To get an answer to this question, a doctor is needed: only a professional can accurately establish the etiology of a long-lasting cough, that is, diagnose the disease of which it is a symptom. Treatment will depend on this, which can be symptomatic (relief and weakening of the cough) or etiological (elimination of the cause of the cough).
From a physiological and medical point of view, cough (in Latin - tussis) is a reflex reaction of the cough center of the brain in response to signals from irritated receptors respiratory tract... And so sensitive nerve endings are present not only in the nasopharynx or bronchi, but also in the diaphragm, in the outer shell of the heart (pericardium), in the esophagus and even in the gastric mucosa.
Pediatricians include among the causes of prolonged cough in children: respiratory infections, chronic forms of tonsillitis and sinusitis, pharyngitis (including atrophic), tracheitis, laryngotracheitis, adenoiditis, chronical bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory mycoplasmosis or chlamydia, the presence of cytomegalovirus, respiratory allergies (allergic pharyngitis and tracheitis, eosinophilic bronchitis and bronchial asthma).
In infants, constant coughing during feeding can be caused by oropharyngeal or esophageal dysphagia - a violation of the swallowing reflex and the passage of food into the esophagus.
A cough that does not go away for a long time may indicate bronchiectasis, thyroid problems (hypothyroidism), left ventricular failure, gastroesophageal reflux, tuberculosis, intestinal dysbiosis, or the presence of worms in the child. Finally, it is possible that a long-term dry cough in a child is one of the clinical symptoms of papillomatosis or laryngeal cysts, as well as the initial stage of inherited cystic fibrosis.
Now you obviously have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat to do if the child's cough persists? Quite right, go to a good doctor and examine the child. Moreover, one must be prepared for the fact that an otolaryngologist, allergist, pulmonologist or gastroenterologist can be involved in the examination.
It should be noted that, according to pediatricians, only one case of a long-lasting cough in children out of ten is not associated with infectious inflammation of the respiratory tract such as ARVI, tonsillitis or bronchitis.
If your child's cough persists: treatment options
As can be seen from the foregoing, coughing coughing is different - and not only in the sense of its cause. The "quantity and quality" of cough can vary over a wide range of manifestations this symptom: dry and with phlegm, with wheezing and whistling, almost vomiting and looking like a slight cough ...
What to do if the child's cough persists due to infectious inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract? In such cases, it is necessary to use drugs with mucolytic and enveloping effects so that a dry cough (as doctors say, unproductive) becomes moist (productive). For very young children (up to 2-2.5 years old), this is enough: the child coughs up sputum and thereby the factor that irritates the cough receptors will disappear. That is, the cough will go away. For older children, taking into account the frequent spasm of the bronchi, mucokinetic (expectorant) and bronchodilators are prescribed. But with a very strong (before vomiting) debilitating cough, drugs that block the receptors of the tusson zones of the respiratory tract or the cough center may be needed.
Dosage of Ambroxol syrup for children under 2 years old - 2.5 ml 2 times a day; 2-5 years old - 2.5 ml three times a day; after 5 years - 2-3 times a day, 5 ml. Prescribed for laryngitis, tracheitis and pneumonia, Acetylcysteine \u200b\u200bis also suitable for the treatment of cough in cystic fibrosis. The instructions for this drug indicate that it can be used from the age of two, however, pediatricians recommend this drug only after 12 years (100-200 mg three times a day) And if at the same time the doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics, then Acetylcysteine \u200b\u200bshould be taken after two hours after them.
To relieve coughing fits with viscous, difficult to cough up, sputum, doctors may recommend combined drugs Guaifenesin (Tussin) or Ascoril. Guaifenesin can be used no earlier than two years of age. A single dose is 2.5-5 ml (every 4 hours), the maximum daily dose is 20 ml; for children 6-12 years old, the dosage is doubled. Taking this medicine, the child should be given more to drink. Ascoril is prescribed up to 6 years old, 5 ml three times a day, children 6-12 years old - 5-10 ml. When using It should be borne in mind that both of these funds increase the production of sputum, therefore, they cannot be used with a productive cough.
What to do if the child does not cough up phlegm?
