We treat children's cough at home. How and what to treat a severe cough in a child

Many inflammations of the respiratory system cause a severe cough in a child. This symptom cannot be ignored, as complications may arise - the disease will develop into chronic form, pneumonia or bronchitis may develop.

Causes of cough in children

The entry of foreign particles into the respiratory system provokes bronchospasm. This is the body’s protective reaction against viruses, bacteria and dust particles that are invisible to the naked eye. Coughing a child may develop for the following reasons:

1. Ingress of viral microorganisms. They actively multiply on the mucous membranes, causing swelling of the larynx, runny nose and pain in the chest. If the child has a severe cough, the child should be taken to the pediatrician, especially when the child is under three years old. At this age, children are not able to independently expectorate mucus in which viruses multiply.
2. Bacterial infections are always accompanied by a sore throat and yellow-green nasal discharge.
3. Allergy - a very severe cough occurs when the child is near an irritant. Allergens are often pet hair, household dust, powders and fabric softeners, fluff in pillows or plants. In this case, a cough occurs without phlegm, but the eyes begin to water and the nose becomes red.

Sometimes children can get into their respiratory tract foreign body– we must not forget about this. From the outside it looks like a sharp attack of coughing; the child experiences a feeling of suffocation; it is necessary to urgently provide first aid and go to a medical facility.

Treatment of a severe cough in a child is prescribed only after the pediatrician determines the type of spasm. There are two types - wet and dry. In the first case, mucus comes out during an attack. Therapy in each case is selected individually, taking into account age young patient and the presence of chronic diseases.

Why does a child have a dry cough?

In children, severe coughing causes chest pain. The child sleeps restlessly at night and experiences constant feeling fatigue. If measures are not taken, pneumonia or bronchitis may occur. At an appointment with a pediatrician, you can find out why bronchospasms occur without phlegm:

• colds are the most common reason, for which the child suffers. A cough accompanied by a runny nose is treated with antiviral or bacterial preparations and medications that help remove mucus from the lungs;
• whooping cough – rare disease, but if the child has a severe cough long time and in certain time the appropriate vaccination has not been made, then the disease cannot be ruled out;
• measles - bronchospasm is always accompanied by elevated temperature, the patient also complains of a sore throat;
• false croup - the disease is accompanied by a runny nose, sore throat, high temperature and attacks that choke the baby, causing vomiting. Therapy is carried out only under the supervision of specialists in a hospital;
• pharyngitis and laryngitis - the disease begins with a sore throat, bronchospasm and hoarse voice, which disappears after 2-3 days.

What to do if you cough and have bloody sputum

Parents should closely monitor the baby's health if they do not want to treat a lingering cold or more serious illnesses.

Cough in a child with sputum production

A wet cough indicates that mucus is being cleared from the lungs. Most often, such attacks are characteristic of viral infections, bronchitis or pneumonia. Timely treatment respiratory system will relieve many health problems. Adults should be alert to the following accompanying symptoms:

• elevated temperature that is not reduced by Nurofen or children's Paracetamol;
• constant shortness of breath and attacks of suffocation during bronchospasm;
• night cough, which lasts more than a week;
• green sputum that has a foul odor;
• wheezing in the chest during spasms;
• bloody streaks in the mucus that the baby coughs up.

In this case, only a specialist will tell you how to treat the disease. It is possible that you will have to undergo therapy in a hospital setting. More than one experienced pediatrician will not allow you to treat such a disease at home.

Bronchospasm due to allergies

An allergic reaction can provoke severe bronchospasm. Particles of the irritant enter the respiratory system, causing a cough. Folk remedies cannot cure such a disease. But there is a possibility that the problem will disappear in adulthood. Signs of allergic bronchospasm are easy to recognize:

• sudden bouts of barking cough;
• In addition, the child has a runny nose and watery eyes;
• constant itching in the nose, causing sneezing;
• Only small amounts of clear mucus are secreted from the bronchi.

The condition worsens due to periodic swelling of the pharynx. If this condition is not controlled, suffocation may occur. Prescribed for treatment antihistamines. it cannot be cured at home, but it is possible to reduce the discomfort experienced by the young patient.

