What do different cough symptoms look like in children? Reminder to parents. Differential diagnosis of cough in children and its treatment Simple wet cough

Cough in a child, especially if he is less than a year old, always worries parents. However, it can be both a minor thing and a symptom. threatening state. In this article, we will analyze what types of cough a child has and how to figure out by the sound whether it is urgent to take the baby to the hospital.

Barking cough (false croup) in a child

A cough with “barking” intonations in a child is provoked by a group of diseases: allergies, viral infections upper respiratory tract (bronchitis).

When a child's airways become inflamed, they put pressure on the vocal cords and make breathing difficult. Hence the hacking "barking" cough. Other symptoms of false croup include:

    Noises in the throat when breathing.

Barking cough in children without fever

In children under 3 years of age false croup occurs mainly due to the narrowness of the windpipe. Any respiratory disease provokes inflammation and associated symptoms. However, it also happens that a barking cough in a child occurs without fever. It's most likely a reaction to an allergen.

Croup can happen suddenly in the middle of the night, scaring you and your child. However, it is scary only by sound. In most cases, barking cough at any age is treated at home. However, a call to the pediatrician's house will not be superfluous, especially if the child is from six months to a year old.

Whooping cough in a child

A rather specific and difficult-to-reproduce type of cough occurs with whooping cough. In fact, such a sound occurs paroxysmal when the child tries to take a deep breath after several episodes of coughing in a row.

If your child takes a sharp breath after a seizure (which sounds like a strong "whoop"), this most likely indicates whooping cough. You should be especially careful if you.

Babies after prolonged episodes of coughing usually do not make a sharp sound. This is dangerous because their lungs are not well supplied with oxygen at this point, which can lead to respiratory arrest.

Call your doctor immediately if you suspect your child has whooping cough!

Cough with wheezing in a child

If the coughing fits are accompanied by wheezing when the child tries to inhale, this indicates a partial blockage of the lower airways.

This sound is due to swelling caused by an infection (such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia), asthma, or a foreign object lodged in the respiratory tract.

Call your pediatrician, or call an ambulance if this is the first time. For diagnosed asthma, use a prescription inhaler or nebulizer. Try to calm the child. If the cough with wheezing persists, you should also seek medical attention.

Stridor in a child

Wheezing usually occurs during expiration, stridor is noisy, harsh breathing (some doctors describe a harsh musical sound) that is heard when the child breathes in or out.

Stridor is most often triggered by swelling of the upper airways, usually from a viral agent. However, sometimes it can indicate a more serious infection called epiglottitis. .

If you have stridor, call your doctor immediately!

Child has a sudden cough

When a child suddenly begins to cough, it means that food or liquid has gone "in the wrong throat." The second option: a foreign object is stuck (a piece of food, vomit, a small plastic toy, a coin, etc.).

Coughing is the body's natural way of getting rid of an irritant. It usually goes away after a minute or so. However, if this does not happen, the baby continues to cough, it is difficult for him to breathe - immediately call an ambulance.

Don't try to clear your baby's throat with your finger, as you could push the object further down the throat.

Child coughing at night

Frequent nocturnal cough in a child is provoked by congestion in the nose. In a horizontal position, mucus flows down the throat and causes irritation. This presents a problem if the child cannot sleep.

Nighttime coughing can also cause asthma, as the airways are compressed while the child is in bed.

If a child coughs during the day

This usually indicates an allergy, respiratory infections, asthma. Cold air and physical activity can aggravate a child's daytime cough.

Make sure your home is free of strong allergens and check if your child is reacting to air freshener, vape smoke or steam, pet dander or pollen from plants.

Cough with a cold in a child

Majority colds, starting with SARS and ending with bronchitis, they can not do without coughing. It can be either dry or wet. This is usually part of the general symptoms and goes along with other signs of the disease.

Cough with fever, runny nose, fever and sore throat clearly indicates SARS.