To facilitate the excretion of sputum with a wet cough, plant products are needed containing marshmallow root (Althea syrup), licorice root, coltsfoot leaves and plantain, sweet clover, oregano, angelica, thyme (thyme). Decoctions are prepared from these medicinal plants at the rate of: one tablespoon of dry raw materials per 250 ml of water (boil for 10 minutes and insist for 20 minutes under a lid). You need to take them after meals - 50-100 liters twice a day.
The well-known Pertussin (taken in a teaspoon or dessert spoon three times a day) contains thyme extract, which also has antimicrobial properties, and is good for dry coughs - as an expectorant and emollient. The herbal medicine Bronchipret also contains thyme ( essential oil), and also the extract is crimped, due to which it helps to remove the secretion accumulating in the bronchi. Bronchipret drops can be taken from three months (10-15 drops three times a day, after meals). After a year, the dosage is 10 drops, plus one drop for each year of life.
Ammonia-anise drops, which should be taken by children over 12 years old, have not lost their effectiveness in facilitating the coughing up of sputum - 10-12 drops each (previously diluted in a tablespoon of water) 3-4 times during the day.
Do not forget about steam inhalation of alkaline mineral water or ordinary baking soda (for 500 ml of boiling water - a tablespoon), as well as inhalations with infusion of eucalyptus leaves and pine buds (a glass of boiling water - a tablespoon).
What to do if the child's cough persists, causing him to vomit and not allowing him to sleep normally? It is for such situations that muco-regulating drugs are intended, affecting the cough center. For example, Sinekod (Butamirat) cough syrup is recommended for children: 3-6 years old - 5 ml of the drug three times a day, 6-12 years old - 10 ml each, over 12 years old - 15 ml three times a day. Syrup is contraindicated for children under 3 years of age. A single dose of Sinekod in drops (4 doses per day): children from 2 months to a year - 10 drops, 1-3 years old - 15 drops each, and over 3 years old - 25 drops each. This drug is contraindicated in newborns under 2 months of age. Reception of Sinekod can cause side effects (headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, itchy skin and hives).
What to do if the child does not have an allergic cough?
The children's allergist, who identified a specific allergen that causes respiratory allergies in a child, apparently recommended this allergen (a cat, parrots, fish, a new woolen carpet, etc.) to be removed from the apartment. And, of course, he prescribed an antihistamine. It is best if it is a last-generation product that does not cause increased drowsiness and does not dry out mucous membranes (for example, Erius or Cyterizin). Drugs in this group are prescribed individually, depending on the intensity of manifestation of respiratory allergic symptoms.
A cough of allergic origin is removed with the help of inhaled corticosteroid preparations (Beclomethasone, Beklazon, Budesonide, etc.), the appointment of which is entirely within the competence of the attending physician.
We tried to imagine at least part of what to do if the child's cough persists. With the number of probable causes of a prolonged cough, parents should not risk the health of their children - seek medical help in a timely manner.
To begin with, it should be noted that coughing is a completely natural phenomenon and in no way is a pathology. This not very pleasant action is a physiological process that does not require treatment. This is a kind of reflex of our body that allows you to clear the airways. It is impossible to get rid of a cough without eliminating the cause that caused it.
But it also happens that the underlying disease is cured, but the cough and runny nose do not go away, continuing to cause inconvenience to the child and anxiety to the parents. If, in addition to a runny nose and cough, the patient has apathy, fever, indigestion, drowsiness, then it is necessary to connect the help of a specialist to prescribe effective therapy.
Causes of prolonged cough
Doctors call moist cough productive, this is a kind of independent healing of the body, in the process of which the bronchi are cleared of accumulated mucus. At the same time, not all factors that cause cough are dangerous. For example, in the presence of a runny nose, mucus that is not excreted through the nasal passages automatically enters the body through the throat. And coughing helps to get rid of its excess. Usually, in this case, there are no side signs - fever, chills, apathy and rapid fatigue.
However, a lingering cough that does not pass weeks or months may indicate dangerous pathologies:
- development of bronchial asthma is possible;
- suspect tuberculosis;
- problems are caused by pneumonia;
- long - for weeks or a month - the phenomenon is caused by bronchitis;
- there is ARVI or ARI.
