A child has a wet, rough cough. Symptoms and causes of barking cough in adults and children. General treatment of cough

Barking cough in a child – one of the symptoms of a cold or infectious disease. This is the body’s response to the accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract. Any cough (wet, dry, spasmodic or barking) in children always indicates the presence of a disease.

A cough is called barking if it is dry, paroxysmal, occurs with difficulty, and leads to wheezing and hoarseness.

A dry cough in a child is called unproductive. Sputum is not produced or removed from respiratory tract child, recovery does not occur. The sound of such a cough is reminiscent of a dog barking, which is why it has a characteristic name.

A dry barking cough can be dangerous in children under three years of age. It can signal the presence of a serious inflammatory process in the baby’s body.

Perhaps this is a symptom of diseases such as acute laryngitis, diphtheria,. These diseases are extremely dangerous for a small child; they must be treated promptly and competently.

Doctors often say a wise phrase: “It is not the cough that needs to be treated, but its causes.” More often similar symptom occurs in children from four months and up to the age of five. For one year old child Often there is a condition when the baby coughs a lot, and this is a manifestation of acute laryngitis during a viral infection.

Usually one year old baby stop breastfeeding, maternal immunity in children disappears, they become more vulnerable to all kinds of infections. The reason is that children are characterized by a narrow larynx, and exposure to microbes (bacteria or viruses) causes inflammation and swelling of its mucous membrane.

Harmful microorganisms enter the child's respiratory tract, causing inflammation of the tissues, followed by swelling and the release of exudate. As a result, in children the laryngeal lumen decreases and there is insufficient air supply to the lungs. The child’s cough receptors are irritated, the muscles of the lungs, bronchi and chest, coughing begins.

The following symptoms are typical for laryngitis:

• general malaise of the child, weakness, apathy;
• nasal congestion or rhinitis;
• temperature increase.

A cough gradually develops - sharp, dry, rough, painful. Breathing becomes wheezing. Due to the narrowing of the lumen of the larynx, it appears.

If treatment is not started, the manifestations develop into serious condition– . It is characterized by breathing disorders up to complete cessation - asphyxia.

Although barking cough must be observed and treated, attacks are not an independent disease, but only a symptom of one of the respiratory diseases:

• laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx);
• pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx);
• false croup (acute stenotic);
• , influenza, ARVI;
• allergic manifestations;
• true croup with ;
• whooping cough;
• foreign body;
• malformations of the respiratory system;
• neoplasms in the respiratory system;
• bronchial asthma;
• nervous disorders;
• helminthic infestation;
• thermal or chemical burns.

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That is why, if a child (usually at night) has a fever, a strong barking cough, a hoarse voice, periodically disappears, breathing in a state of inhalation, the baby is pale, breathing heavily, then the child needs urgent treatment.

What to do?

Before the doctor arrives, you must do the following:

• calm down yourself and try to calm the baby down (read a book, sing your favorite song);
• do steam inhalation(it’s good to have a nebulizer at home) with medicinal herbs or substances (chamomile, sage, sunflower oil, soda, physical solution, mineral water);
• if the child is small, then you can dial hot water into the bath, breathe in moist air with him for fifteen minutes;
• eliminate dry air in the apartment using humidifiers (you can add medicinal herbs) or hanging wet towels on radiators;
• give the child as much hot liquid as possible, preferably in the form of juice or tea;
• if the baby tolerates lactose well, prepare him hot milk with soda;
• keep your baby's feet warm by using mustard plasters or making hot foot baths;
• to warm the chest, wrap a warm heating pad in a towel and apply it to the baby’s chest;
• if allergies occur, you can use (Diazolin, Suprastin, Loratodine, etc.).

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These methods are auxiliary and do not replace consultation with an otolaryngologist.

Treatment

How to treat a child? At acute laryngitis (false croup) parents need to call a doctor immediately. If the disease that causes the cough is not treated, the child may simply suffocate.

Drugs

• If there are obvious allergy symptoms, treatment with antihistamines (desensitizing) drugs (Diazolin, Suprastin, etc.) is used, which reduce swelling and inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa;
• If diagnosed bacterial infection, treatment is carried out with antibiotics (Cephalexin, Augmentin), which have an anti-inflammatory effect;
• To thin the sputum, treatment with expectorant syrups for children (Doctor Mom, Ambroxol, Gedelix, Pectolvan) is required;
• In case of fever, antipyretic drugs (Paracetamol, Efferalgan, Ibuprofen) are introduced into treatment, reducing the temperature and reducing soreness of the throat;
• IN severe cases treatment includes hormone therapy(Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, etc.), quickly relieving swelling and inflammation of tissues.