However, if the temperature rises to 39 ° C or higher, this indicates a more serious problem: pneumonia or tonsillitis. : rapid rapid breathing, severe lethargy - symptoms of a serious illness! Call your doctor right away.

The child has a cough with vomiting

Coughing fits in children can be so strong that a gag reflex occurs. There is no cause for concern, unless vomiting continues for a long time.

Coughing up with vomiting can also occur with a cold or an exacerbation of an asthma attack. This is the reaction of the stomach to a large number of mucus that can seep into the esophagus.

Persistent cough

ARVI is the most typical cause cough in children of all ages. However, unlike other symptoms that disappear after 5-7 days,. Especially if the child has had a cold several times in a row.

asthma, allergies, or chronic infection in the sinuses or airways can also cause prolonged coughing.

If the cough lasts more than a month, you should make an appointment with your pediatrician and get a referral to an allergist.

Cough in children under 6 months

For infants under 6 months of age, coughing can be extremely debilitating, so keep a close eye on how they feel.

Infants are among the population cohort most at risk for complications after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It provokes cold symptoms, ear inflammation in older children and adults, but in infants, more serious consequences are possible: pneumonia, bronchiolitis, etc.

The danger of RSV is that it starts like a common cold, however, the symptoms quickly progress to a severe cough, trouble breathing and wheezing in the chest.

In advanced cases, the child requires emergency hospitalization with connection to a ventilator.

When to call the doctor if your child has a cough?

Most cases of children's cough are not particularly alarming. However, you need to carefully monitor the accompanying symptoms. Call your doctor if:

    The child has breathing problems, he has to make an effort to inhale;

    The lips, face or tongue of the baby begin to turn blue;

    Observed heat(especially in children under 6 months) in the absence of symptoms of a runny nose, nasal congestion, etc. With an increase in temperature in infants up to 3 months, you need to call the pediatrician in any case;

    An infant (3 months or less) coughs non-stop for hours on end;

    You hear a "whooping" sound;

    Cough accompanied by hemoptysis (with the exception of epistaxis);

    Stridor manifestations are heard;

    There are wheezing when exhaling (unless the child has previously been diagnosed with asthma);

    The child is lethargic, capricious, irritable.

Cough is a natural reflex phenomenon that occurs when the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is irritated by vapors of substances or foreign bodies. A symptom appears as a protective reaction, in which the respiratory tract gets rid of sputum or dust in order to achieve normal breathing.

The symptom manifests itself not only in the form of a dry or wet cough. He has other characteristics that affect the patient's condition. A persistent cough can manifest itself in pathological processes (pneumonia, SARS, bronchitis, etc.) and in mechanical damage to the pathways by food, dust or foreign bodies.

Etiology

Many people are interested in the question of how to treat a cough in a child or an adult patient. But before asking the search for therapy, the doctor and the patient need to understand why the symptom arose. Sore throat and cough occur under the influence of various factors, which in medicine have been divided into several categories:

  • mechanical - foreign bodies in the airways, ear canal, swollen lymph nodes, inflammation of the trachea and bronchi;
  • allergic;
  • chemical - vapor exposure chemical substances;
  • thermal - at low temperature.

Often, a cough does not go away and can reappear for the reason that it irritates the cough zones - the back wall of the larynx, pleura, branching of the trachea and bronchi.

Cough in children and adults should not be ignored, as the symptom may appear in a more severe form, when the sign already points to chronic or serious health problems. Before starting treatment folk remedies and medicines, doctors need to figure out what ailment the symptom indicates.

Cough wet, dry or any other nature indicates such pathologies:

  • - Manifested by a dry cough that develops into a wet one;
  • - barking cough, hoarseness of voice;
  • - rough, felt when coughing severe pain;
  • acute bronchitis - severe cough with sputum;
  • - a painful attack of coughing, at first dry in nature, and then wet with sputum;
  • and - seizures at night when nasal discharge irritates the back of the throat.

As for newborns, the causes of the onset of the symptom in them differ from adults. Often, a cough in infants manifests itself after feeding, when milk enters the respiratory tract. It also manifests itself during a strong salivation, during teething. Cough after eating and with excessive saliva is not a pathological process, therefore, does not require treatment.

