Cough in health and disease
Dr. Komarovsky speaks about a child's cough primarily as an assistant in the fight against illness, an important immune mechanism, and in addition to this, as a messenger of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The sputum secreted by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract contains enzymes that suppress pathogens.
A purely mechanical disposal of inhaled pathogens along with mucus also plays a role. Therefore, the frequency of cough in diseases of the lungs and upper respiratory tract increases, as the need to remove accumulated sputum increases.
Therefore, quickly eliminating this reaction is not always the best option. Please note: coughing is not a separate disease, but a symptom! Among the diseases that manifest themselves in this way, one can distinguish:
- infectious diseases of a viral and bacterial nature, for example, ARVI, bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, etc.;
- allergies, bronchial asthma;
- neoplasms in any organs of the respiratory system;
- whooping cough, which has seizures in a child, Komarovsky refers to known, but thanks to vaccinations, rare infections.
This list can be supplemented for a long time, but the main thing that needs to be learned is that eliminating the cough reflex will not help you cure these diseases. Medicines that affect the cough center in the brain inhibit the manifestation of this reflex, but in no way help the body cope with the causes of the disease.
As a result, the cough reflex is suppressed, and mucus continues to accumulate in the lungs, which is quite dangerous.
Healthy children normally cough up to 20 times a day. But if this happens more often, and the attacks are protracted and painful, show the child to the pediatrician.
Most often, children cough with a viral cold, in which case there is a cough, fever and a runny nose. Komarovsky also draws attention to the fact that rhinitis can cause nocturnal attacks, or rather, in the supine position, when snot flows down the nasopharynx, interferes with breathing and causes a cough.
Treatment
Komarovsky believes that the main thing in treating cough in children is not to self-medicate, not to rush to stuff the child with medicine, but to pay attention to the cleanliness and humidity of the air, and also to increase the amount of liquid drunk. Such measures give a thinning effect on phlegm, preventing it from drying out.
Before deciding how to treat a child's cough, Komarovsky suggests paying attention to the properties of medicines often used for this task.
The effects of drugs can be directed to:
- suppression of the cough reflex, which has a control center in the brain;
- liquefaction of sputum;
- activation of ciliated epithelial cells, pushing mucus up;
- stimulation of the smooth muscles of the bronchi;
- decreased sensitivity of the airway mucosa
- fight against inflammatory processes.
Types of medicines used
There are two main groups used in treatment, the first one removes cough (suppressing the reflex), the second one improves productivity, cleansing mucus (mucolytics and others).
When are drugs that suppress the cough reflex used?
- whooping cough, as the cough is irritated nerve endings mucous membrane;
- pleurisy, not accompanied by sputum;
- tumors in chest either the upper respiratory tract;
- irritating cough resulting from prolonged exposure to dry hot air, dust, etc.
As you may have noticed, such remedies are prescribed when there is no phlegm, the lungs are clean and the cough is not beneficial.
Self-medication with antitussives can lead to dangerous consequences!
In other cases, Komarovsky recommends not to stop a wet and dry cough, but to promote the cleansing process, reducing the viscosity of mucus and activating the contractions of the bronchi. Among the drugs with such properties, Komarovsky recommends mucaltin, bromhexine, ambroxol.
The commercial names of medicines containing these components are different - see the active ingredient on the package. The dosage of use should be specified by the doctor depending on the age of the child and the severity of the case.
Also pay attention to medicinal herbs, such as marshmallow root, licorice, almost pine, thyme and others. They have an expectorant effect, which is why they are so popular as ingredients in cough syrups.
The doctor also emphasizes that these drugs, as well as inhalations, have an effect that can be achieved by means of elementary drinking and humidifying the air. These are the main elements that relieve coughs, and ignoring them will negate the effectiveness of any pills and procedures.
Taking mucolytics is justified only when the sputum is too thick and viscous, it is difficult to cough up and causes painful sensations in the chest.
Please note that the simultaneous administration of drugs that suppress the cough reflex and drugs aimed at increasing the amount of mucus and thinning it is unacceptable.
Treatment of infants
Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that the treatment of cough in infants is significantly different from the treatment of adults. Many drugs are contraindicated for them, for example, affecting the cough center.