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Complications

Such diseases infant, like heart defects, all kinds of ENT pathologies, bronchial asthma, stomach and intestinal diseases - can be accompanied by the symptom of a barking cough.

Parents should be alerted to a constant barking cough that appears at regular intervals without disturbing the general condition of the child. Such manifestations are characteristic of a cough of a psychogenic nature.

Health is the main value of a person, so there is a need to maintain it, as well as to treat it in a timely manner. A barking cough can occur in both adults and adults.

Distinctive features of a barking cough

Based on the name and symptoms, this type of cough is intense and sounds like a dog barking. Its appearance may mean that a person has diseases affecting the respiratory tract. It usually occurs in children who have not yet reached six years of age.

Did you know? Healthy man can cough up to 20 times a day because it clears the airways of sputum that accumulates in them.

This reflex differs from others in that it greatly irritates the vocal cords and the mucous membrane in general. As a result, the sick person cannot clear his throat for a long time.

A priori, it is a manifestation of the human body’s defense mechanism, aimed at preventing the penetration of mechanical particles into the sinuses of the lungs and bronchi. New bacteria that enter the respiratory tract tend to tickle the laryngeal receptors, as well as the trachea and bronchi. Thus, with the help of cough spasms, a person is able to free his organs from harmful particles.

With temperature

Cough fever usually accompanies diseases such as mononuculosis, influenza, tuberculosis, etc. If the cough is paroxysmal, this may be a sign of whooping cough.

As his attacks increase, the mucous membrane swells, preventing the passage of air, and the baby’s body temperature also rises. To relieve fever, you can use drugs in the form of syrups and mixtures, because tablets can get stuck in the larynx. If a child has symptoms, then nasal drops should first be used to make breathing easier.

No temperature

Usually a barking cough without fever appears if the child has any chronic diseases respiratory system. The reasons for this can also be infectious diseases arising in connection with immunodeficiency, allergies and asthma, trauma to the esophagus, and cardiac arrhythmia. In such circumstances, you should consult a doctor for advice and treatment.

This type of cough irritates the bronchi and causes a burning sensation in the throat, and can also deprive the child of his voice during the course of the disease. Such manifestations are especially dangerous in children because frequent spasms respiratory tract may cause a fistula in thoracic region. In this case, it would be advisable to use expectorant medications, for example, Bromhexine, Ambroxol, Acetylcysteine.

Reasons for appearance

The appearance may be a consequence of infections and colds, as well as viruses and allergies. Among them are influenza, ARVI, pharyngitis, adenoviruses, whooping cough, and diphtheria. The cause may also be a foreign body that gets into the nasopharynx and prevents the child from breathing.

Did you know? A cough helps tune the voice and raises the tone of singers.

Concerning infectious diseases, then their causative agents can be streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, mycoplasma. Not all microorganisms have the same effect on a child, but they cause the same symptom in him, which manifests itself in the form of a dry barking cough.

What is the danger?

A barking cough is especially dangerous for children under five because their larynx is very small. This can cause difficulty breathing and, as a result, suffocation.
It should be noted that it will also be dangerous to ignore attacks of dry cough in a child, as this can lead to serious complications. In addition, it would not be amiss to carry out preventive procedures to prevent the appearance of a barking cough.

What to do at home?

To cure the disease without hospitalization, you can use the recommendations traditional medicine using homemade products. So, in a glass of warm milk you can add honey, olive oil and butter. Drinking this will soften the throat mucosa and improve mucus discharge.

Treatment with herbal infusions will also reduce bouts of barking cough in a child, speeding up recovery. You can prepare an infusion of 30 g of coltsfoot, chamomile leaves or chamomile flowers and drink it instead of tea. To saturate the body with vitamin C, you can add a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the broth.

Important! Drainage massages and thermal procedures. They will increase sputum production and improve secretion.

If you have plantain grass and calamus root at home, you can boil them and dilute them cold water in a 1:1 ratio, after which it is consumed orally. This will help eliminate respiratory spasms in diseases such as.

Drink plenty of fluids

Since a person becomes dehydrated during illness, he needs to drink a lot of fluids. With a dry cough, the child must be given plenty of fluids in fractions, that is, as often as possible and in small portions. You can add lemon or orange juice to it, this helps remove toxins. It is also necessary to offer your baby compotes of berries and dried fruits or warming tea with honey.