Classification

According to the nature of the appearance of the cough, clinicians identified two types of symptom:

  • - without sputum. It is divided into two forms - accompanied by pain attacks or sore throat, a decrease in the volume of the voice. And also paroxysmal - characteristic of tracheitis and bronchitis;
  • - accompanied by expectoration, wheezing, heaviness and unpleasant feeling in the chest. Marked with and .

According to the duration of the course, a strong cough in a child and an adult can be of the following forms:

  • acute - lasts no more than three weeks with infectious diseases;
  • - exceeds duration acute form for a few weeks. This type of cough manifests itself in the pathology of the bronchi and lungs, with the accumulation of mucus in the nasopharynx, with mental disorders and frequent use drugs.

According to the periodicity identified:

  • regular - manifests itself in severe attacks, in which a person cannot breathe normally. In a child and an adult, such a cough can be up to vomiting, respiratory arrest and fainting;
  • temporary - a single attack of coughing without side effects.

Dry cough

Many people believe that if a cough does not go away for a long time, then this already indicates a pathology, but this is not so. This symptom is a protective reflex in response to various stimuli.

In medicine, it is believed that the dry type of cough is the safest and can be quickly cured. Cough is not manifested in the release of mucus or sputum from the lungs. The patient feels only a slight sore throat, as well as other signs:

  • barking character;
  • heat;
  • labored breathing;

These unpleasant manifestations not only indicate a formed ailment in the body, but also lead to insomnia, headaches and nervous breakdowns. Clinicians argue that an unproductive, that is, dry, attack is more exhausting for the body than another type.

The attending physician, before determining how to quickly cure a cough, must establish the cause of the symptom. Quite often, this symptom is manifested in heavy smokers, but there are other root causes for the appearance of the symptom:

  • respiratory infections;
  • allergies;
  • inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • pneumonia;
  • inflammation in the trachea;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • tumors.

Cough in a child without fever can manifest itself as a result of passive smoking. Doctors have long been saying that a person who stands next to a smoker is also exposed to danger and exposure to smoke. Therefore, the child may experience a cough that does not go away for a long time and does not indicate the development of pathologies.

Before starting the treatment of a cough in an adult or a child, the patient needs to undergo a series of examinations to establish the exact cause of the appearance of such a symptom. After conducting a diagnosis and establishing an accurate diagnosis, the doctor can decide how to quickly cure a cough at home.

In the course of timely therapy, the patient's condition immediately improves and the obvious symptom subsides. To eliminate cough prescribed various methods treatment:

  • the use of medicines;
  • physiotherapy;
  • inhalation therapy.

As part of drug treatment the following drugs are prescribed:

  • antispasmodics;
  • thinning sputum;
  • expanding bronchi;
  • decongestants;
  • sedatives;
  • antitussives;
  • antibacterial.

If the cough in a baby or an older patient is manifested by allergies, then the patient is prescribed antihistamine drugs, sorbents and bronchodilators.

Wet cough

To answer the question of how to treat a wet cough in a child, the doctor first needs to diagnose this disease in a person. It may be accompanied by the appearance of such a clinic:

  • sharp bouts of coughing;
  • dyspnea;
  • heat;
  • loss of appetite;
  • wheezing;
  • an admixture of blood in the sputum;
  • greenish tinge of sputum;
  • pain syndrome in the chest;
  • nocturnal cough.

Cough and snot that occur with other symptoms act characteristic symptoms such pathologies:

  • and ARVI;
  • bronchitis;
  • pneumonia;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • allergies.

Sputum with this symptom is detected in different types. Clinicians have identified 6 main types of mucus:

  • plentiful;
  • with a rusty tint;
  • watery;
  • viscous;
  • with an admixture of blood;
  • purulent.

When a cough with sputum is detected, the patient raises the question of how to cure a cough at home. Only a doctor can give an answer, since the therapy of a symptom directly depends on the intensity of manifestation and type.