The child does not know how to cough, besides, his muscles are not yet sufficiently developed, and the volume of his lungs is too small to expel mucus effectively. A sick infant should be shown to a doctor, consultation will not be superfluous in any case.
Situations in which urgent medical attention is needed:
Along with viral infections, in infants, a cough can often be caused by a runny nose, and also, which is especially noticeable in the horizontal position of the child's body. With a runny nose saline in the nose will help clear the nasal passages, mucus will not interfere with breathing, and the cough will stop.
And during the period when teeth are erupting, the gums swell, a lot of saliva is released, and the child literally gags, and therefore clears his throat. Raise your head and place your baby higher on the pillow, this will help wait out the teething time.
Conclusion
As you noticed, the main idea is not to rush to thoughtlessly stuff the coughing child with drugs, but to work on his living conditions, and thus create the prerequisites for a speedy recovery, without interfering with the work of his immune system.
At the same time, the doctor emphasizes that a cough can be a symptom of more serious, dangerous diseases.
Therefore, he urges to trust pediatricians, because no online consultation can be compared with a full-time examination.
Thus, you cannot cure a cough, but you can cure the underlying disease, and the unpleasant symptom will go away by itself.
Dr. Komarovsky will tell you more about some of the nuances of cough treatment in a child in the video attached below.
A cough in a child is a frequent phenomenon and is not always associated with a disease. A healthy child can cough up to twenty-five times per day, which is not an indicator of illness. But if the frequency exceeds the norm, this is a reason for contacting a pediatrician. Doctor Komarovsky in his practice pays special attention to cough and the nature of its occurrence.
It is often a consequence of viral infection and is not always accompanied by temperature and. Referring to Komarovsky's recommendations to parents, at the first sign of coughing, there is no need to start fighting it. This is not an independent disease, but only a protective reaction of the immune system to an irritant.
The irritant that caused the child's cough can be foreign microscopic bodies trapped in the lungs or airways with dust. The body gets rid of them with the help of phlegm. If the frequency of coughing does not exceed normal, the child is active, the behavior does not differ from the usual, eats well - there is no reason for concern.
But a cough without snot and fever can be frequent and triggered by an illness that requires immediate treatment. These include:
Komarovsky recommends not to discount the fact that the cough can be neurological in nature. The reason for contacting the pediatrician will be a cough, which does not allow the child to fall asleep and is paroxysmal, frequent and prolonged, turning into vomiting.
Attention. If, after a change in the usual environment, fear or stress that the child has suffered, he has a dry cough, it is necessary to contact a child psychologist.
Only a pediatrician can prescribe treatment for a child after diagnostic measures. But to ease the condition without resorting to drug treatment, parents can independently. This requires:
In complex with medicines, Komarovsky's recommendations will give a good result.
Traditional therapy for dry cough
Treatment methods are aimed at eliminating the cause of it and changing the status of dry cough to wet. For this purpose, drugs with an expectorant effect are prescribed. Dr. Komarovsky draws attention to the fact that you should not give the child drugs that stop, but not thin the cough.
The cause of a baby's so-called "barking" cough can be:
- "Suprastin" approved for use by children from 1 month to 6 years three times a day, 0.25 tablets, asthma is a contraindication. From 6 to 12 years old, take 0.5 tablets three times a day;
- "Diphenhydramine" allowed from 7 months to 1 year, 2-5 milligrams four times a day. From 1 to 6 years, 12.5-25 milligrams. From 6 years to 12 years, 25-50 milligrams. Contraindication epilepsy, asthma.
- "Tavegil"are prescribed for children from 6 years old, not suffering from asthma and not taking inhibitors, one tablet twice a day.
Caution. Taking medications should be prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
With the timely identification and elimination of the cause that caused the cough in the child, it will pass without consequences.
Wet cough treatment
According to Dr. Komarovsky, the treatment of wet cough is not required in most cases. With it, sputum comes out of the bronchi and lungs. With sputum, microorganisms are released that can infect others, so it is necessary to protect the child, during coughing, from communicating with other children.
Often a child develops a cough from snot due to inflammatory process associated with rhinitis. Flowing down back wall nasopharynx, they form a mucous clot, provoking the manifestation of cough.