A lingering cough that lasts for weeks to a month, or even more, may be a consequence of angina, laryngitis, sinusitis and other pathologies that have not been fully treated. At the initial stages, the cough is dry and irritating, then the phenomenon turns into a wet stage. If these are the consequences of laryngitis, then the sound is barking, and the voice of the little patient is hoarse. With pathologies of the lower sections respiratory system - bronchitis, inflammation and others - a cough that lasts up to several weeks or a month is moist, since the body is busy clearing mucus from the respiratory tract, the process may be accompanied by wheezing. Tracheitis is characterized by loud sounds and chest pain.
A dry cough that lasts weeks or even months indicates a non-infectious problem. It is likely that the cause lies in the narrowed bronchi. Bronchospasm can cause:
- bronchial asthma;
- allergy;
- obstructive bronchitis.
A dry cough can be caused by the ingress of liquid, foreign small objects into the respiratory system. Also, a dry cough occurs against the background of influenza and causes the child the greatest suffering.
Dry or wet cough, lasting weeks and months, can provoke worms. It works like this - the larvae develop in the lung tissue, they serve as an irritating factor for the respiratory system. As a result of the response, the larvae are coughing up in oral cavity, the baby swallows them, the circle closes - and everything starts all over again. Less often, chlamydia or candida mushrooms become the cause of a lingering phenomenon in a child. Newborns can suffer up to a month with manifestations of cytomegalovirus.
Prolonged runny nose - what to fear
Often a long dry or wet coughing in a child accompanies a runny nose, and there are several of its varieties. A runny nose that persists for a long time may indicate the presence of sinusitis associated with an infection. In this case, home therapy is not indicated, you should contact a medical institution.
It is possible that a long-lasting runny nose, which cannot be eliminated even with a medication, is caused by an allergen. To confirm the assumption, you will need to take a blood test for immunoglobulin.
And, of course, a runny nose can last long enough against the background of a cold. Infection plus the weakness of the child's immunity - here's a great background for lingering rhinitis and dry or wet constant coughing.
When to start worrying
Even if a child has a long - a week or a month - a dry or wet cough that does not go away, accompanied by a runny nose, is it worth sounding the alarm or should you cope with the problem on your own? In this case, it is necessary to observe the baby and determine:
- whether the patient sleeps well at night;
- whether dry or wet coughing is accompanied by wheezing in breathing;
- does the baby also complain about a painful feeling in the chest with a runny nose and coughing;
- whether the body temperature rises above normal;
- whether the child retains appetite;
- what color does the coughing up sputum have - is there an admixture of blood or greens.
If suspicious phenomena do not go away for a long time and are accompanied by the indicated symptoms, you should consult a specialist.
Easy methods of dealing with coughs and runny nose
So what to do when pharmaceutical drugs are not effective enough, coughing does not go away for weeks or months? In this case, the child must be re-examined to identify the cause of the problem. Perhaps pathogenic microorganisms are guilty, then home therapy will not cope with the pathology, the use of antimicrobial drugs will be required to heal the child in 95% of cases. If negative phenomena persist for a long time due to allergies, it is necessary to do the following - to minimize the patient's contact with dangerous allergens.
Now let's look at what to do when a runny nose does not go away. The most effective and simplest method is to rinse the nasal passages. For this purpose, a saline solution is used, which must be alternately drawn into one or the other nostril several times. If there is no high temperature, inhalation is permissible. Another way says - a runny nose does not go away, legs are parted. By the way, this method will also help to remove coughing.
TO simple ways, allowing you to remove a runny nose that does not go away for a long time - a salad made from radish with the addition of honey. It is easy to do, but the efficiency is obvious. The phlegm after eating the salad is liquefied and excreted from the body.
The use of medicines
If the cough and runny nose persist with an infection, the body should be helped. drugsthinning mucus. The most popular and effective ones include:
- Herbion - not too tasty, but effective, with a good expectorant effect;
- Thermopsis, which is a pill that is prescribed even to infants if the problems persist;
- Lazolvan is an effective syrup that can be added to solutions used for inhalation;
- Ambroxol, which not only helps to thin mucus, but also actively fights microbes.
Other drugs help in the production of mucus, but they are not able to remove the source of the problem or have adverse side effects that are dangerous to the child. Even if the coughing lasts quite a long time, these drugs help get rid of it quickly enough. The therapy can be supplemented with inhalations with herbs or natural oils - eucalyptus, sage or mint.
