Children often catch a cold. In this case, the symptoms can be very diverse. But cough is found in most small patients.
This is such a response of the body, or rather a certain area of the brain, and it is aimed at restoring airway patency (DP). Coughing alone is not a disease. However, its appearance should be taken seriously. What to do when the baby coughs? We will understand in this article.
Predisposing factors
The background of this pathology may be different. Classify cough pathological and physiological.
Physiological is a common occurrence in everyday life, with its help the body cleans the DP from accumulated sputum or foreign bodies that have fallen. As a rule, it is rare and short-term in the absence of other signs of the disease. It is advisable to observe the child who has begun to cough: it is necessary to measure the temperature, monitor the mood and appetite. In case of high fever, runny nose, diarrhea and other things, it is better to consult a pediatrician. This may mean that the child has ARVI.
Komarovsky is a very famous pediatrician. He gives various advice to parents. The specialist confirms that a 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 nature.
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, clogged DP with sputum, swallowed foreign objects, fluids. Plant pollen, animal hair, and other household allergens are also becoming common causes of coughing in children. When eliminated, it passes.
In what cases does the child cough?
Of particular danger are conditions caused by the presence of a foreign body in the DP. When they become clogged, the cough is strong, accompanied by signs of suffocation. In this case, the skin turns blue, consciousness is disturbed, breathing is difficult, voice is absent. In this case, urgently need to remove the foreign body and show the child to the doctor.
Helminthic invasion
A persistent but not severe cough is often a symptom of helminthic invasion. The larvae of some parasites undergo their development in the lung tissue, then irritate the DP, and cough into the oral cavity. Then they penetrate the digestive tract, where their cycle repeats.
But most often the child coughs due to a cold. About it further.
Colds
Acute respiratory infections are the most common diseases accompanied by coughing.
Signs:
• cough develops from several hours to several days;
• temperature more than 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 for whooping cough in a child? These are spastic attacks, a kind of distinguishing feature of this disease. In this case, exhalations follow each other, as separate respiratory tremors and convulsive whistling breaths. Inhalation is replaced by exhalation with jerky movements. The attack is accompanied by excitement.
A loud cough occurs with tracheitis. At the same time, it is accompanied by severe pain behind the sternum. Chest, loud, painless, with wet wheezing, cough - a sign of bronchitis. The clinical picture is supplemented by the presence of a large amount of sputum.
We examined the causes of cough in children. How to help?
First aid
The baby needs rest and plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
With coughs of an infectious nature, foot baths with mustard help well, keep the feet warm after bathing (put on woolen socks), you can put mustard plasters. A good folk remedy is drinking warm milk with warm mineral water (half a glass each). Steam inhalations help a lot. But it should be remembered that at a temperature do steam inhalation, put mustard plasters and soar feet is contraindicated.
What to do if the child coughs for a long time?
Therapy
Reception of drugs should be begun when health is disturbed, 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 sputum viscosity. There are special products designed to dilute it.
Intense, debilitating wet cough, accompanied by vomiting and sleep disturbance, requires therapy to suppress the reflex.
In order to prescribe the right drugs, it is important to correctly diagnose, assess the condition, its duration and intensity, the presence of bronchospasm, etc. Do not self-medicate, because you can inadvertently cause harm. To do this, contact your local pediatrician. ARVI Komarovsky recommends treatment immediately.
Mucolytics or sputum thinners help eliminate it. The most famous are Bromhexine, Ambroxol, and Mukaltin. For children from 3 years old with a dry cough, “Broncholitin” is prescribed, and from 1 year old - a plant-based preparation “Gedelix”.
If the disease is accompanied by bronchospasm, bronchodilators are used ("Eufillin", "Theophylline").
Treatment of a baby with a respiratory infection is carried out with combined drugs, such as: Codelac Fito, Doctor Mom. They relieve inflammation, thin out sputum.
But before therapy, it is necessary to establish the causes of coughing in children.
Home therapy?
When treating at home, steam inhalations with the addition of drugs or herbs are successfully used. They help reduce irritation of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. It is possible to use enveloping agents in the form of lozenges, syrups or tea. The following medicinal plants have been known for their expectorant abilities for a long time: coltsfoot leaf, plantain, marshmallow, violet, anise, thyme, rosemary, oregano, elecampane, thermopsis, pine buds, licorice root, etc.
They are effective when the baby is constantly coughing.
Other means
A quick and effective treatment will be helped by a special diet. The diet should include various cereals, cabbage, mashed potatoes. It works well as an expectorant for grapes and its juice (mix 1 glass of grape juice with honey and add ground lemon with peel).
This will make you feel better if the baby coughs, as if tickling in the throat.
Herbal medicine helps to reduce intoxication and increase the body's resistance.
Compresses
There are various types of them. Compresses can be cold and hot, alcohol and oil, dry and water. With their warming effect, compresses contribute to increased blood circulation at the site of application. This results in less inflammation and pain. Appointments of compresses are carried out by the doctor. It is not recommended to put them on your own. Contraindications to the use of compresses are the presence of various skin diseases.
Inhalation
Parents often go to the doctor when the baby coughs. How to treat this pathology?
Inhalations at home are carried out with the help of improvised means, and with the use of special inhalers. Having penetrated with steam in DP, drugs reduce cough, cleanse of germs and toxins.
Children under 3 years of age should not be inhaled. there is a risk of bronchospasm. The course of treatment by inhalation of 5-10 procedures for 10 minutes. In some cases, their number can be increased.
Another recipe: using a small amount of water, cook potatoes in their skins. Then inhale the vapors of potato steam for 15 minutes. This remedy helps a lot when the baby is constantly coughing.
You can use medicinal herbs for inhalation: chamomile, thyme, coltsfoot leaves. Pour boiling water over the grass, you can add a couple of teaspoons of soda, a drop of eucalyptus oil or geranium. In inhalation, you can add iodine, but with caution, because it can cause allergies in children.
Mustard and Banks
Mustard has an effective effect. The mustard oil contained in them irritates the nerve endings on the skin, reflexively improves blood circulation in the place of setting, causing a warming effect, enhances metabolism, bioactive substances are formed that help in the fight against infection and relieve pain. But success depends on the nature of the cough in the child.
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, mustard plasters put no more than 2 minutes, for children from 4 to 7 years for 3 minutes, from 8 years to 12, the duration of the procedure is up to 10 minutes. Mustard must not be used at temperatures above 37.5 ° C, children with various skin diseases, individual intolerance to mustard.
Previously, special warming cans were very popular. They were usually placed on their backs, thereby improving blood circulation and warming up. Today, pediatricians do not recommend canning, especially for very young children, as severely injured skin. Severe burns may even remain.