Cough in a child – what you need to know

Cough is one of the most common symptoms of various diseases in children. What is it, how to treat a cough in a child and whether it should be done?

Cough causes contraction of the respiratory muscles and a strong release of air from the lungs. If a cough promotes the release of mucus from the respiratory tract, it cannot be blocked with antitussive drugs, but should be relieved with drugs with expectorant action.

Causes of cough in a child

Cough appears as a result of hypothermia or respiratory tract infection. Hypothermia usually causes diseases of the throat and nose, and infections affect the trachea, epiglottis, larynx, bronchioles, bronchi and lungs located below. The lower the infection penetrates, the more severe the course of the disease.

Allergies and asthma can cause a non-infectious cough. If an outwardly healthy child coughs for 2-3 weeks in a row, and the cough is provoked by physical exertion, it is most likely asthma.

A sudden attack of coughing can cause a foreign object that has got into the respiratory tract of a child. If it partially blocks the airway, a whistling sound appears when breathing. If there is a suspicion that a child has a foreign object in the respiratory tract, it is necessary to call a doctor. Sometimes it moves to the lower parts and the cough stops. The foreign object must be removed in any case, since, remaining in the child's body, it can cause severe inflammation.

Sometimes cough is used by children over 2 years old to attract the attention of an adult. The child remembers that during the illness he was surrounded by increased care, and tries to evoke similar emotions in parents. If you clarify the situation in time, engage and talk with the child, the symptoms go away. Otherwise, the cough may become an obsessive movement, a neurotic tic that occurs outside the child's desire.

Types of cough

A child's cough can be wet (productive) and dry (unproductive cough).

A dry cough can be severe and quite painful. Treatment is prescribed after its causes are identified, however, it is not recommended to treat dry cough with medications for children under 2 years of age due to the risk of overdose of medicines.

A wet cough helps to separate mucus from the bronchi and bring it out. It usually accompanies infectious and viral diseases, sometimes pneumonia. Treatment should be comprehensive, and aimed primarily at the underlying disease.

How to treat a cough in a child

When a dry cough prevents the baby from falling asleep and prolonged seizures tire the child, it must be stopped. Treatment of dry cough is aimed at calming the cough center.

How to treat a cough in a child should be decided by a pediatrician, but it can be relieved by folk remedies:

- Allow to dissolve a spoonful of lime or buckwheat honey;

- To drink tea with raspberry jam;

- Dilute 1 tsp baking soda in a glass of warm milk and give it to the child.

It is important to turn a dry cough into a productive wet one, using natural expectorants: marshmallow decoctions, elecampane, licorice, mother-and-stepmother, bagulnik.

At the same time, it is necessary to carry out a number of activities:

- Provide the child with plenty of drink: milk, tea, mineral water without gas.

- Humidify the air in the room.

- Eliminate harsh irritating odors and foreign impurities in the air.

- Observe the temperature regime: the optimal temperature is 20-22 °C.

- In the absence of appetite in the child, follow a sparing diet.

It is much more reasonable to make the cough productive and relieve it. At home, it is allowed to treat only acute cough. Chronic and subacute cough should be diagnosed for further treatment under the supervision of specialists. The Mostbet app provides a seamless and optimized experience, enabling users to navigate through the various betting markets and place their wagers with ease. With its fast and reliable performance, the app ( https://mostbet-official.in/app/ ) ensures that users can enjoy real-time updates and participate in live betting without any interruptions.