What to do if your child coughs a lot

You should not give your child drugs from the pharmacy at random. Medicines should be prescribed only by a pediatrician. Parents can ease their baby's condition by using the following tips:

1. Folk remedies only help initial stages therapy. You can’t thoughtlessly give your baby decoctions and tinctures. It is better to consult your doctor. Many herbs should not be given to children under three years of age.
2. You should regularly carry out wet cleaning and ventilate the room.
3. First aid during a severe spasm is to normalize the drinking regime. A sick child should be offered warm drinks - tea with honey (if there is no allergy to bee products), with lemon, dried fruit compote or milk with added butter.
4. It is important to monitor your baby during the night. The supine position is considered unfavorable because due to copious discharge sputum may cause the child to choke.

What causes and how to treat dry paroxysmal cough

It is not easy to cure bronchospasm on your own. Unfortunately, many parents choose drugs for therapy illiterately, thereby complicating the course of the disease. Generally designed for babies special drugs, which should be given strictly according to instructions.

How to cure a severe cough

A severe cough in a child is a cause for concern. Syrups or decoctions should be given to the baby only after an accurate diagnosis. Most often in a recipe pediatrician The following pharmaceutical drugs are present:

1. Mucolytics are medications that thin mucus and help remove it from the lungs. Pediatricians prescribe Mucaltin or Ambroxol. There are many similar medications, so choosing a medicine is not difficult.
2. Bronchodilators are prescribed if the patient has a long-term persistent cough. Such drugs include Saltos or Theophylline. They are prescribed only after the symptoms and causes of spasm have been studied in detail.
3. Expectorant medicine based on herbs - they will improve the baby’s condition if the cough is wet.

Treatment of the lungs and bronchi is not an easy task. You should always read the instructions, even if the drug was prescribed by your pediatrician. For a 6-year-old child, the dosage will be different from that prescribed for the treatment of a twelve-year-old schoolchild. After the first dose, you should not expect relief; improvements become noticeable only on the 2-3rd day of treatment.

Inhaler and nebulizer therapy

If adults tolerate colds relatively easily, then parents’ hearts bleed every time their child gets sick. It is difficult for kids to tolerate colds because their airways are still too narrow. Let's try to figure out today how to help a baby cope with a cough and runny nose.

Today, almost every family has access to purchasing various medical devices, which actively help defeat illnesses and shorten the duration of illness. One of these technical assistants are inhalers. Hot steam helps soothe a baby's irritated throat and soften a cough. The trouble is that the steam inhaler cannot be used when elevated temperature, and not every baby will survive such a procedure.

There are several types of devices that can relieve bronchospasm:

1. Nebulizers. These devices convert liquid into cold vapor, or more precisely, into an aerosol or cloud. Ultrasonic models make virtually no noise, so many parents focus on them, purchasing them to combat a runny nose and cough in a child.
2. Compression inhalers, they make a lot of noise, but in a number of diseases it is best to give preference to them, since ultrasound destroys a number of useful medicinal substances. The device is equipped with a mask and snorkel, so you can specifically treat a cough, a runny nose, or both.
3. Mesh inhalers or membrane inhalers are completely silent and do not allow the contents of the device to spill, which allows them to be used even while the child is sleeping.

No doctor can diagnose correct diagnosis without first examining the patient. Therefore, the classic phrase of parents: “Our child is coughing incessantly - what should we do?” doesn't tell him anything. Frequent cough- this is the body’s first signal about a problem, which you should listen to and, based on some features, establish the root cause of this failure.

Description

Coughing is an important reflex of the body, which allows you to completely clear the airways, both from large foreign objects, and from the smallest fractions of dust, which by their presence interfere clean breath. Quite healthy baby can cough up to thirteen times a day, and this, according to experts, is considered a common occurrence, helping to cleanse the trachea, lungs and bronchi. Often babies cough after crying, during teething or while eating. A physiological cough is very easy to distinguish from a cold: as a rule, it ends very quickly, and the child continues to go about his immediate business. But what if it doesn’t stop? What to do in this case, the doctor must decide, since incorrectly chosen therapy can lead to a significant deterioration of the situation.

