Children's cough
Cough in general is a healthy reflex that helps protect the respiratory tract. If your child has a cough but no other symptoms, it is likely that he has no serious illness and his improvement should occur after 1 or 2 weeks. After this time you should consult your pediatrician, because the cough can
Cough in general is a healthy reflex that helps protect the respiratory tract. If your child has a cough but no other symptoms, it is likely that he has no serious illness and his improvement should occur after 1 or 2 weeks. After this time you should consult your pediatrician, because the cough can weaken it or it can be something more delicate.
Types of cough in children
The most common causes of cough are viral infections,allergies, changes in temperature, especially at night. However, in this list we will tell you what are the types of cough and those that have more delicate causes:
Wet or productive cough:is associated with colds or colds and serves to cleanse the secretions. It can last between 2 and 3 weeks.
Dog cough:is associated with laryngitis and Crup. Start at night or early morning. It is strident but improves during the day. If it is very intense, the doctor may suggest treatment with corticosteroids.
Whooping cough:It is a convulsive cough, without breathing between one cough and another and is caused by the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis. When you stop coughing, you will hear a deep inhale with a sound similar to a whistle. Other symptoms are a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and fever. It is very serious in children under one year of age who are not immunized. It is very contagious. All children should be vaccinated to prevent infection.
Dry or irritative cough:can occur at the onset of a cold or be a product of difficulty breathing caused by asthma. Asthma in children should be treated with bronchodilators prescribed by the doctor and taught to use their caregivers. If the cough is abrupt and the child coughs abruptly it is possible that it is a foreign object in the respiratory tract of the child. You should seek help immediately. It is a medical emergency.
Cough with whistle:May indicate inflammation in the lower respiratory tract. It is associated with asthma and with viral infections. It can also be inhalation of a foreign element which is considered a medical emergency. S Psychic cough or psychological cough:
It seems a nervous tic, it is scandalous and can last for months. When the child sleeps, it usually disappears. The cough can also be accompanied by fever, a runny nose and it is common for the cough to stimulate the vomiting reflex. But we will tell you when these symptoms are signs to consult the doctor or take him to the emergency department.
When to call the doctor
- If the child has cough with fever and slightly noisy breathing.
- If the cough persists even after 2 weeks.
When you must take or call the emergency service
- If you are younger than three months and have a slight fever.
- Less than three months and has coughing for a few hours
- Present signs of shortness of breath:
shrinking or sinking of his ribs, sinking of the lower neck and movement of the nasal fins, breathing faster than normal, can not breathe due to cough, has persistent cough or shortness of breath and could have drowned with a piece of food or other object.- Hearing when he inhales after coughing.
- It emits whistle when exhaling.
- Makes a thick sound when you inhale.
- Doggy cough and noisy breathing
- Spit blood
- Can not feed or vomit constantly due to cough.
- She has blue lips or skin
- She is very irritable and weak
- She is dehydrated