If children after illness are observed lingering cough more than 3 weeks or a month, re-examination is necessary.
Perhaps a new infection has joined.
The reasons for a prolonged cough may be the appearance in the house of allergens, which parents do not even suspect, or the development of heart and lung failure.
Whatever it is, a lingering cough in a child is a dangerous symptom that requires an urgent visit to a pediatrician or otolaryngologist.
Diagnosis and causes of a lingering cough
Only a doctor can determine why a cough does not disappear for a whole month after an illness, or starts again. First of all (if there is no temperature), he will send a Mantoux test to rule out the likelihood of tuberculosis. In addition to Koch's wand, other dangers may threaten the child:
This is not the whole list of serious illnesses, a symptom of which is a lingering cough; it is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner to accurately diagnose the cause of the pathology.
Home treatment by folk recipes It will not save a child from such dangerous diseases, so urgently send him for blood tests, urine, feces, sputum (if excreted), as well as fluorography. After that, the doctor will determine the causes of the cough and the treatment program for the underlying disease, the symptom of which is a dry (wet) cough, as well as to get rid of it completely.
In addition to the listed diseases, excessively dry air in the room, harsh irritating odors, especially cigarette smoke, and stress become provocateurs of a persistent cough. A very difficult situation is created when a child gets into the respiratory organs of any foreign body: crumbs, seeds, what else. Urgent required health care otolaryngologist.
To get rid of the persistent cough that is caused by physiological causes, the only cure is to eliminate them forever.
Why is a dry lingering cough dangerous for a child?
The functional role of the cough reflex is to cleanse the respiratory tract of mucus that absorbs pathogens, as well as macrophages that died "in battle" with viruses, bacteria, fungi. However, if the cough is dry, the mucus is very viscous, it cannot be rejected, therefore, the nature of such a cough is often hysterical, prolonged, exhausting the child. Drying out of mucus is especially dangerous, it provokes severe attacks, in which the baby can suffocate.
A dry lingering cough in a child manifests itself in the following diseases:
In addition, dust, smoke, and a strong smell of perfume can provoke a dry cough and swelling of the larynx. As a result, the manifestation is no less severe than with an infectious disease of an attack of allergic cough.
Dry cough is "barking" (loud, sharp), deaf and paroxysmal (more than 6 pushes). Parents need to be especially attentive to the child if the cough is persistent (and it can last up to 60 minutes).
Learn to help relieve a seizure, and call your doctor right away if your child has a cough with spasms.
Medicines for dry cough relief
If the cough does not go away for a month or more, the most effective method to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, inhalation with saline through a compressor nebulizer is used. Or with drugs that thin the mucus, as well as prevent inflammatory processes (Berodual, Ambrobene, Berotek, Pulmicort). The breathing procedure for babies under 3 years old is about 3 minutes, for the rest of the children from 5 to 7 minutes. Instead of saline during inhalation, if the cough is dry, persistent, mineral alkaline water can be used to thin the mucus, however, medications cannot be diluted with it.
In addition, depending on the etiology of the disease, the degree of the disease, the intensity of the cough, the doctor prescribes syrups, tablets, lozenges, lozenges and other means to the child. You should ask your doctor about the method of use and dosage. Medicines are prescribed for each child individually. What is the recommended treatment for dry cough?
- Syrups for thinning mucus with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial action: Herbion plantain syrup, Ambrobene, Lazolvan, Eofinil. Erespal, Doctor Mom, Sinekod (drops).
- Antibacterial agents (antibiotics) are prescribed if a month or more. The disease proceeds against the background high temperature: from the group of cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides.
How to prevent an attack from developing on your own
Get rid of phlegm ... "As soon as the child begins to cough continuously, while sputum does not come out, do the following:
- prepare a warm drink from tea and milk, milk and soda, or honey with milk (if there is no allergy),
- turn on hot water in the bathroom, sit there with your child for about 15 minutes so that
- warm your baby's feet in warm water.
Call an ambulance if you have severe wheezing or shortness of breath.
Moist cough in children, symptoms
What are the reasons for the appearance wet cough? In some cases, it occurs several days later, a week, a month after the onset of the disease, when their unproductive form passes. This is considered a sign of recovery. The mucus is transparent, watery.