Types of cough

Cough itself is not a disease, but it is a clear symptom that has a number of causes. Only their correct elimination can lead to positive results. Normal physiological phenomenon A cough that is not accompanied by upset stool, runny nose, rash or fever is considered to be a cough. The reason for this phenomenon may be the presence of too dry air in the room, increased salivation and even abrupt change temperatures But how to help if the child coughs incessantly? What to do? Should I consult a doctor or try to cope on my own? You should seek the help of specialists if additional symptoms are detected:

• general deterioration of health;
• lethargy;
• elevated temperature;
• chest and muscle pain;
• presence of a runny nose.

Pathological cough

It is usually divided into wet and dry. It can be severe or intermittent, and sometimes with attacks of vomiting and suffocation. What to do if your child coughs nonstop? The problem can be solved after determining the cause of this phenomenon. The choice depends entirely on the nature of the cough, which is why doctors pay maximum attention to this aspect.

• Wet - clearly indicates the presence viral infection in the respiratory tract. Experts call it productive, since such a cough causes less discomfort, is accompanied by high-quality sputum discharge, and with appropriate treatment goes away quite quickly.
• Dry - occurs due to irritation of nerve receptors. It could be a foreign body or various types of infections. Most painful cough occurs with complications of ARVI, untreated influenza, sore throat. It is also the most dangerous, because it leads to the development of inflammation, worsening the situation and long-term treatment.

Expert opinion

The child coughs incessantly - what to do? Komarovsky E.O. gives a clear verdict on this matter - go to the doctor. He himself is a children's pediatrician, candidate medical sciences, and for its long medical practice wrote more than one useful book. No self-respecting doctor can make a correct diagnosis without examining the patient, much less prescribe appropriate treatment, the doctor believes. There are no “cough” medicines in medicine, just as there are no individual drugs“from the head” or “from the runny nose.” Each symptom has its own causes, which an experienced specialist must find out and eliminate. The indecision of most parents leads to the fact that they receive advice from local pharmacies, who offer them a number of medications with a wide variety of compositions.

What does this lead to?

Before you decide what to do if your child coughs incessantly at home, you should learn a little information. The lungs of any person are constantly producing mucus, which contributes to their high-quality cleansing. Its main part is formed in the bronchi, from where it is removed by periodic coughing. But a cough can provoke more than just irritation respiratory tract, and different kinds pathologies of the central nervous system, which cause disruption of the cough center in the brain. The cause may be the development of the following diseases:

• whooping cough - it is characterized by paroxysmal lingering cough;
• allergies - the reasons may be different, shining example- bronchial asthma;
• bacterial and viral infections - tuberculosis, laryngitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections;
• tumors - affect different parts of the respiratory tract and lead to disruption of their functioning;
• chemical irritation - poisoning with paint or gasoline vapors:
• helminthic infestations.

A number of cardiac pathologies can lead to impaired blood circulation and stagnation in the lungs. Its withdrawal will require increased production of sputum, which, in turn, causes

Pharmacy products

What to do if your child coughs incessantly? Find out the cause of this phenomenon and act directly on the source of development of this unpleasant symptom. Most of the commercially available drugs are aimed not at the cough center in the brain, but at the sputum itself, helping to liquefy it and quickly remove it from the bronchi. But the mechanism of their influence is not exactly the same. Yes, part of the data medicines has combined properties, they are able to weaken signals going to the brain (antitussive functions) and dilute phlegm. “Bronholitin”, used by everyone, contains the cough antagonist glaucine, ephedrine, basil oil and citric acid. Typical antitussive agents also include Stoptussin, Tusuprex, Libexin, Glaucin and Paxeladin.

Correct treatment

Having convinced ourselves of the significance of a cough, all we have to do is make it as productive as possible. If a child coughs incessantly, what to do at home? Use only remedies that help relieve this symptom and proper removal of sputum. Use drugs and traditional methods that improve the functioning of the bronchial mucosa and dilute the mucus contained in them. For these purposes, a number of medicinal expectorants are used. They have the most different shapes release. In the case of children younger age It is more advisable to use the medicine in the form of suppositories and syrups. Inhalations are indicated for older children, and in difficult cases the doctor may prescribe intravenous and intramuscular injections. All types of expectorant drugs can be divided into two categories:

• natural - created with plant based, including useful to the body elements;
• chemical - series pharmaceutical drugs with artificial composition.