During treatment, the patient is allowed to adhere to the following measures:

  • the use of folk remedies is allowed, namely hot tea with lemon, raspberries, honey, lingonberry syrup or hot milk. Each remedy is aimed at liquefying sputum;
  • humidify regularly.

As for medicines, then doctors prescribe medications that improve the expectorant effect and thin the sputum.

To cure a cough in a child at 1 year old, parents are allowed to massage on the chest and back. A similar effect on the lungs and bronchi improves sputum discharge. A coughing baby can also cough up on his own during active games. Such a process of therapy is considered much better than drinking medicines.

It is recommended to treat cough in a child older than 3 years with inhalations. Preference is given to inhalation through a nebulizer. This device sprays the therapeutic substance with which it is filled, and contributes to the delivery of the drug directly to the bronchi. However, before treating children, you need to seek the advice of a doctor, especially if the child is 2 years old. Otherwise, the cough to vomit in the child may continue for a long time.

When choosing medicines for a child, you need to be very thorough so that they do not harm the body. In medicine, there are drugs that can treat a cough in a child of 2 years. All these medicines will be based on plant extracts and active ingredients. Also, all medicines for children at this age are offered in the form of a syrup, which is convenient to take several times a day.

Cough without fever

People are used to the fact that if a person falls ill, then his body temperature necessarily rises, his condition worsens, cough, runny nose and other signs appear. However, doctors say that there are pathologies that manifest themselves with a slight increase in the mark or, in general, without an increase.

Cough without fever occurs with the same pathological processes as described above. However, the patient is not bothered by one of the many symptoms. Cough without fever is manifested in such pathologies:

  • cold;
  • allergy;
  • stress;
  • oncological disease;
  • pathology of the heart;
  • diseases of ENT organs;
  • tuberculosis;
  • thyroid disease.

Quite often, a cough without fever occurs in children who have just had SARS. This is due to the high level of vulnerability and sensitivity of the respiratory mucosa. What to do in this case? Doctors say that there is nothing pathological in this process. It is enough for the child to follow all the recommendations of doctors and continue the course of treatment. With such an ailment, it is undesirable for children to go to the team, but it is better to stay at home for two or three days in order to finally recover from the infection. Otherwise, the child may develop chronic inflammation or complications.

Cough during pregnancy

In women during pregnancy, the body becomes very vulnerable. Therefore, even short contact with sick people can contribute to the disease. Cough is only a symptom of a particular pathology, therefore, when such a symptom is found, you need to look for the root cause, and not try to get rid of an unpleasant symptom.

If a woman has a symptom due to an illness, then the question remains how to treat a cough during pregnancy so as not to harm the baby. Look for the answer in the doctor's office. To eliminate the sign of the patient, sparing syrups, tablets and vitamins are prescribed. In no case should a woman put jars and mustard plasters, take a hot bath and steam her legs to warm. You also need to be careful with the dose of vitamin C.

So how to treat a cough during pregnancy at home? For all the prohibitions that the doctor imposes on treatment, the woman is recommended simple physiotherapy procedures. At home, you can do inhalations with various herbs, gargle.

Doctors do not particularly recommend using alternative methods treatment, but several methods remain available and permitted. At the appointment, the doctor can tell you how to treat a cough with folk remedies and how often they can be used.

For the treatment of cough, it is advised to use:

  • honey - rub on the chest, make compresses, eat a few teaspoons, add to tea;
  • milk - use a little warm, you can add sage, figs;
  • garlic and onions - chopped vegetables, take one spoonful three times a day.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of a recurrent cough, doctors advise what can be done for prevention:

  • to eat healthy food;
  • do not smoke and avoid breathing cigarette smoke;
  • treat diseases in time;
  • observe the rules of hygiene;
  • in the cold season, do not overcool.

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It is a protective reaction of the body. With its help, irritants, foreign bodies, mucus, infectious agents, and so on are removed from the respiratory tract. However, the baby can cough in different ways, so it needs to be treated differently.

