What to do if the child coughs

Cough is one of the most common symptoms of a child's illness. From this, most parents often have a question about what it is and how to treat it. There are many diseases in which a child coughs, and not always a cold or a viral infection. To begin with, you should recognize the causes, and only then eliminate the cough itself. However, in the first place, it is worthwhile to see a doctor, as he will provide the most complete information, including the ability to determine the disease by the concomitant symptoms and results of the tests.

At once it is necessary to note, that conditionally allocate physiological and pathological cough. In the first case, this is a natural process that does not require intervention and treatment. This type is especially characteristic for small children, including infants. In this way, the lungs and bronchi are released from the mucus that has accumulated in them, crumbs, foreign objects. If the child coughs for 5 months for no apparent reason, it is necessary to follow the factors that accompany this reflex. For the physiological cough characterized by short-term, periodic recurrence in the absence of other symptoms of the disease. Often it is so weak that the child does not even interrupt the game without noticing it.

Parents should be careful if the child coughs is not as usual, with wheezing or an attack lasts long and painfully. It is worth remembering that one of the reasons may be getting into the respiratory tract of a foreign body, and, therefore, immediately check this option. To do this, the child's oral cavity is initially checked, it is placed on the knees to the adult face down, after which it is worthwhile to hold several sliding, jerky strokes in the area of the scapula.

In the case when cough is caused by cold or viral diseases, it is worth to evaluate its appearance (dry, wet, barking), and try to make the most productive, that is, with sputum discharge, and the attack should last as little as possible and painless. For this, special medications and inhalations are prescribed, which are prescribed by the pediatrician. In the case when the medical worker has not yet examined the child, but it is necessary to ease the attack, it is better to turn to proven folk remedies, for example, herbal dips or inhalations with warm steam.

It should be noted that the child coughs for a while even after all other symptoms of the disease have been eliminated. In this case, it is recommended to periodically measure his temperature, monitor general conditions, show the doctor to determine the presence or absence of wheezing in the lungs.

It often happens that the child coughs at night. In cases where this interferes with rest, after consulting a doctor, you can give him antitussive drugs. However, it is necessary to be careful with such medicines and not abuse them, since this reflex is still a protective function of the body. Sometimes a night cough, especially in preschool children, can indicate such diseases as adenoids or gastrointestinal reflux.

In cases where the baby suffers a protracted dry cough without obvious symptoms of a cold, it is worth consulting with such narrow specialists as an ENT, an infectious disease specialist, a gastroenterologist.

An important condition for treatment, if the child coughs, is the regimen. This will help not only to create favorable conditions for other components of treatment, but also to restore strength sooner, as well as help prevent complications. It is necessary to protect the baby from any irritating factors, such as smoke, unpleasant smells, dyes, etc. The room where the patient will be located must have high humidity (you can use special devices for this). It is also important to comply with diet and drinking regimen ( carbonated drinks and black tea are excluded).