Coughing alone is not a disease. However, although it is an unpleasant, but informatively useful symptom of the disease. Nature did not just create a cough reflex, but to protect our entire respiratory system. There are several types of cough: barking, wet, dry, spastic. One of the most dangerous is barking cough in children. When it occurs, sometimes you can not do without hospitalization or a doctor's call. Let's see why it is dangerous.
Causes
It can be caused by completely different reasons: infectious and
colds, allergies and viruses. There are several diseases in which a barking
cough is present
in a child. The reasons may be the following:
- Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the larynx and pharynx - laryngitis, pharyngitis.
- With swelling of the larynx and vocal cords - stenosing laryngotracheitis (false croup).
- Adenoviruses, parainfluenza, various infections in children prone to allergies.
- True croup.
- Whooping cough.
However, thanks to vaccinations, barking cough in children with diphtheria and whooping cough is very rare.
Why does a barking cough appear
It arises in very young children, whose age is slightly more than 4 months, and in older children (up to five years). Usually stenosing laryngotracheitis occurs due to adenoviruses, parainfluenza, and other viruses. After a few days have passed since the onset of these diseases, the viral cells cause not only the inflammatory process, but also edema in the trachea and vocal cords. The fact is that in children under five years of age the larynx is narrower than in older ones, this leads to the fact that viruses cause significant swelling of the mucous membrane. As a result, the lumen of the larynx is blocked, the air ceases to enter the baby's lungs, and he begins to suffocate. Therefore, if a child develops symptoms such as a barking cough, body temperature is increased, voice loss occurs periodically, breathing becomes wheezing on inhalation, shortness of breath and a pale complexion are detected, night cough begins to be accompanied by suffocation, you should immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance help. Most often, false croup passes by itself, but about 10 percent of babies need urgent hospitalization.
Therapeutic measures
What should parents do if a child coughs barking? Treatment should be prescribed by a doctor. However, before his arrival, you can help the baby. To do this, calm yourself and the child. With excitement, he may begin to cough even harder, as the muscles of the larynx constrict more and make it harder to breathe. Therefore, it will be optimal to distract him: sing a song or read a book.
Steam inhalation
They help to remove swelling of the larynx and lead to the fact that the barking cough in children will gradually begin to recede. To do this, you need to take a pot of boiling water, add chamomile or sage to it, as well as a little soda and little sunflower. As soon as it boils, it is worth removing from the heat and sitting next to the baby’s pan. If the baby is small, then this procedure can be done differently: go into the bathroom, close the door tightly and collect a bath of boiling water. Add soda there and sit, breathing moist air, next to the baby for 10-15 minutes.
Inhalation with saline
If there is a nebulizer at home, then a barking cough in children can be defeated with the help of it. Before the procedure, the solution should be heated. If the child is not prone to allergic reactions, then you can add eucalyptus.
Antihistamines
Allergies and allergy medicines help to cope with edema, now a large number of them are sold. Dosage by age can be found in the instructions. If the baby is not yet three years old, then it is better to use syrups or crush the tablet in a tablespoon of water. And, of course, it is necessary to arrange for the child access to fresh air.