However, a wet, long cough in a child may indicate the presence of a dangerous disease:
- tracheitis, bronchitis, with abundant mucus;
- bronchial asthma - the sputum is viscous, the separation is difficult;
- inflammation in the lungs is characterized by rusty mucus;
- with bacterial infections and abscesses of the respiratory tract, sputum with pus.
Sputum in tuberculosis - at first purulent, scanty, subsequently abundant with blood.
Wet cough treatment
If, with a productive cough from acute respiratory infections, the secretion of mucus is excreted quickly and fully, practically no medication is required. Medicines should be used in cases where too much sputum is produced, it is too viscous, with an admixture of pus. The child is not able to cough it up in time, and stagnation in two weeks or a month can lead to the development of pneumonia and other dangerous diseases. How to prevent this?
Inhalation
The most quick treatment cough - taking medication through a nebulizer.
The reasons for the special effectiveness of hardware procedures:
- delivery medicines directly to the lesions,
- irrigation of tissues with fine particles contributes to better penetration through cell membranes.
With a wet cough while taking expectorant drugs, antitussive drugs cannot be used, since this will make it difficult to remove sputum from the lungs.
Syrups and potions
For the child are used:
- expectorant liquid medicinal products: Doctor Mom, Prospan, Bronchikum, Gedelix.
- mucolytic drugs to accelerate mucus excretion: ACC, Mukosol, Lazolvan, Fluditek.
- combined drugs: Ambroxol, Bromhexine, Acetylcysteine.
If the child has a continuous month, or even more, it is recommended to carry out professional drainage massage sessions for him.
Traditional methods of cough treatment
With the permission of the doctor, you can put mustard plasters, compresses, rubbing on the child. Use the age-old wisdom of famous Russian pediatricians:
- If the child is more than 3 years old and longer, along with taking medications, it is useful for him to breathe over a saucepan with a warm broth of potatoes, as well as infusions of chamomile, linden, calendula, licorice;
- The onion, boiled in milk, softens dry cough, liquefies phlegm within 2 days. You need to take 2 tsp. every 3 hours;
- You need to drink decoctions of medicinal plants: mint, chamomile, thermopsis, linden blossom, coltsfoot, gargle them with them in your throat and mouth;
- For older children, prepare honey and black radish syrup, eat 1 teaspoon after 3 hours;
- Viburnum compote, rosehip infusion, cranberry juice are excellent sources of multivitamins that enhance immunity.
During illness, the child needs to drink 2-3 times more liquid in order to remove the toxins produced by pathogenic microorganisms as soon as possible.
For the successful recovery of the child, along with medical treatment, folk methods, it is imperative that the air of the apartment is always fresh and humid. It is better to cover hot-water central heating radiators with wet towels. If the room is too dry, but cool, you need to put containers with warm water near the radiators. A therapeutic diet is of no small importance for accelerating the elimination of diseases: nutrition should be varied, complete, and food easily digestible.
Most often, children get sick with colds in the fall or spring, and, as a rule, the body can easily cope with the virus within a week. But sometimes after the flu or other viral infection the child may have a cough. Long, who has had ARVI, is a fairly common occurrence.
Most parents panic if their child recovers. The next trips to hospitals begin, most often a long search for a diagnosis and the appointment of the wrong treatment, which, unfortunately, can even intensify a prolonged cough. What to do in this situation? How to get rid of residual cough in a child correctly? Let's try to figure it out.
To understand how to cure residual cough after ARVI or after influenza, parents, first of all, need to remember that the manifestation of cough is a protective reaction of the body. You can even say that during a cold, it is simply necessary.
Moreover, it is important that its wet version is present, which helps, together with sputum, to remove all pathogenic microorganisms from the respiratory tract. A dry cough is more dangerous for the child's body.
Pronounced signs prolonged cough, which does not pose a threat to the child and is simply a residual reaction of the body after an illness:
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Causes of residual cough
A residual cough in a child after ARVI can be diagnosed if it lasts three weeks. But how to determine if this is the norm or is something more serious? If the main symptoms colds passed, but the child's cough does not go away, this can sometimes occur as a result of possible infectious complications.
The reasons for a lingering cough in this case may be as follows:
- pneumonia;
- chronical bronchitis;
- whooping cough.
