Persistent cough in children

1.      Cough

The persistent cough in children not only causes worries for their parents but also makes doctors be careful when treating this symptom.

Persistent cough in children

2.      Classification  

The persistent cough in children has many causes. When examining children in cough, the doctor asks patient’s cough characters

Many types of coughs are causes of common cold, allergic, pneumonia, bronchitis, pus in pleura, whooping-cough, pulmonary tuberculosis

3.      Infections

The bacteria spread from person to person through the fluid from infected person’s nose or mouth when they cough, sneeze or laugh loudly. Then others can become infected by inhaling these fluids, which can adhere their hands and they unintentionally touch their noses or mouths.

The infected people often transmit bacteria during the first two weeks after onset of the cough.

The bacteria spread from person to person through the fluid

4.      The incubation period

The incubation period is commonly 7-10 days or may take up to 21 days

The prolonged period

The pertussis can causes prolonged symptoms. In the first symptom, children have a cold from 1-2 weeks. After that, they cough 2-4 weeks or sometimes longer and the final stage includes many weeks to recover gradually. In some cases, children maybe take several months to recover completely.

The pertussis can causes prolonged symptoms

5.      Signs and symptoms

1. The persistent cough in children caused by a cold, which often appears runny nose and stuffy nose, but not breathe rapidly and cough in day is more than night.
2. Cough is due to asthma, which often appears shortness of breath, night cough. When encountering these allergens or cold air, it becomes a bad cough and often sneezing, feeling itchy in eyes and noses.
3. Pertussis often has symptoms such as a continuous cough with a loud “whooping” sound, swelling and red rash.
4. The persistent cough in children caused by pneumonia often has symptoms such as short breathing or hard breathing. If the persistent cough in children is too bad, they will have throbbing noses, black mouth and lots of sputum.
5. If the persistent cough in children is caused by sore throat, the accent will be hoarsened and the sound of cough will be serious. It usually happens in the midnight.

If the persistent cough in children is caused by sore throat

6.      How to prevent and treat

Prevent and treat cough

1. Providing enough nutrition and water for children especially during the persistent cough in children. They should not eat sweet food and cool drink.
2. Keeping children in good health, maintaining fresh air in the house and usually taking children out for activities.
3. Children must dress suitable clothes in every season. The disproportion of temperature between indoor and outdoor should not less or more than 5 degrees.

7.      Choosing a cough medicine

Cough medicine

Now, there are many kinds of cough medicines (not to mention Oriental medicine) and can be classified the following main groups:

1. Cough medicine effects center: Through the central nervous system, drugs increase the threshold of the cough center in the brain to cause a cough reflex or peripheral nervous system to reduce the sensitivity of the receptors in trachea. Some drugs have the effect of numbness or pain receptors. The drugs are: codeine, pholcodin, dextromethorphan, clobutanol, dropropizin, eprazinon, with special medicines such as Terpicod, Paderyl, Nospan, Maxcom ... This group of drugs, especially codeine, pholcodin, dextromethorphan, may not be used for respiratory failure, asthma, children and lactation. 
2. Expectorant Includes ipecacuanha, ammonium salt, iodized salt and some attar such as cajiput, mint, ginger, sodium benzoate, Terpin. The special medicine: Cough expectorant, Acodin, Terpicod, Passedyl, Pulmonal, Terpin ...
3. Mucus indigestion drug: it will change structure of mucus and reduce viscosity. It is also easy to eliminate. Those active ingredients are autylcystein, carbocystin, metylcystein, mesna ... The specific drugs: ACC, Acemuc, Turant, Rhinathiol, Mucusan ... This class of drugs can cause pulmonary effusion and damage the protective mucus lining of the stomach. It should be careful with people who have prehistoric peptic ulcer and duodenum. It is also not recommended for the first 3 months of pregnancy and lactation.
4. The antihistamine: it has effect on soothing, cough and cholinergic neurotransmission reducing, and nasal discharge reducing (rhinitis, runny nose throat trachea causes coughing). This group of drugs include diphenhydramine, Chlorpheniramine ... The specific drugs: Toptusan, Toplexil, Tiffy, Rhumenol ...It has side effects such as it is sleepy during the day, which is disadvantage of operating machinery, driving vehicles, working on high or dangerous places. However, it is useful at night. The drug is not suitable for children in cough with phlegm and not for asthma.
5. The reliever: it has effect on indirect periphery and wrap around effects indirectly, to wrap around the nerve receptors in the throat by licorice, honey, sucrose syrup. In general these drugs are safe to use. However, it should not use any kind of honey to children under 1 year of age.
6. The anesthesia:It affects directly on sensory receptors. It is used by inhalation, sucking in the case of intractable cough such as upper respiratory tract infections, cancer. Drugs can lose all reflections which protect the lungs and can cause bronchospasm. It also can lose the temporary reflect of swallow.
7. Cough medicine combines with components: The combination of antibiotics, vitamins, antiseptic (guaifenesin), opioid, substances act as expectorant, mucus, especially to mention the sympathetic-like substance and antihistamines. Two drugs have very serious side effects with hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, thyroid disease, glaucoma, enlarged prostate tumors, cough with phlegm, pregnant women, children and the elderly, people with respiratory failure, heart disease, respiratory disease and cerebral vascular accident.

8.      Some foods for children in cough

Some foods for children in cough

1. Ginger and onion porridge can treat cough due to indisposition. How to cook: rice 50 grams, ginger 5 slices, 5 plants and a tablespoon of vinegar. Cooking until porridge to become tender, then put into the onion, ginger, vinegar  then mix thoroughly and finally served hot.
2. Egg soup with honey.
3. Using for longtime cough and little sputum. How to cook: 300 ml of boiling water then beat an egg into boiling water, and a teaspoon of honey in it.
4. Cooked Lily with green beans. It is suitable for weak lungs and pertussis . How to Cook: Lily 50 grams, green beans 30 grams. Cooked green beans to be well stewed, then put Lily into it and cooked until the mix being tender, then put a little honey in it.

Thanks very much

Posted by John Henry on 5:26 AM in cough in children