Pharmacy products

To cure a barking cough, you can use products specifically designed for children and sold in pharmacies. So, you can use, such as syrup, medicine, lozenge. Among them: “Grip-hel”, “Tonsilotren”, “Echinacea compositum”, “Influcid”, “Engistol”. However, it should be remembered that some of them can cause an allergic reaction in a child, so consultation with a doctor before treatment will not be superfluous.

Inhalations

This method of treating a barking cough can be done at home, even without an inhaler.

To do this, use a mixture of herbs ivy, chamomile, linden, wormwood, sage, etc. and boil in water. You can also add dried leaves of birch, eucalyptus and needles of coniferous trees to the decoction.

Important! The break between food intake and inhalation should be more than one and a half hours. And after the procedure, the patient needs a two-hour rest.

In addition to herbal infusions, you can use it for inhalation for barking cough. antiseptics, such as “Dekasan”, “Berodual”, “Ventolin”, “Pulmicort”, “Sinekod”, “Ascoril”, “Gerbion”, and others. But it should be remembered that this procedure should not be performed on children who have fever or swelling of the larynx.

Warming treatments

If the child does not have an elevated body temperature, then warming procedures can be performed. To do this, you need to use mustard plasters and special creams. They should be applied to the calf area. Thus, the blood will flow mainly to the legs, and not to the larynx, which will reduce swelling of the mucous membrane.

Important! Warming ointments should not be applied to the chest and back; this may cause an allergic reaction, because such preparations contain essential oils, having a persistent and rich aroma.

Borage fat creates a warming effect and contains beneficial substances that penetrate well into skin covering person, providing rapid heating of the body. This improves performance lymphatic system sick.

Prevention

To prevent coughing, it is necessary to avoid mucous leakage; to do this, you can regularly rinse the nose when the child has a runny nose. During manifestation primary signs illness, you should drink a special syrup that has an expectorant effect.

Therapy to narrow blood vessels can also be done. In addition, you should avoid contact with infected people, maintain hygiene and ventilate the room in which the child is located.

Barking cough: what Dr. Komarovsky says

Dr. Komarovsky describes in detail in his articles and television programs how and with what to treat a child’s barking cough. He offers to provide the child bed rest with a higher pillow. This will prevent the occurrence of inflammation in the respiratory tract, which is located below. The doctor notes the benefits of using ionizers and humidifiers, and also gives recommendations on the preparation and use of decoctions infused with healing herbs.

Did you know? Cough receptors are located not only in the respiratory tract, but also in the pleura, ear canal, stomach.

Forced exhalation through the mouth is a common symptom, and in most cases the disease can be managed with traditional medicine at home. However, its appearance may indicate the presence chronic diseases, so you should consult a doctor in a timely manner and take everything necessary measures for the treatment of a child.

The cough can have a different character. Dry painful and nonproductive cough in some cases it resembles the barking of a dog. This is what they call a “barking cough.” Such a cough needs to be treated as quickly as possible, because it does not fulfill its basic protective properties. A productive cough (which produces sputum) clears the airways of pathogenic microorganisms and their waste products. This does not happen with a barking cough; it only brings inconvenience and even suffering.

Why does a barking cough appear?

A dry barking cough is usually an indicator of an inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract. It can be viral or bacterial in nature, or it can become a source of inflammation allergic reaction.

Diseases that cause barking cough

• Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and larynx (laryngitis or pharyngitis),
• False croup (acute stenotic laryngotracheitis),
• Respiratory infections (flu, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections),
• True croup (diphtheria),
• Whooping cough.

Diphtheria and whooping cough are quite rare today because most children are vaccinated against these diseases. All other listed diseases can cause a barking cough. As a result of the disease, swelling of the tissues in the trachea occurs and vocal cords, therefore the lumen of the respiratory tract narrows, and a characteristic sound appears when coughing.

A barking cough is quite rare in adults because their airways are wide and the body can more easily cope with swelling. But children quite often suffer from such a cough.

The risk of its occurrence is most likely to occur in children aged 4 months to 5 years. At this age, the larynx is still very narrow, and even a slight increase in tissue due to edema can lead not only to a narrowing of the lumen, but also completely block the airways, and the baby will begin to choke. It is for this reason that a child’s barking cough cannot be ignored, because in most cases it accompanies swelling of the throat, and this can be life-threatening.

What happens in the body

So, with diseases or allergic reactions that cause swelling of the larynx, the voice changes and a cough with a special sound may appear. This is the main manifestation of a barking cough. It is impossible to cough up phlegm because there is none.

The cough can be quite strong, paroxysmal, and the attacks can last a long time, and there is no way to stop. Because of this, the patient is in an exhausted, weakened state. Children have a hard time with a barking cough, are capricious, and refuse to eat or play.

