2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43
Causes of cough in babies, how to treat?
Content:
- Causes of cough in infants
- Infant cough without fever
- Barking cough in a baby
- How to treat a cough in a baby
A cough in a baby is a rather disturbing symptom. In most cases, it is accompanied by viral infections and colds. Mothers should know that at this age children develop diseases rapidly and even a seemingly simple cough is a reason to immediately show the baby to the doctor.
The sooner you seek specialized help and the sooner treatment is started, the more chances you have to avoid unwanted consequences and severe complications.
Causes of cough in infants
As a rule, a cough in an infant accompanies diseases of the upper or lower respiratory tract of a viral nature, that is, with respiratory infections. It develops as a result of inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, larynx, trachea or bronchi and lungs. A runny nose in a baby can be the result of colds in the nose and paranasal sinuses, the mucus flowing down the larynx gets into other respiratory organs and causes a reflex reaction in the form of a cough.
When a baby starts coughing, it is important not to miss such a serious illness as bronchial asthma. One of its symptoms is a dry, hacking cough, in severe cases leading to bronchial obstruction and status asthmaticus. Often, a baby's cough can be the body's response to an allergic irritant.
A cough of a non-infectious nature is often triggered by foreign bodies entering the child's respiratory tract. It can be some small parts of toys, dry bread crumbs, pieces of food. In any case, when a baby has a cough, it is best to immediately seek medical help.
Infant cough without fever
The nature of the cough in infants and its intensity depend on the reasons that provoked it. The most difficult to tolerate is considered to be a dry, barking cough, most often accompanying laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx. Often these diseases occur without an increase in body temperature. The child develops noisy, wheezing, accompanied by a constant, exhausting cough. The attacks may end with vomiting. This condition is dangerously possible with the development of bronchospasm or obstruction.
With an acute viral infection, the baby usually has a stuffy nose, instinctively the baby begins to breathe through the mouth and cough up the accumulated mucus. The babies are still too small to put a foreign object in their mouths, even the smallest, but parents still need to closely monitor the child. Any foreign body trapped in the respiratory tract immediately causes a cough, in this case, urgent help is needed, up to a visit to a doctor.
An unfavorable environmental factor (increased gas pollution, tobacco smoke, insufficiently ventilated room) can cause allergic reactions in infants, accompanied by a cough and lead to various complications. In winter, the air in the apartments is very dry. Young children tend to react to this. The nasal mucosa becomes dry, small crusts appear that clog the nasal passage and a dry cough develops.
Barking cough in a baby
A barking cough is a very dangerous condition for a baby, because it can be a symptom of serious and dangerous diseases, such as false croup, laryngo or bronchospasm, bronchial asthma or allergic reactions. The cough is constant, but the phlegm does not go away, this irritates the walls of the larynx, trachea and lungs, causing painful sensations. Often, the vocal cords become inflamed, which leads to the development of edema - a condition that threatens the life of the child. The voice becomes hoarse, wheezing is heard even at a distance.
As a rule, barking cough attacks begin suddenly and in most cases at night. A sleeping baby is usually very frightened, begins to cry and suffocate. The cough becomes harsh, tearing. In severe cases, shortness of breath appears and wheezing is heard. In these cases, the parents should try to calm the child down and call a doctor immediately.
How to treat a cough in a baby
To start treating a cough, you need to find out what exactly triggered its appearance. With a dry cough, it is necessary to achieve sputum discharge with the help of expectorant and viscosity-lowering drugs.
A good effect is obtained when using herbal products in the form of special fees. Inhalation with herbs, baking soda, potato broth softens the throat mucosa and helps to subside the cough. As a rule, they are prescribed in combination with antitussive syrups and mixtures.
Physiotherapists recommend massage as an adjunct treatment that stimulates the bronchi and lungs. For this procedure, you can use a variety of creams and ointments for rubbing with a warming effect. The kid can massage the legs with the same means and then put on warm socks. There are many active points on the feet, upon exposure to which the body's immune forces are stimulated.
Combining several types of treatment will allow you to achieve a positive result as quickly as possible.
Chamomile for coughing in babies. The use of chamomile as a medicine is very diverse. It is in the treatment of cough that it helps well thanks to the essential oils it contains, which enhance the work of the bronchi and lungs, that is, it has an expectorant and phlegm-thinning properties, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
But when treating a cough in a baby with chamomile infusion, it should be remembered that taking too concentrated a decoction can provoke too strong sputum discharge, which the baby simply cannot cope with and will begin to choke. Therefore, it is worth finding out the correct dosage, after consulting with your doctor and strictly observe it.
The author of the article: Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna | Pediatrician
Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Volgograd State Medical University. A specialist certificate was immediately received in 2014.
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