Cough in the child

Cough in children is a very common problem.

It is estimated that at least 30% of children repeatedly take cough treatment products in winter.

Based on its onset, it is distinguished between an acute cough and a chronic or recurrent cough.

CHRONIC OR RECURRENT HEALTH

Parents often tell of coughing coughs, even for very long periods.

In fact, the annoying coughs mainly affect children of the first classes of kindergarten , who are particularly receptive to winter viruses, which cause inflammation of structures pharynx-tracheal (faringo-laringo-tracheitis).

Based on its characteristics, one stands out

• Dry cough , without production of mucus
• Fatty cough with abundant production of mucus

Among the predisposing factors for a susceptibility to cough, air pollution by fine particles must be considered ; certainly the city children, who live in particularly polluted contexts and breathe an air of poor quality, with the same risk factors, are more disadvantaged.

The cough, as already mentioned, is the symptom of a pathology is not the pathology itself .

Let's see what variables should be considered in patients with chronic or recurrent.

In chronic coughs they must be considered:

• Presence of an allergic pathology
• Asthma
• Hyperexcitability of Cough Receptors ( SIRT ) due to overheating of tracheobrosteal sensors
• Sinu-bronchial Syndrome Cough (cough due to sinusitis )
• Gastro-esophageal reflux syndrome (GERD) cough
• Coughing from chronic bronchitis

Given that the cough is only the symptom of a disease , to have good prospects of success in children who present chronic and recurrent coughs should avoid generic therapies (such as cough sedative syrups) trying to identify the cause of the problem and then treat it in a manner specific.

In general, it should be remembered that a good targeted winter prevention , that is appropriate to the situation of the single child (presence of adenoiditis ? Sinusitis ? Chronic rhinitis ?), Will certainly help to alleviate most of the winter coughs.

DRY COUGH

The sudden cough crisis can manifest itself in a violent and sudden manner, causing great concern in the parents.

How to behave:

• In case of a cough, do not use cough sedatives for any reason . Such drugs turn off the nervous reflex and make the symptom disappear, however, the lack of expulsion of the phlegm from the lungs can easily cause a stagnation, which culminates in a very dangerous bronchopneumonia outbreak.

• Do not give excessive dosages of mucolytics because, exceeded a certain level, fluidifying the phlegm increases its volume creating further mechanical problems.

   

• In dry cough, do not inhale with aromatic oils which, especially in young children, can cause strong bronchospastic reactions and therefore serious difficulty in breathing.

• Calm the child.

• Let him breathe in the simple water vapor.

• Do not stretch it but keep it in your arms or semi-sitting, to avoid lung congestion

• Free the nose from the secretions trying to optimize the physiological respiration.

If the cough persists for a few days it will be advisable to have the baby checked to rule out major infectious processes.