Symptoms of barking cough

• Edema of the larynx,
• A sore throat,
• Hoarse voice,
• Headache,
• Runny nose,
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Temperature increase,
• Labored breathing,
• General weakness.

In some cases, the cough is so severe that it causes tension and spasm in the abdominal muscles. Because of this, vomiting during coughing is possible.

The listed symptoms are characteristic of colds and infectious diseases, accompanied by a barking cough. However, it is also possible to have a condition characterized by a barking cough in a child without fever. This phenomenon is not so rare when a child suffers colds without increasing the temperature. However, more often an allergic reaction causes a barking cough that occurs with normal temperature bodies. In this case, specific inflammation develops with swelling of the larynx, but it has a different origin.

Signs of an allergic cough

1. Appears and intensifies in the area of ​​action of the allergen or when it is eaten,
2. Is seasonal or periodic in nature,
3. It proceeds without increasing the temperature.

A barking cough without fever in an adult is also mainly due to allergies.

During the heating season, when the air in houses and apartments is very dry, some people, especially children, may experience irritation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Because of this, the voice may also change and a barking cough may appear. IN in this case it is not dangerous, but it is worth taking measures to eliminate excessive dry air.

What complications can there be?

If inflammatory process If you don’t stop it and don’t carry out adequate treatment, complications may arise. A barking cough can be a symptom of a serious illness, so it is possible for the infection to spread throughout the body and cause problems with the heart, kidneys, or joint damage. In addition, inflammation and severe swelling of the larynx cause breathing problems, which can also lead to negative consequences.

The worst of them is suffocation, which is a direct threat to life. Other complications are respiratory failure and development threat bronchial asthma. Swelling and narrowing of the airways lead to changes in the breathing process itself, oxygen starvation. With changes in the structure of the tissues of the respiratory tract and lowering pathological process may develop into the bronchi obstructive bronchitis or bronchial asthma.

Possible complications

• Respiratory failure
• Difficulty swallowing,
• Fainting due to oxygen deprivation,
• Attack of suffocation.

When to be especially concerned

• When coughing attacks are severe and prevent the child from doing his usual activities and do not allow him to sleep normally,
• When they occur abruptly,
• If you have shortness of breath, loss of voice,
• At severe swelling larynx,
• When coughing attacks are accompanied by vomiting.

Of course, if signs of suffocation or difficulty breathing appear, then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible or call ambulance to urgently relieve swelling and avoid dangerous consequences.

Treatment for barking cough

A dry barking cough in a child is a reason to consult a doctor, who will prescribe treatment and take urgent measures if necessary.

If the doctor insists on hospitalization (this may be the case with false croup), then you should not refuse, since in the hospital the patient will receive qualified care and will be able to undergo not only treatment, but also diagnostic procedures. Additional diagnostics may be necessary, for example, in case of allergies, especially during the first attack, when the allergens are still precisely unknown.

When a child is diagnosed with a barking cough, treatment should begin at the first signs of illness. The process cannot be started. When visiting a doctor, you need to describe in detail everything that is happening and list all the symptoms. If you suspect an allergy, it is worth analyzing the range of possible allergens and comparing coughing attacks with their possible effect. The doctor makes a diagnosis based on examination, conversation with the patient, tests and examination of the throat, possibly the bronchi, and lungs.

If a barking cough appears, it is better not to start treatment on your own, since the causes of this phenomenon may be different, and therefore the treatment may vary greatly. Some parents, when a cough appears, immediately begin to give their children decoctions of medicinal herbs. Doctors warn against this, because any herbs can provoke an allergic reaction.

Barking cough is a symptom of a wide range of diseases

A barking cough can accompany many diseases; as a symptom, it manifests itself in the form of painful, rough attacks with the sound of a dog or seal barking. Physiologically, such a cough is not advisable: during an attack, mucus is not removed, but only the receptors lining the respiratory tract are irritated.

Treatment of barking cough in adults and children is carried out after identifying the cause that provoked the manifestation of the clinical symptom.

Barking cough in adults and children, although it does not have physiological significance, but brings significant inconvenience and worsens the quality of life of patients. Coughing attacks are characterized by intrusiveness, they are quite painful and in some situations lead to vomiting and respiratory arrest.

With a barking cough, the airways are swollen, their lumen narrows significantly. It becomes difficult for a person to breathe, his voice becomes rough.

Coughing attacks can occur suddenly and not stop for a long time. If a barking cough appears, you should immediately consult a doctor, who will identify the disease that provokes the symptom and prescribe effective measures to correct it.

