Cough in the childPhoto: Getty
Causes of coughing in the child
Often, small children cough immediately in the morningafter waking up. This is due to the fact that the body is trying to get rid of the mucus that has accumulated overnight. In small children, it is thicker than in adults, so it is more difficult to remove it from the respiratory tract. It is considered normal if a child coughs no more than 10 times a day. But if this figure is exceeded and the cough torments the baby all day, and not just in the morning, then you need to seek help. Perhaps this is a symptom of one of the diseases: bronchitis, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections and even pneumonia. Before reaching 3 years of age, children do not yet know how to cough properly. Mucus discharge is difficult for them, so complications are quite common. Among other probable causes of coughing, the following can be distinguished:
- allergic rhinitis;
- physical exercise;
- inflammation of adenoids;
- bronchial asthma;
- foreign body in the respiratory tract;
- changes in ambient air temperature;
- chronic rhinitis;
- stress;
- pathology of the heart or lungs;
- obstructive bronchitis;
- whooping cough.
In the latter case, the little one has a coughthe child gradually turns into painful attacks that are repeated more than 40 times a day. Signs of suffocation may appear. If nothing is done, the illness can last for a month or longer. Medical assistance is needed.
How to get rid of coughing
Depending on the cause of the cough, you can help your child in the following ways:
Thus, assistance depends on the reason,which the child coughs for a long time. A pediatrician should determine this cause. Coughing in children is not a separate disease. Most likely, it is a symptom of some more serious illness. Therefore, before you start eliminating it yourself, you need to show the child to a pediatrician. Only he will be able to figure out what the matter is and tell you how to help the baby.