Combination products are also available for sale, containing substances from both groups, which are not the most useful children's body. All that remains is to read the composition or turn to natural traditional methods treatment.

Important points

My child keeps coughing, what should I do? Folk remedies here include a number mandatory measures promoting better sputum removal:

• observe drinking regime- warm drinks in large quantities help thin mucus;
• humidify the air in the room - this can be done using ordinary towels (wet them under the tap and place them in the room on radiators);
• check the bed linen - perhaps the baby has developed an allergy to one of the laundry detergents with which it was treated;
• Pay attention to house plants and objects surrounding the child - their pungent aroma can also cause a sore throat and frequent coughing.

First aid

What should you do if your child coughs nonstop at night? Try giving your baby a gentle massage. In a lying position, removing mucus from the lungs becomes difficult, and gentle stroking movements will help the baby quickly cough up. Use inhalations. This effective way our parents successfully used it, preparing a container with hot steam that moisturized the larynx and allowed the bronchi to open properly. Now pharmacies offer us more convenient and modern method- nebulizers. They are equipped with special nozzles for proper irrigation, and the kit usually includes an infusion medicinal herbs required action or mineral water. Such an inhaler can quickly calm down even strong

Folk recipes

What to do if your child coughs nonstop? At home, it is recommended to use natural medicinal decoctions based on fees from medicinal plants. You can efficiently liquefy and remove phlegm using coltsfoot, licorice root, marshmallow, and thermopsis. A drink based on warm milk with a small amount of soda and honey soothes an irritated throat. It works in three directions at once: it relieves symptoms, thins mucus in the lungs and eliminates pain. Make a compress of radish juice for your baby, apply it immediately before bed, and if the child does not have a fever, try warming baths with mustard. Afterwards, be sure to put on warm socks and carefully wrap your baby in a blanket.

Night attack

My child keeps coughing, what should I do? If warm drinking does not help, the humidity in the room is normal, and inhalation gives a temporary result, stop the attack using the following methods:

1. Vertical position - this method promotes better lung ventilation and soothes cough.
2. Medicines - they should be taken according to the scheme and prescription of the doctor, but in in case of emergency they will help stop the attack. Depending on the age of the child, decide on the dosage; if necessary, you can call ambulance and ask them for advice on this matter.
3. Rubbing - you can use them to quickly warm your baby's feet or chest. For these purposes, badger and goose fat. Has excellent warming abilities camphor oil, it is mixed with honey in equal proportions and applied to the child’s chest and back, avoiding the heart area. Afterwards, be sure to wrap your baby in a warm scarf and put on a comfortable blouse.

If the cough does not stop for ten days, accompanied by additional symptoms- temperature, painful sensations in the body, lethargy and drowsiness, the child should be shown to a doctor. In cases of a sudden change in condition, impaired consciousness, refusal to eat or drink, or obvious difficulty breathing, immediately call an ambulance.

If children, regardless of age, begin to be very bothered by a cough, which manifests itself most often at night. Parents urgently need to find out the cause of this manifestation by contacting a qualified doctor. You should not treat children yourself using various antitussives or folk remedies. After all, if a child coughs a lot at night, but during the day there is no cough at all, first of all you need to carefully check the general condition of the child, regardless of whether he is 3 years old or 4 years old. And only an experienced doctor can do this after receiving the results. necessary tests. Self-treatment only aggravates the situation, the cough can intensify and even lead to vomiting. To avoid unwanted complications, a visit to the clinic should not be postponed, because night, for a long time continuous coughing attacks will exhaust both children and the parents who care for them.

First of all, you should understand that any type of cough (it should not be confused with coughing) indicates that some kind of pathology is developing in the body, and it is the cough that begins to fight it. Therefore, it is not this manifestation that needs to be treated, but the ailment that begins to develop in the child’s body.

