Contents:
- Medical Video: Whooping Cough - Mayo Clinic
- Coughing in children that needs to be watched out
- 1. Coughing up phlegm
- 2. Coughing is like wheezing
- 3. Dry cough at night
- 4. Shortness of breath
- 5. Whooping cough
Medical Video: Whooping Cough - Mayo Clinic
Coughing in children is quite common, especially when a child has the flu. The cough will usually heal as the body recovers from the disease. Even so, as a parent you need to pay attention to the type of cough. The reason is, there are some diseases whose symptoms are coughing and need treatment from a doctor, cannot just do treatment at home. To prevent the condition from worsening, identify the following types of cough in children.
Coughing in children that needs to be watched out
Although the symptoms are coughing, the possibility of a different cough can be seen from the accompanying symptoms and sounds on the cough itself. Here's the explanation:
1. Coughing up phlegm
Children often catch the flu. This causes the nose to become blocked or runny, decreased appetite, watery eyes, and sore throat. When flu, cough also often accompanies and usually resolves within 1-2 weeks.
However, if the fever continues to occur along with the change in the color of the snot to greenish, see a doctor immediately. It is feared that there will be bacterial infection in children. Using a humidifier, bathing in warm water, and eating warm foods or drinks can relieve a child's airway and relieve a sore throat.
2. Coughing is like wheezing
This cough sounds like a symptom of asthma which is wheezing. Wheezing is the sound of a high-pitched whistle-like breath bro. This is indeed common in children aged 6 months to 3 years. This cough will usually improve during the day, but will worsen at night or when the surrounding air feels cold. It usually gets worse when the child cries or feels anxious.
The cough can be caused by croup disease, which is a respiratory tract infection that affects the throat (trachea), bronchi (airways to the lungs), and larynx (ballot box) so that it is inflamed or filled with mucus. Besides coughing wheezing, another symptom that covers it is breathing faster.
To alleviate the condition of coughing, keeping children from being cold is the easiest way parents can do it. You can turn on the humidifier or humidifier so that the room temperature warms up so that it helps ease the airway. Then, calm the child if he cries or feels anxious. Also make sure that your child's fluid needs are sufficient to avoid dehydration.
This cough can generally be treated at home and take drugs such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, if his condition does not improve, immediately go to the doctor. If a cough attack occurs suddenly with difficulty breathing or wheezing occurs more than five minutes until the skin color around the child's mouth changes, immediately take it to the doctor.
3. Dry cough at night
This cough will worsen when at night or after physical activity. This is the main symptom of asthma in children. Asthma is a condition of inflamed and narrowed lungs that produces excess mucus. Reporting from the Parents page, Dr. Debbie Lonzer, an assistant pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic's Hospital, said that mucus in the lungs causes a tickling sensation so children with asthma become coughing.
In addition to coughing, the condition of a thin child, often lifting the chest when breathing, or easily tired can be a sign that the child has asthma. Especially if the child has had difficulty breathing. To make sure, check with your doctor.
Preventing an attack on asthma can be done by avoiding the trigger. For mild cases, the child may need inhaled bronchodilators and asthma control medications.
4. Shortness of breath
When children (especially those under the age of 2 years) experience shortness of cough, breathe quickly and their voice sounds hoarse, it is likely that the child has an bronchiolus infection (bronchiolitis). Bronchiolitis is a condition in which the small ducts in the lungs experience swelling and mucus.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infections caused by the respiratory syncytial virus do not require chest X-rays or blood tests. Doctors can diagnose the disease by carrying out a physical examination and asking for a comprehensive medical history. For severe cases, children may need treatment from the hospital to receive oxygen, fluids, and drugs.
5. Whooping cough
Whooping cough or known as pertussis occurs due to pertussis bacteria that attack the respiratory tract. This causes inflammation and narrows and even blocks the respiratory tract. Babies are at high risk of developing this disease and if they are not yet one year old, they must get hospital treatment and antibiotic treatment.
The symptoms of whooping cough are initially flu-like, but a cough will appear in the second week. Coughing is usually faster than a regular cough accompanied by a burst of bursts, it can even vomit or choke because the breath stops for a moment. This disease is contagious and is very long, even the cough can last for more than 6 months. Therefore, this disease is also known as 100 days cough.
Because the underlying causes of coughing in children vary, pay attention to symptoms other than the accompanying cough. If the cough is caused by a mild illness, such as the flu, you can get the medicine more easily. However, if the condition of the cough is very disturbing, checking the doctor is the right step. Doctors can recommend the most effective treatment to speed up the healing process.
