents, being in an anxious state, are not always able to think soberly.
But still, what is the difference between an allergy cough and other diseases?
- Bronchitis cough is accompanied by the release of thick, copious sputum, and allergic, as a rule, is not.
- Whooping cough and bronchitis occur with an increase in temperature, and with allergies, this indicator remains normal.
- Whooping cough is accompanied by wheezing, while allergic cough does not.
- In whooping cough, the sputum is thick and viscous. It is quite difficult to remove it from a child's mouth.
- Antiallergenic medications do not relieve coughing fits due to bronchitis or whooping cough.
Diagnosisallergies
How and how allergic cough is treated in a child, diagnostics will help to say for sure. After all, even if the fact of an allergy is not questioned, it is difficult to determine what exactly caused it.
First of all, the pediatrician examines the baby, listens to him, assesses the nature of the cough, measures the temperature and conducts a conversation with the parents, determining the type of disease. If there is an allergy, a special test is performed. Small incisions are made on the skin in the forearm area with a scarifier, which are filled with a certain reagent (allergen in small doses). If redness or blisters appear on the skin, itching begins, etc., then it is this allergen that causes the reaction in the form of a cough. The reason is found - you can prescribe treatment. (This test is not available for children under three years of age.)
Often, a blood test for immunoglobulin levels is also prescribed at the time of diagnosis to detect allergic reactions.
What can trigger a seizure?
Obviously, in the search for an answer to the question of how an allergic cough is treated in a child, determining the cause plays a very important role. The list of provoking factors is huge, but the main ones are:
- Domestic reasons - dust, fungus, harmful insects (cockroaches), etc.
- Food – honey, milk, citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, nuts and strawberries are the most common allergens.
- Causes of an epidermal nature - animal hair or fluff, their saliva, bird feathers, waste products, substances excretedinsect bites.
- Physical causes - cold, heat.
- Mechanical causes - mechanical damage to the skin.
- Chemical causes - household chemicals, cosmetics, drugs.
So, what is the treatment for an allergic cough in a child?
Once a diagnosis has been made and an allergen has been identified, the first thing to do is isolate the child from the irritant, or at least minimize contact.
If the incident did occur (the child grabbed the cat and coughed heavily), the attack is removed with a special drug (Suprastin, Tavegil, Diazolin, Erius, etc.). But only after the allergen is removed to a safe distance, otherwise there will be no effect. Injections stop the attack within ten minutes. Tablets are somewhat slower - they begin to act in twenty to thirty minutes.
In cases where the allergen cannot be removed, antiallergic drugs will not help - hormones are needed. Allergy inevitably causes intoxication of the body, to eliminate which they take white coal, Smecta and similar drugs.
How else is an allergic cough treated in a child? Children over three years of age may be recommended the “hardening” method, when an allergen is injected under the skin, each time increasing the dose, and as a result, the body develops immunity. Cough is well eliminated through inhalations that expand the bronchi.
When treating allergic cough in a non-acute period, doctors often prescribe Gerbion syrup based onplantain. This and some other plants are true friends of allergy sufferers, which is well known in traditional medicine.
Folk ways to deal with allergic cough
“Whose children have an allergic cough, what do you treat?” - sometimes an alarmed mother asks other parents. And experienced parents share proven folk recipes:
- drip aloe juice into the nose (well removes phlegm);
- boiled and chopped bay leaf mixed with a few teaspoons of honey and a pinch of soda - give a remedy during an attack;
- as a drink for attacks, use the water in which the onions were boiled (several onions per liter);
- gargle with water (you can add sea s alt) after walking.
And what does the legendary Komarovsky advise?
A favorite of moms and dads, who has already become almost a legend, Dr. Komarovsky, answering the question of how to relieve an attack and how to treat an allergic cough in a child, urges not to panic and approaches the situation with humor. So, for example, he considers the first remedy for an allergic cough … the establishment of a dog. Which will "bring" parents out for walks with their children. And fresh air is the best medicine for an allergic person.
Also, the doctor advises to humidify the room (during attacks, you can open the hot water tap in the bathroom to create steam). And another sure remedy is to drink plenty of water.
Komarovsky is categorically against total purity, which, in his opinion, istimes and leads to allergic reactions of a non-hardened organism. But, of course, it is necessary to keep order, because an excess of dust is harmful for a he althy person, and destructive for an allergic person.
The doctor agrees with his colleagues that the first step is to exclude the patient's contact with the allergen if possible (that is, completely eliminate the cause), and then treat the effect. Otherwise, there will be no positive result.
And of course, physical activity, hardening, quality products, clothing made from natural fabrics and most importantly (as in any business) - a positive attitude!