Dry non-productive cough in a child

Such a cough usually appears at the beginning. It is treated with antitussive drugs, which are prescribed only by a doctor after examining the child. A dry, barking cough, with a metallic sound, signals that some changes are taking place in the vocal cords. This is often the case with laryngotracheitis. In this case, antitussives will also help, as well as drinking to soften the neck, recommended by the doctor.

Wet cough in a child

Occurs when sputum accumulates in the airways. get rid of what prevents him from swallowing and breathing normally. When the sputum is removed, the cough (its attack) stops. But when the sputum accumulates again, it resumes.

If sputum is difficult to separate, the baby is prescribed expectorant and mucolytic drugs or inhalations with their use. The use of antitussives in this case is prohibited! Quite often, in the dynamics of the disease, a dry cough is replaced by a wet one. And at this moment it is very important to switch to mucolytic drugs in time. It is very difficult to do this on your own, so the course of the disease should be monitored by a doctor!

Nocturnal coughing spells in a child

They can signal various diseases: , disruption digestive system(when the contents of the stomach enter the larynx), on house dust micromites. These mites live in bedding and feed on human epithelial cells, as well as organic residues on feathers from which pillows are made, wool from which blankets are made. Down and feather pillows can also provoke the appearance allergic reactions. Each of the above conditions requires treatment, cough is one of the symptoms here. For asthma or something else allergic disease respiratory system may show coughing when taking a deep breath. If the cough appears while eating, then it is necessary to examine the digestive organs of the child.

Cough during exercise in a child

In case of incorrect or untimely diagnosis and treatment, any of the above infections can greatly impair the health of the child.

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Cough, as well as the causes of its occurrence, is different, it is a kind of way to cleanse the body of accumulations that collect in the airways - in the lungs, in the bronchi. Sputum is usually called a thick liquid that is secreted during expectoration, consisting of saliva and mucus. And many doctors confidently assert that main reason chronic cough with sputum - long-term smoking.
When a coughing fit begins, you need to allow the body to clear itself, you can’t hold back, so the work of the respiratory system can be disrupted, which entails the risk of infection. Very often cough with phlegm causes serious complications- respiratory disorders, hemoptysis, constantly recurring acute respiratory infections, weight loss.
If a person who does not have a tendency to various kinds of respiratory diseases begins to be bothered by a cough that not only does not stop, but becomes almost chronic, with sputum coming out, one should not hesitate to go to the doctor, as there may already be a threat life, especially if there is an admixture of blood in the sputum or the color of the sputum resembles rust. And if, against the background of a long cough, there is anxiety, a disorder of consciousness and breathing, then in this case an emergency is required. health care, so you can suspect an acute disorder of the respiratory system.
In order not to infect others, when coughing, you should wear a bactericidal mask or cover yourself with a handkerchief, spit sputum into a special resealable vessel and observe personal hygiene.

So, chronic cough with phlegm, what are its causes?

As already noted, in the first place - this is smoking, since in the process of smoking mucus is produced in a larger amount than usual, mucus is produced from mucus, and the body must get rid of phlegm.
In addition to smoking, there are a number of diseases, one of the symptoms of which is coughing up sputum.
-Bronchial asthma. This disease, which sometimes lasts for many years, begins with the fact that a person simply coughs, and his voice takes on a slight hoarseness. With the development of the disease, wheezing becomes strong, audible in the lungs, and the cough becomes wet with sputum.
- Bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. At the onset of the disease, the cough is usually dry, turning into a wet cough with sputum, and sometimes with pus.
-Traditional cold, when a mixture of mucus and pus is coughed up.
-Allergic diseases.
-Lungs' cancer. It is difficult to diagnose in the initial stage, since the symptoms are very similar to the common cold with an accompanying cough with sputum, when even the attending physician does not always direct the patient to take a blood test for a tumor marker
-Pneumonia. As with bronchitis, the cough is initially dry and then wet with phlegm.
-Tuberculosis. When expectorating in this case, blood impurities are possible in the sputum.