The main task in this pathology is the elimination of sputum from the body. The following drugs are well suited for this:
Regardless of the nature of the cough, and what caused it, you can not self-medicate, especially if children are in infancy. Dr. Komarovsky, in order to eliminate the pathology associated with increased sputum production and in the case of dry cough, does not reject the methods of traditional medicine. He also considers it effective, if, inhalation based on medicinal herbs (for older children).
ethnoscience
It is necessary to use folk recipes for the treatment of a child after consulting a pediatrician. Perhaps the cause was an allergy, and when exposed to plant-based products, it can worsen.
Attention! Before using any folk remediesmake sure there is no allergic reaction
If a baby's cough is caused by a cold or hypothermia, he does not have a runny nose and fever, then the use of folk recipes will enhance the effect of traditional therapy and speed up recovery. Several recipes in the fight against cough:
Very small, you can rub the chest with badger or bear fat. Dry mustard can be poured into socks.
All methods of treatment based on traditional therapy and using alternative methods should be carried out under the strict supervision of a pediatrician, after a thorough examination of a small patient.
10/01/2017 00:37
10/01/2017 00:35
Hello, my son is 6 years old, we started to cough dry at the end of November, we went to the pediatrician, we were told that the infection, heavy breathing, attributed augmentin, herbion, ACC, the cough began to pass, but not completely. Then I gave Lazolvan, started to cough up a bit, but the cough did not go away, he sleeps normally at night, there is no temperature, I don’t know what to do.
02/01/2017 14:50
Sign up to Lore. There, the disease can be more serious than a cold. He will at least reveal the reason. More inhalations will not be superfluous. Only natural, based on herbal decoctions. It would be nice to drink some more Influcid. Good remedy against viruses.
26/09/2015 21:04
Hello Evgeny Olegovich, my daughter is 1 year 4 months old. 2 weeks ago, a cough began, the first week was a weak and rare cough, nothing was cured, and a week ago she began to cough up to vomiting, did inhalations with ambrobene and physical. solution, while she was giving breast elixir, the cough became even stronger and a runny nose appeared, then the doctor forbade inhalations with ambrobene, breathed in saline and changed the gr. elixir to ammonia-anise drops, it got even worse, now we breathe with beredual, started giving amocyclin and stoptusin in tablets, after the beredual it became better, but still he coughs up, the sputum leaves, but cannot spit, so he swallows it back. Please tell me what is the best way to cure my daughter ???
07/09/2015 09:22
Belarus, Vitebsk
Hello! Evgeny Olegovich, we have this situation: it all started with a temperature ... 37.2, 37.6, at night and in the evening it reached 38.1. a dry cough appeared, a stuffy nose. The pediatrician put ARVI, prescribed anaferon according to the treatment scheme, sirep and isofra in the nose. We drank everything, went to an appointment, the throat was clean, the lungs were clean, but the cough still remained a little bit. The doctor said to drink Ambrovix. The next day, such a strong wet cough began, the child coughs both night and day. There is no temperature. The child is active, eats, plays, leads a normal life. Can you please tell me how to get rid of this cough? What provoked him? Is it possible in such a situation to walk on the street? Thank you very much in advance!
19/01/2015 22:20
Ukraine, Kiev
Good afternoon, Evgeny Olegovich! I am writing in complete despair, because I no longer know who to contact! My son is 5 and a half years old. He has been coughing for three months now. The letter will be long, I want to describe everything in detail and not miss anything. It all started with the fact that at the end of September we bought our eldest daughter a guinea pig (very shaggy) for her birthday. About a week later, the son fell ill, viral, heat, then otitis media and cough. We drank antibiotics, everything seemed to pass, but the cough did not. Then they drank various expectorants, did inhalations with Ventolin, Berodual and Decasan. the result is barely noticeable. When they drank all kinds of mucolytics, the cough was wetter and better, when they stopped drinking the cough became spasmodic, very superficial, as if from the trachea .. It does not look like whooping cough. There was a suspicion of allergy to this unfortunate pig, that's how 4 weeks ago we gave it to our brother, and the child is still coughing ... We were consulted by three doctors. everyone says something incomprehensible, they say, try this and that ...