But most often this is far from a terrible disease, but just the process of cleansing the respiratory tract from phlegm that could accumulate during a cold.
Parents should monitor the general condition of the child: temperature, activity, sleep. If it persists even slightly elevated temperature, there is an intestinal disorder, the child does not eat, etc., of course, you should consult a doctor.
Also coughing may indicate that the child has an allergy. What to do in this case? As a rule, here it is enough to identify the allergen and avoid it; you can give the child an antihistamine (Cetrin, Suprastin).
Usually, viral disease lasts about a week. During the infection, the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract becomes irritated and becomes quite sensitive. Therefore, even the ingress of ordinary dust or dirt causes coughing.
So, we can highlight the main reasons why a child's cough does not go away for a long time:
A persistent cough in a child can be of two types:
- dry;
- wet;
A dry cough of a prolonged nature can remain with certain diseases - laryngitis, pharyngitis and even obstructive bronchitis. As a rule, with a dry cough, there is nothing to cough up, but the receptors in the airways are irritated. Therefore, the child can cough in a specific, as if "barking" way.
A wet cough means the release of phlegm from the respiratory tract. This cough is also called a productive cough. It is by sputum that the nature of the disease is determined.
If the child's cough does not go away, you need to pay attention to the following alarming symptoms with a wet cough:
- sputum turns green;
- sputum contains blood elements;
- the child does not want to eat;
- the child has shortness of breath;
- chest pains appear.
In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor! If the cough does not go away for a long time, these signs may indicate pneumonia or even tuberculosis.
Here is a table useful for parents listing the most common types of residual cough (Table 1). In the table, you can also find the main methods of treatment for this problem.
Table 1 - Types of residual cough and their therapy
| Type of cough | Possible disease, cause of appearance | Basic medications or treatments for cough |
|---|---|---|
| which manifests itself at least 2-5 times in one minute, lasts for a month after the illness | Appears after ARVI in a child, stops in the evenings, it is also called psychogenic | For treatment, antidepressants or antipsychotics are prescribed (Nervohel, Notta) |
| Dry, lingering cough with attacks | Tracheobronchitis or whooping cough | Medicines against cough (Sinekod, Libeksin) |
| Specific "barking" cough | Laryngitis | Medicines against cough (Stoptussin, Libeksin, when the acute period passes and the cough becomes wet - Ambroxol, ACC, Alteika) |
| Lingering, morning cough | Nasopharyngitis | Medical procedures to restore nasal breathing |
| Whooping cough | Seizures with recapitulations | Cough suppressants - Butamirate, antibiotics - macrolides (Erythromycin, Spiromycin). |
| Night cough | Bronchial asthma | Inhaled glucocorticoids (Budesonide, Salmeterol) |
| Painful | Onset of pneumonia | Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medical supplies (Nurofen, Erespal), antibiotics (Azithromycin, Ceftriaxone) |
In the autumn and, especially, the spring months, the body suffers from a lack of vitamins, the immune system weakens, during the period of intense stress at school, fatigue of the child's body is also possible. All this leads to the fact that even from a slight draft or slight hypothermia, children easily catch colds.
Often the child's body is weakened after illness and after antibiotics. Therefore, the recovery period is slow and after a cold, you should not forget about prevention at home. Namely, to warm the throat, dress warmly, drink plenty of fluids, try not to overcool.
As already mentioned, in a month or two, the work of the lungs and the respiratory tract normalizes. After suffering a cold, this is normal. However, at the time of restoration of the functions of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, it is important to remember the precautions so that a relapse of ARVI does not occur, and also to ensure that the cough does not worsen.
It is impossible not to pay attention to a lingering cough in a child without a fever, hoping that he can pass himself. If left untreated, complications may develop. Still, it is worth checking with a doctor in order to heal a cold to the end.
Among the tests, they usually offer to pass:
- general blood analysis;
- sputum analysis;
- listening to the chest;
- chest x-ray;
- mantoux test, if necessary, to exclude tuberculosis.
The main question parents ask is how to treat residual cough in a child. In folk medicine, there are many methods that will help if a child's cough does not go away for a long time.
Here are a few of them:
When choosing how to treat residual cough, the main thing is not to harm the child. Therefore, you need to know in advance about possible contraindications (allergic reaction, individual intolerance).