By the way, by the sound of a cough and its smell, various diseases can be assumed. For example, with bronchitis and tuberculosis, the smell when coughing gives off rot. If the cough is dry, and sometimes barking, then the person most likely has problems with the vocal cords. If a cough is accompanied by a metallic sound, then it is probably a lung disease.
Of course, when the cough continues for a while, it is best to see a doctor as soon as possible. But there are some tips on how to alleviate the patient's condition at home.
You should drink plenty of fluids to thin the secretions when you cough with sputum.
A room humidifier will be useful. The evaporating liquid will soothe the inflamed bronchi and lungs and soften the secretions.

Rest as much as possible

You should not smoke during illness, and it is also advisable not to be in the role of a passive smoker
During a coughing fit, it is best to stand upright so that the lungs can expand more easily.
The use of traditional medicines.

If a child has a cough with sputum.

Cough treatment in childhood has its own characteristics, since the airways in children are not yet perfect, narrower, in comparison with the airways of an adult. In this case, blockage of the respiratory tract is possible with a strained cough with sputum. In the event of a child's illness, one should not neglect the advice of a doctor. Because the causes of coughing can be different and, most importantly, do not miss the onset of a serious illness, such as bronchial asthma, in which asthma attacks are possible, acute bronchoditis, which affects children infancy, as well as cystic fibrosis, this disease affects a large number of organs and whooping cough, a dangerous infectious disease, in which a cough lasts up to six months.
In order to help the child cope with the disease, to alleviate the cough, expectorant drugs and mixtures with a mucolytic effect should be given to him, but cough suppression should not be done in any case, unless there is a special doctor's recommendation for this.

Cough- jerky sudden release of air from the respiratory tract. Cough appears with irritation of nerve receptors against the background of changes in different parts of the respiratory system, as well as with excitation of the cough center in the brain and irritation of the external auditory canal.

Under the influence of infection, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, which leads to an increase in the amount of sputum in them and a slowdown in its evacuation.

In preschool children, cough and obstructive syndrome are caused by mucosal edema and accumulation of viscous sputum. And in children older than 5-6 years, spasm (narrowing of the lumen due to contraction of the muscle fibers of the bronchial wall) of the bronchi is more pronounced. This should be taken into account when choosing a treatment.

Rare episodes of coughing can occur in a healthy child, for example, during sleep with the accumulation of mucus in the larynx.

Types of cough

  • coughing- short repeated episodes of coughing as a result of the accumulation of mucous discharge in the larynx. Occurs with pharyngitis, bronchitis mild form, as a habit after suffering bronchitis;
  • Moist cough characterized by the discharge of sputum, which, accumulating in the respiratory tract, irritates unequal receptors in the walls of the bronchi, trachea, larynx and pharynx. Occurs on the 4-8th day from the onset acute bronchitis, with pneumonia;
  • Dry unproductive- without expectoration, unpleasant, intrusive, irritating. Appears with laryngitis, at the beginning of bronchitis, aspiration (inhalation) of a foreign body, on the 2nd day from the onset of pneumonia. In healthy children, it can be when moving to a warm room from the cold.
  • laryngeal appears in diseases of the larynx (laryngitis, diphtheria). This is a hoarse, "barking" cough, with diphtheria it becomes almost silent;
  • bitonal- with a hoarse low sound at the beginning and with a whistling high sound at the end. Appears when the lumen of the large bronchi narrows ( foreign body, bronchitis);
  • paroxysmal- in the classic version, it occurs with whooping cough, when, after several coughing shocks, a deep breath with a whistle (reprise) follows. During an attack, the face turns red or blue, tears flow from the eyes, and there may be vomiting at the end. Seizures occur more often at night;
  • whooping cough appears in the presence of thick viscous sputum. Similar to whooping cough paroxysmal cough, but does not have reprises. Occurs in cystic fibrosis;
  • Spastic- appears in a child with obstructive diseases (bronchial asthma, obstructive bronchitis). It is a compulsive, non-productive cough with a whistling sound. Increased with deep breathing.
  • psychogenic dry cough appears in emotional children when they want to attract the attention of adults, in various stressful situations (while waiting for a doctor's appointment at the clinic), with excessive mother's restless attention to the symptoms of a cold. Such a cough goes away when the child is left alone and adults do not concentrate on this.