Now about the analyzes. General analysis blood is normal. We passed for immunoglobulin - the result is 102 (increased), we decided to check ascaris as well - the result is 1.46 (that is, positive). All the doctors shrug their shoulders when listening and say that everything is clear in the lungs. I persuaded the doctor to give a referral for a digital X-ray - according to the results, they wrote that there is a phenomenon of residual bronchitis, but they did not appoint any new expectorants, they said that we need to look for the cause that stimulates this cough. MOST IMPORTANT - if I give my child an antihistamine, he almost completely stops coughing! But after a day, the cough resumes! For a month now we have been drinking atma, breathing deasan. We drank 1 tablet for three days in a row (we will repeat it in 2 weeks).
I vacuum the apartment every other day, wash it every day. There were no new powders, flowers and other possible allergens during this period. Help, what could I miss as a mother? Last year we had roundworms, and we already drank nourished, my son coughed for a long time, but still then he stopped. and the cough was a bit different in nature.
I hope very much for your help.
Olya, Kiev.
13/06/2014 06:57
Russia, Nefteyugansk
Good afternoon! My son is 1 year and 4 months old, on June 12 at night the child had a barking cough with phlegm, but today on June 13 the child has a settled voice, Please advise how to treat the child, he flatly refuses to inhale
21/03/2014 18:07
Aviva Russia, Omsk
Hello, baby is 3 months old. Yesterday started moist cough (there was no dry cough before). No temperature. Eats well, plays with pleasure, smiles, communicates. Visited a doctor today. The doctor looked, said that the cough was due to profuse salivation, she did not give any instructions. But this cough still worries me. He's kind of gurgling. The kid has coughed before from choking on saliva, but this cough is different. And just a few hours ago I heard that he was sniffling. I tried to suck out the nozzles with an aspirator, a lot of mucus came out. I washed the spout with saline solution, humidified the air in the room with damp towels thrown on the radiator. I took a bath of boiling water with salt, breathed steam with the baby in the bathroom. I act intuitively, I really want to get expert advice on how to act in such a situation? Thanks in advance for your reply.
10/03/2014 10:48
Russia, Ibresi
Good afternoon, please help me, I don’t know what to do anymore, my eldest daughter is 2 years and 3 months old, cough does not go away for three months today I checked my throat again, my tonsils are swollen. The youngest girl is 5 and a half months old, too, her tonsils are enlarged, her noses are flowing. There is no more strength to fight it. Thanks.
We are 1 year and 2 months old. 6th day runny nose and cough (very humid.) No temperature, general condition is not disturbed. Treated by: Ambrobene and Salin. The doctor said that Ambrobene increases the amount of phlegm and clear your throat it becomes more difficult, it is better to give Erespal. IT'S TRUE? On the 6th day coughintensified. Very wet clear your throathard, cough almost vomiting. The doctor came. She said that her lungs were clean, but "the cough went down," which is very dangerous. She said that this is an "obstructive state", that soon complications are possible, prescribed Amoxilav and Linex, and in two days everything will go away. Another doctor Amoxilav did not recommend and prescribed: Malovit in the nose, Nazivin (as prevention of otitis media), Probifor, Geksoral spray, Tavegil syrup (since Erespal gave allergies). I did not recommend going for a walk, because "cold air activates bacteria and complications may arise." How should we be? And which of them is right in this situation?
Komarovsky E.O.
I hope you understand - it will be very wrong if I, the virtual one, will decide which of the real doctors is right. I fully admit that you do not have the entirety of information - doctors do not always (to put it mildly) explain in detail to their mother the reasons why they prescribe specific drugs. I generally have more questions than answers ... Erespal and Ambrobene are fundamentally different medicines. If a coughwet - why ambroben? If the lungs are clean, why erespal? If the condition is not disturbed, why amoxiclav? Why even shove a bunch of chemistry into a child if he is "Without fever, the general condition is not disturbed" ... Maybe the most reasonable thing is not to conduct experiments in order to find out which doctor is right, not to treat the consequences of treatment ( Erespal gave allergies) "), but wait, do not fuss, saline in the nose, give water, do not force to eat, ventilate and humidify the room, especially the bedroom. To walk or not? I have written about this many times. If you go for a walk and complications arise, it will be the fault of the one who allowed you to walk. And if you get complications sitting indoors and swallowing dozens of pills, the poor weak child will be to blame. It is clear that no one (including you) wants to feel guilty. But before God, this is your child ...