If a child has a prolonged wet cough without fever for more than a month, you can consult a doctor to heal the baby. In this case, expectorant drugs and mucolytics are usually prescribed (Mukaltin, Alteika, Ambroxol, Pertussin, Gerbion). Doctors may also recommend a course of chest massage.
If a dry cough after a flu or a cold does not go away for a long time, you can also ease the child's well-being a little in such simple ways:
- ventilate the room as often as possible;
- beware of sudden changes in temperature in the room in which the child is after an illness;
- humidify the air. Carry out wet cleaning once a day or install a specialized air humidifier.
It is worth remembering that the reason long cough the child can be very different - from allergies to serious infectious diseases. Therefore, you should not self-medicate and, if serious symptoms are detected, immediately consult a doctor who will explain what to do.
If this is a residual phenomenon after a flu or a cold, then you need to carefully monitor the recovery process in order to prevent a relapse of the disease: warm the child, avoid hypothermia, give the child a lot of fluids to drink, and enrich the diet with vitamins. To avoid such phenomena, it would be ideal to warn the child's body. It is necessary to strengthen the immune system in advance, before the onset of the seasons of colds.
Cough is a reflex process. Thanks to him, the respiratory tract is restored. Cough cannot be called a disease, but it can be quite difficult to get rid of it. Sometimes the reasons for its occurrence are identified incorrectly. In this case, the wrong treatment can even harm and cause great damage to health.
Why does the baby cough for a long time
The child has a long time It is necessary to observe the frequency and duration of this phenomenon. When coughing, the airways are cleared. Sputum and dust are thus excreted from the body. Most often, the cough is short-term and intermittent. But if it drags on, then you need to check if there is a temperature, pay attention to sleep and appetite. At the first signs of illness (it can be a runny nose, diarrhea, etc.), it is best to take the child to a doctor.
What a cough signals
It can be a symptom of an illness. When a child has a long time, this can be the onset of angina, acute respiratory viral infections, sinusitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis. He also accompanies diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, tracheitis and bronchitis. The intensity depends on the type of ailment.
Is coughing always a disease?
This is a misconception. If a child's cough persists for a long time, this is not always a sign of infection. It can be due to the contraction of the bronchi. The latter occurs in asthma, obstructive bronchitis, due to liquid or swallowed small objects that enter the respiratory tract.
If a child's cough does not go away for a long time, it may even be a sign of an allergy. There are many reasons - wool, dust, pollen. In this case, it is necessary to identify and get rid of the allergen. 
Reaction to swallowed objects
If the cough was caused by a foreign body, which ended up in the respiratory tract, then it is very strong, turning into suffocation. At the same time, the skin turns blue, consciousness is disturbed, in some cases the voice immediately disappears. If possible, you need to independently remove all excess from the respiratory tract and be sure to call an ambulance.
Worms
If the child's cough does not go away for a long time, what to do? This is not always associated with a cold. Oddly enough, but ordinary worms can also be the cause. All pinworm larvae usually form in the lung tissue. As a result, irritation of the respiratory tract. Before entering the gastrointestinal tract, the larvae first enter the mouth, are swallowed, and thus end up in the stomach. In this case, it is recommended to take anthelmintic drugs. 
What to do with ARVI
When a child's cough and runny nose does not go away for a long time, most often this is a consequence of the disease. With ARVI, it is most common. The main symptoms are as follows:
- for several hours or even days the cough does not stop;
- high temperature, more than 37 degrees;
- weakness, and restless, may refuse to eat;
- after a while the cough turns from dry to wet.
During this period, you need to ensure constant monitoring of the child to track changes. For pharyngitis, laryngitis is characterized by a hoarse and slightly "barking" cough. With tracheitis, the cough is loud, with pronounced chest pain. For bronchitis, chest and loud, with wheezing and a lot of phlegm are characteristic. With the flu, it is excruciating and dry.
Causes of a lingering cough
For correct treatment it is necessary to find out the cause of the symptoms. If a child's cough and runny nose does not go away for a long time, then, most likely, it is a cold that has not been cured, and the infection has again entered the body that has not yet matured. Mycoplasma is considered the most aggressive, followed by pneumocysts. When they are combined, the temperature rises up to 38 degrees. Weakness and sweating appear. 