Diseases associated with cough

DiseaseThe nature of the coughAssociated symptoms
Bronchitis Dry at first, getting wet laterFever, loss of appetite, headache.
Obstructive bronchitis SpasticAn increase in body temperature, rapid breathing, more noisy expiration, nostrils swell when breathing, intercostal spaces are retracted. The child is irritable, restless.
Pneumonia DryFever and chills, weakness, loss of appetite.
Bronchial asthma Spasmodic dry, often at nightDuring an attack: the child is excited, the intercostal spaces are drawn in when breathing.
Pharyngitis Unproductive dry, may be aggravated by crying, laughing, changing air temperatureSore and redness in the throat, pain when swallowing, possibly an increase in body temperature.
Laryngitis laryngeal, dryPerhaps an increase in body temperature, a hoarse voice.
Tracheitis Dry unproductive, may be whooping coughPossible fever, symptoms of intoxication (headache, weakness).
Whooping cough Unproductive dry becomes paroxysmalFever, runny nose, after several coughing shocks, a deep noisy breath (reprise) follows, there may be vomiting during an attack. Coughing fits can last for a month or more.
cystic fibrosis whooping coughDiarrhea, offensive stool, delayed physical development, underweight.
Rhinitis Unproductive dryNasal congestion, watery discharge from the nose, nasality, snoring is possible.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (in children early age) MorningProfuse regurgitation, frequent vomiting, hiccups, abdominal pain.
Foreign body in the airways Bitonic, paroxysmalAppears against the background of general well-being, characterized by shortness of breath, hoarseness.

The table lists the most common causes cough in children, but with many other diseases, the child can also cough.

So, for example, with ascariasis, during the migration of larvae through the body and their passage through the lungs, there may be a dry cough.

SARS (acute respiratory viral infections) occur with symptoms of pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and even bronchitis.

A severe cough in a child can cause inhalation of smoke and aerosols of other irritants.

In chronic adenoiditis (inflammation of the adenoids), a cough appears during sleep, accompanied by snoring, the child sleeps with his mouth open. This is also seen in sinusitis.

Treatment

To cure a cough, you need to determine its nature, the choice depends on it. medicines. So a dry cough must be converted into a wet one with a good expectoration of sputum, with a painful paroxysmal - reduce the frequency of coughing shocks, etc.

Types of drugs for treatment:

  • Antitussive drugs- drugs that reduce the intensity of coughing by inhibiting the cough center in the brain (central drugs) or by inhibiting the cough reflex as a result of a decrease in the sensitivity of receptors in the airways (peripheral drugs).
    These drugs are prescribed only for an excruciating, painful dry cough that exhausts the child, disturbs his sleep and worsens general state. As a result, there is no complete removal of sputum from the respiratory tract, it irritates the receptors even more, and the cough only intensifies.
    Characteristic for the initial stage of bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheitis.
    These drugs include Sinekod, Tusuprex, Sedotussin. It is contraindicated to take these drugs with the syndrome of airway obstruction!
  • Enveloping products used for coughing due to irritation of the upper respiratory tract (rhinitis, pharyngitis). For this purpose, herbal preparations, teas, syrups, various lozenges are used.
  • Expectorants stimulate the excretion of viscous sputum by thinning it due to an increase in volume. These properties are possessed by extracts of herbs (elecampane, thyme, marshmallow, plantain, anise), potassium and sodium iodides. But these drugs can cause allergies in a child, and therefore their use in children, especially young children, is limited.
  • Mucolytic drugs lead to liquefaction of sputum, but almost do not increase its volume. They are taken for diseases accompanied by a wet cough with thick, difficult to separate, viscous sputum.
  • Ambroxol-based preparations not only liquefy sputum, but also enhance its excretion. These include Ambroxol, Ambrobene, Halixol, Flavamed, Lazolvan and others. A similar effect is also characteristic of carbocysteine ​​drugs: Mukopront, Fluditec.
    Acetylcysteine ​​preparations (ACC, Mukobene) strongly thin the sputum, but do not remove it, so their use in children is not recommended.
  • Combined drugs along with inhibition of the cough reflex, they also reduce the viscosity of sputum. These include Tussin plus, Glycodin, Stoptussin.
    And Broncholitin also has a bronchodilator effect.
  • Medicinal drugs help stop coughing by acting on additional causes of its development. First of all, these are bronchodilators, drugs that expand the lumen of the bronchi. Indicated for obstruction to relieve bronchospasm. Among these drugs are Salbutamol, Berodual, Clenbuterol, Atrovent.
  • Antihistamines(allergy medicines) can help in some cases to reduce cough by reducing swelling of the mucous membrane. These are various drugs: Fenkarol, Fenistil, Zirtek, Parlazin, Erius.