Causes of barking cough

In number pathological conditions, which are accompanied by bouts of barking cough, include the following:

• spicy respiratory diseases viral and bacterial etiology, including laryngotracheitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis (see);
• whooping cough;
• true croup, or diphtheria;
• false croup;
• allergic pathologies;
• oncological processes;
• foreign body in the respiratory tract.

The attending physician takes the necessary diagnostic measures to determine the cause of the false cough. Only a correct diagnosis is the key to successful therapeutic correction of the condition.

Effective therapies

Despite the impressive range of causes of barking cough, treatment in its case will have not only different, but also similar features. The correct answer to the question can only be given by a competent specialist, depending on the characteristics clinical case. However, it is worth checking out some general principles treatment of the condition.

The most important goal of treatment is to transform the dry form of cough into a wet one. With the help of therapeutic measures, coughing attacks gradually become productive, and the patient's condition improves. in an amount sufficient for removal from the respiratory tract.

Drug treatment involves prescribing drugs from the following three groups:

1. Mucolytics.
2. Expectorants.
3. Antitussive medications.

Only a doctor can understand how to get rid of a barking cough with the help of medications. First, in any case, measures are taken to correct the underlying pathology; eliminating the cough itself plays the second most important role. Antitussives are prescribed with caution, since the most effective drugs from this group are capable of causing persistent addiction.

Medicines from the groups of mucolytics and expectorants are prescribed at the stage of converting the dry form of cough into a wet one. The intensity of cough attacks may not decrease, but productivity increases significantly.

Gradually, the airways are cleared of pathological secretions, and the cough goes away. The price of drugs from these groups is quite reasonable.

The answer to the question of how to treat a barking cough involves some general recommendations, namely:

1. Regular inhalations(cm. ). With their help, the mucous lining of the respiratory tract is moistened, sputum is thinned, and its elimination is improved.
2. Drink plenty of fluids. Sufficient fluid intake facilitates the process of formation and removal of sputum. You can drink warm tea, milk, herbal infusions, mineral water.
3. Creating a comfortable microclimate in the room where the patient is located. The room should be regularly ventilated, and the air should have optimal humidity.
4. Strengthening immune system : taking immunomodulators and vitamin complexes.

You need to understand that the treatment of barking cough has its own characteristics based on the provoking disease. Attention should be paid to aspects of therapy that are most common reasons the appearance of bouts of barking cough.

Treatment of cough with whooping cough and parawhooping cough

A long barking cough can be a symptom of such severe pathologies as whooping cough and parawhooping cough. These viral diseases are of a similar nature. They are also characterized by one general feature: the intensity of coughing attacks is higher, the younger the patient is in age. Most often, the disease manifests itself in young children.

Parapertussis is not characterized as severe course like whooping cough. With this pathology, there is no increase in body temperature, and the child’s condition in the intervals between coughing attacks is satisfactory.

Currently, vaccination against whooping cough is carried out in the first months of a child’s life. This does not exclude the possibility of the disease, but in vaccinated children the severity of the disease will be significantly lower.

Treatment of cough with whooping cough includes the following measures:

1. Drug therapy: bronchodilators, mucolytics, sedatives, vasodilators, in in rare cases- antitussives.
2. Oxygen therapy.
3. Short course of glucocorticosteroids.

Treatment of cough in allergic pathologies

A barking cough often accompanies conditions caused by hypersensitivity to a specific allergen.

In such situations, the following tactics are provided:

• avoiding contact with the allergen;
• prescription of enterosorbents (Polysorb, Enterosgel);
• antihistamines (Cetirizine, Loratadine);
• hormonal therapy (Prednisolone).

Treatment of cough for colds

For the treatment of colds, the following therapeutic measures can be prescribed:

• antibiotic therapy (if respiratory disease has a bacterial nature);
• antiviral agents (if the disease is of a viral nature);
• immunostrengthening agents (Immunal and others);
• mucolytic drugs (Acetylcysteine);
• drinking plenty of fluids.

Treatment of cough in case of oncological pathologies

At oncological diseases there is a high probability of need surgical removal neoplasms that provoke cough attacks. Also, in case of tumor pathologies, it is rational to prescribe strong centrally acting antitussives. These medications must be taken strictly according to the instructions.

Treatment of cough when a foreign body enters the respiratory tract

The natural solution to this situation is to remove the foreign object from the airway. To do this, visualization is first performed using x-rays or ultrasound to determine the exact location foreign body.

The photos and videos in this article will help you learn in more detail about the causes of barking cough and how to correct it. When treating pathologies that provoke cough attacks, you should strictly adhere to all medical recommendations. Self-medication can be dangerous.