Pathogenic microorganisms
The cough comes from fungi or pulmonary chlamydia. But this happens very rarely. The most terrible and serious reason is tuberculosis. Babies can cough from cytomegalovirus.
Disease-causing microbacteria cannot exist independently without an organism. The external environment is destructive for them. Infection of another person can only pass through direct contact. A prolonged cough in infants (about two weeks) may indicate pneumocystosis, chlamydia, and mycoplasmosis.
If a child's cough does not go away for a long time, how to treat it? It is impossible to destroy the above microorganisms with home methods, only with drugs. Therefore, you need to see a doctor.
How to treat a lingering cough
The child's cough does not go away for a long time. What to do in such cases? If the causes of the problem are established, then the treatment will not cause difficulties. Cough suppressants are prescribed with menthol, camphor, etc. Antibiotics help to cough up phlegm, provide rapid recovery of the epithelium. 
Means "Bromhexin", produced in tablets and ampoules, getting into the body, is converted into ambroxol. Already on the third day, the effect of its application is noticeable. If the cough is caused by bronchitis and asthma, then bronchodilator medications are prescribed.
Solving the problem with folk remedies
Medicines can be taken simultaneously with herbs and decoctions. The most effective are considered to be inhalations of decoctions, which contain thyme, mint and pine buds. If the cough is very strong, then melons, as well as currant and viburnum juice, which they drink, add honey, help well.
A dry cough without a runny nose and fever can be perfectly treated with steam inhalation. Usually they use jacket boiled potatoes. They breathe for 15 minutes, bending over the pan and covering themselves with a blanket on top so that the steam does not escape.
To soften the cough, decoctions from apples are used. Juice of fresh cabbage with added sugar or tangerine tincture on alcohol from the crusts of these fruits helps well. Lingonberry juice, to which honey or sugar is added, also brings relief. It promotes the discharge of phlegm. It is taken during the day, one tablespoon. If the child does not have a cough at night for a long time, then so that he does not pester him, you need to eat fresh lettuce leaves before going to bed. If they are not at hand, then you can use cabbage. 
If a child's cough and runny nose does not go away for a long time, then gargling with fresh beet juice is considered very effective for treatment. A glass of liquid is heated in a water bath. Rinsing is carried out for two minutes, then the liquid is swallowed.
If the child does not have a cough and a runny nose for a long time, there is no temperature, this may signal the onset of a serious infectious disease... Often, the above symptoms are also accompanied by a sore throat. Therefore, an urgent need to consult a doctor. Otherwise, ailments such as sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis may develop.
If the cough persists after therapy
There are also cases when the disease does not want to recede. And then what to do if the child's cough does not go away for a long time after treatment? There are certain dates when it disappears. The cough usually stops within two weeks, but it can persist for up to a month as a residual. In this case, pathogenic microorganisms are removed from the body. And over time, the cough disappears. But if there is no improvement, then you should consult a doctor again.
The opinion of a famous pediatrician. If the child does not have a cough for a long time
Komarovsky notes that there are two groups of drugs for cough: expectorants and drugs that are used for whooping cough. However, it is worth remembering that mucolytics are not allowed for infants, since they are dangerous up to the age of two.
It is believed that this is only an external manifestation of the disease. A cough signals that something is wrong with the body. Therefore, first of all, you need to look for the root cause. Infection can be ruled out if there is no fever. In this case, it may be an allergy. 
What to do if the child does not go away for a long time For relief, you need to drink a lot so that the blood thinns, and, accordingly, mucus along with it. The air in the room should be cool, but slightly humid, not dry. Walking in the fresh air has a beneficial effect.
- antitussive medicines;
- specialized narcotic drugs for cough: "Ethylmorphine", "Codeine", "Dimemorphan".
These drugs block the cough reflex in the brain. Narcotic drugs are rarely used. They are prescribed only by a doctor who supervises their intake. The basis for the use of narcotic drugs are the following symptoms: a painful, dry, debilitating cough that does not respond to treatment with other drugs. The simultaneous use of expectorant and conventional antitussives is strictly prohibited!
Also, this method involves the use of some non-narcotic drugs, such as Glaucin, Butamirate, Oxeladin. They also block the cough reflex, but differ from narcotic drugs in that they are not addictive and do not inhibit the functioning of the brain.