A night cough can occur for several reasons:

1. Against the background of the development of a viral disease. For any viral disease Coughing attacks worsen at night. This is explained by the fact that taking supine position, mucus formed due to colds, much more difficult to move away. The child is not able to get rid of snot, so he has to breathe not through his nose, but through his mouth. And this action constantly provokes the occurrence of a dry cough. Both children's and adults' bodies, which have succumbed to the effects of a viral infection, must remove sputum, and with the same intensity both at night and during the day. And since the lying position complicates this process, coughing attacks at night may become more frequent. This process is observed in the following childhood diseases:

• pharyngitis and rhinitis;
• adenoiditis;
• sinusitis.

If a coughing attack occurs only during the day, this may indicate the development of more complex diseases.

1. If there is no cough during the day, but at night the manifestation greatly torments the child, contact medical assistance need it as quickly as possible. After all, such a symptom may lead to the development serious illnesses, for example, bronchial asthma or whooping cough. Indicates the development of whooping cough severe attack coughing, which almost constantly leads to vomiting, while the child’s face turns red and the tongue sticks out strongly.

During development bronchial asthma A coughing attack most often appears closer to the morning, the child sweats a lot during an attack, and a peculiar whistle is heard when inhaling. Both diseases are very dangerous with complications and rapid progression, therefore, as soon as signs of the disease are noticed, examination of children and selection complex treatment a doctor should take care of it, and as quickly as possible.

1. Due to exposure to an allergen. If it is noticed that the child begins to have a coughing attack as soon as he lies down in his bed, and the cough is dry and without fever, then most likely the attack is caused by an allergen. Allergic reaction may cause:

• filling a pillow or baby blanket;
• poor-quality padding of the mattress or sofa on which the child sleeps;
• Poorly rinsed bed linen or children's pajamas.

If, after a short time, the child, laid in the crib, develops not only a cough, but also profuse tearfulness and mucous membranes swell, this will be further evidence that there is a serious allergen nearby, which needs to be gotten rid of as quickly as possible.

The child will definitely need urgent help doctors if:

• the night coughing attack will be very long and occur without obvious reasons;
• if the secreted sputum is rich green in color, with blood impurities;
• If a child sweats during a night cough, he or she experiences an increase in body temperature.

A child’s illness can become a huge stress for young parents: not only does their beloved child suffer from feeling unwell And persistent cough, so now it’s twice as difficult for the mother - in addition to the usual obligations of cooking, cleaning, raising and studying, there is a lot of additional fuss with the treatment of a young patient. But don't despair if you suddenly find yourself in similar situation- there are several tips that can make your life much easier during these autumn-winter periods of vitamin deficiency and widespread colds.

Disease Prevention

First of all, The best way Fighting a disease is its prevention. Everyone knows that it is much easier to stop the development of pathology in the early stages, and therefore, to prevent your child from being overcome by a cough, worry about his health in advance. The advice we can offer you is quite standard: make sure that your child’s diet is complete and contains everything necessary elements(sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins), in addition, multivitamin complexes for children will be a useful addition.

In conditions where the immune system is weakened, it is extremely important to exclude even the slightest possibility of deficiency nutrients in organism. This will be the first step towards full health. In addition, it is important to ensure that the baby dresses appropriately for the weather outside: clothes should be comfortable and practical.

What to do if the disease could not be avoided?

You did everything right, but trouble still overtook you: your child has a very bad cough. Unfortunately, such cases are not at all uncommon in our time, and therefore you need to be prepared for anything. First of all, we need to decide what type of disease your situation belongs to. The fact is that a child’s severe cough is only a symptom, not a specific disease, and it indicates the presence of a problem of a different nature. As a rule, this is a sign of an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI), influenza, a certain stage of bronchitis or pneumonia.

Cough is not a death sentence

How can a child treat a severe cough? Each specific disease requires its own treatment methods, so the most reasonable solution would be to contact specialists who will help you determine the root of the problem. Only after this you can buy at the pharmacy specialized means and carry out curative therapy. Do not self-medicate - this will make your situation worse.