The use of mucolytic drugs simultaneously with antitussives is contraindicated due to the possibility of "waterlogging" of the respiratory system (the cough reflex is inhibited, liquid sputum is not excreted.)

For the treatment of cough, you can use not only drugs in the form of tablets, syrups, powders, but also in the form inhalations. It is best to use compressor-type inhalers (nebulizers) for these purposes.

To moisten the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and facilitate the removal of sputum, alkaline inhalation (mineral water Borjomi, Essentuki).

Solutions used to thin sputum ambroxol inhalation.

To facilitate the expectoration of sputum, it is necessary to carry out postural drainage. The child lies on his stomach, the upper body should be slightly lower. The adult folds his palm in the form of a boat and with the palm of his hand begins to tap on the back of the child. This method is used for bronchitis, pneumonia.

As you can see, the list of drugs for treatment is very large. Therefore, a doctor will help you decide how to treat a cough, who, after an examination, will prescribe the correct treatment for your child.

The use of traditional medicine

To help with the main treatment, you can use various medicinal herbs and fees. But it should be remembered that in children under 5-7 years old this type of treatment is not welcome, since herbs are a rather strong allergen.

Expectorant and antitussive fees:

CompoundMode of application
1 Common coltsfoot, leaves - 20 g.
Marshmallow officinalis, roots - 20 g.
Oregano, grass - 10 g

Take half a glass 2 hours before meals.
2 mother-and-stepmother ordinary, leaves - 20 g.
Plantain large, leaves - 20 g.
Licorice naked, roots - 20g.
Violet tricolor, grass - 20g.
Infuse in a water bath for 15 minutes, strain.
Take warm ¼ cup 5 times a day before meals.
3 Elecampane, rhizome and roots, 20gPour a glass of water, boil over low heat for 30 minutes,
take 4 tablespoons daily.
4 Thyme, grass - 20gInfuse in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool, strain.
Take 1-2 teaspoons.

Features of the disease and its treatment in infants

In infants, the equivalent of a cough may be a sneeze.

When taking drugs that thin sputum, we want to achieve ease of its excretion. But with babies, things are a little different. Children of this age still cannot fully cough up. And it turns out that sputum accumulates more and more in the respiratory tract, contributing to the worsening of the disease. For this reason, very often in babies, bronchitis can turn into pneumonia.

To avoid this, you need help the child cough. To do this, press a flat blunt object (tip of a spoon, spatula) on the root of the tongue. Do not be alarmed if at the same time your baby can vomit, while excess sputum will also leave the digestive tract, because the child swallows part of it (children also do not know how to spit). This procedure should be carried out quite often, always before each feeding.

Of the drugs in children of this group Not recommended use acetylcysteine ​​(ACC) preparations. When taking medicines in the form of syrups, you need to pay attention to the fact that the dyes and sugar used in their production can cause allergies.