Fighting coughing attacks at home

In order for your child to recover faster, you must provide him with the necessary recovery regime. In this case, folk remedies known since the times of the USSR will be very useful:

But all these are only factors that help improve well-being, and not cure the disease. The real solution, which will eliminate a child’s severe cough, will be medications.

Types of cough

Before answering the question of what pills you should buy at the pharmacy to get rid of the disease, you need to understand its mechanism. So, coughing is a natural reaction of the body, with the help of which it gets rid of germs. Enveloped in mucus, they are pushed out through the respiratory tract.

The nature of the cough depends on the specific disease. It is usually wet or dry. However, there are other types that are much less common: barking, spastic, whooping cough. We will analyze its two main manifestations.

A wet cough is a direct and immediate sign of bronchitis. Its course is accompanied by the release of sputum, the nature of which can be used to judge the severity of the disease. Normally, it should not contain any admixtures of blood or pus.

A dry cough is much more unpleasant in its manifestations and can be a manifestation of ARVI or a common cold.

Let's start the treatment!

First, let's deal with our first enemy - a wet cough. Despite the fact that such a condition causes considerable discomfort to your child, it indicates the body’s direct fight against infection. A wet cough is a process that indicates the elimination of all harmful microorganisms with the help of sputum. That's why it was called that.

However, you should be wary if:

• The child has a severe cough, the temperature lasts for several days, and there is no sign of recovery. Most likely, the baby’s body cannot cope with pathogens on its own.
• Treatment is accompanied by a stable loss of appetite. Yes, the disease causes a certain decrease in food cravings, however, if this is observed on an ongoing basis, this is a reason to think about it.
• Bloody impurities in the sputum. A child’s severe cough is accompanied by unpleasant clots.

Strong and clearly audible wheezing

All this indicates an unhealthy course of the disease. To cope with unpleasant symptoms, you will need expectorants. They will help the body get rid of accumulated mucus as quickly as possible, which, accordingly, will lead to more quick recovery. Remember: treating a severe cough in children is a responsible process; you shouldn’t leave everything to chance!

Synthetics or natural gifts?

Expectorants can be natural or synthetic. What is their main difference and what should you choose? Naturally, the most favorable option for most parents will seem to be the choice of drugs based on herbal ingredients. However, it is worth making a reservation here and mentioning the fact that their effectiveness is less than that of synthetic analogues. In addition, they have the unpleasant property of causing allergy attacks.

In practice, there are often cases when a child gets sick. “3 years old, severe cough, what should I do?” - such a question is far from uncommon. But the possibility of getting a whole bouquet is not excluded. side drugs from supposedly harmless drugs that parents so “bravely” give to the baby. Therefore, medications, even herbal ones, should be treated with caution. After all, herbs and infusions are also medicine, sometimes very strong!

That is why many specialists give preference to synthetic products, choosing them as the basis of treatment. Currently, pharmaceuticals have taken a big step forward, and achievements modern science allow you to get rid of the disease safely and in as soon as possible. List the best medicines This category is very extensive, and it will not be possible to completely list all drugs in one article. Let us only note that to the most effective medicines include tablets and syrups “Ambroxol”, “Bromhexine” and their analogues. Can an “adult” child take them? “2 years old, severe cough. Is it possible to give a child more strong medications? - Pediatricians often hear this question. This is explained by the fact that at this age, many parents stop perceiving their baby as a baby and are sure that he can take such medications. But it is worth remembering that all medications should be given only after consultation with a specialist.

The dangers that syrups pose

To treat dry cough, as a rule, various syrups are used, the effect of which is aimed at calming its attacks. Previously, codeine-based drugs were very popular, but we would not advise you to use such drugs. The fact is that such syrups were banned in many countries due to their narcotic effect.

Much safer options for you will be the drugs Paxeladin, Biocalyptol and their analogues. Such syrups do not contain ephedrine (known in narrow circles as broncholithin), codeine, or other hazardous substances. Parents of children should be concerned if there is a severe cough. Is your child one year old and already suffering from seizures? You can resort to such treatments without fear.

Now you know what to do if your child has a severe cough. remember, that best protection- this is an attack, the best treatment is prevention. Therefore, if you do not want your baby to get sick from childhood, instill in him the concepts of healthy way life.