Types of cough in a child

Cough in a child may be different: dry, wet, dull, resounding, "barking" and others. Each type of cough causes and need to treat it differently. Often the mothers treat cough in a child themselves, without resorting to the doctor, believing that if there is no temperature, and nothing to worry about. But coughing can produce serious complications.

Why the child can occur cough

Cough is usually the result of a cold or allergies. Often, these two reasons are combined: the child has an allergy to infection. The fact that any cold - an infection. The pathogen can enter the body of the child from the outside through airborne droplets by direct contact with an ill person. In other cases, the inflammatory process may be due to "their" opportunistic bacteria, which in large quantities are found in the upper respiratory tract and are waiting in the wings when the body is weakened (for example, a child has overcooled) they immediately start to become active, multiply and enter mucosa, causing inflammation therein.

How can cough

At the beginning of any colds cough is usually dry and combined with irritation of the upper respiratory tract. If more inflamed pharyngeal mucosa, it becomes dry and sore throat, very unpleasant condition, accompanied by a dry cough intrusive, which is also called unproductive.

After a while, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract begins to secrete inflammatory secret and cough gradually becomes more humid (productive). This is a positive process, since together with phlegm from the respiratory tract are removed inflammatory cells and infectious agents, that is, the mucous membrane is gradually cleared. Dry, irritating intrusive (non-productive) cough is useless to the body, on the contrary, cough (productive) facilitates the release of phlegm from the bronchial tubes and infections.

It is much more dangerous for the baby when the largely affects the mucous membranes of the larynx and vocal cords. In this case, there is a "bark" call or vice versa hoarse cough (bass) and hoarseness, and sometimes the child can not speak at all. This is a dangerous condition because the mucous membrane of the child has a very good blood supply, and it can very quickly increase blood flow and swelling. Swelling in the area of ​​the vocal cords is able to block the access of air into the lungs and choke a child. Therefore, if a child appeared "barking" cough and hoarseness in the voice without a doctor can not do nothing, he will appoint a medicine that will remove swelling and warned the closure of the glottis.

Whooping cough, cough shock when follow each other and interrupted by convulsive breaths, characteristic of pertussis.

Finally, it may be a cough with an asthmatic component, when joined bronchospasm in such a case, the child freely inhales air, but with difficulty and by coughing bouts tries to breathe.

Complications cough in children

Common colds cough is caused by inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. If left untreated or treated incorrectly, the inflammation can spread to the lower respiratory tract. First, the inflammation proceeds to the trachea, bronchi, and then to the lungs. The first sign of the spread of the inflammatory process - the rise of high temperature on the background of the common cold. Coughing also becomes different - deeper and more deaf.

Another complication of a cold cough can be the transition of the inflammatory process in the ENT organs: ears, maxillary sinuses and so on. This complication is often also accompanied by a rise in temperature, in addition, signs of inflammation join some other organ: ear pain, headache Headache   and nasal congestion, and so on.

How to treat

Of course, with any coughing better call a doctor and be treated strictly in accordance with its purpose. At the beginning of a cold, when the obsessive worries dry cough, it should translate into a productive, ie cough. To do this, the child should be given more warm drinks, especially alkali: warm milk, mineral water or a small amount of baking soda, a warm mineral water. If there is no temperature, then you can put mustard or hot compress on the back. When the temperature warms the procedure can not be carried out. Sometimes the cough is so intrusive that it is required to suppress, there are some drugs (eg, Codelac).

When "barking" cough, especially hindered wheezing, if no temperature child needs to quickly make a hot footbath, it promotes blood flow to the legs and to reduce blood flow in the upper airway, thereby relieve swelling in the area. After that better call an ambulance - swelling may resume.

Translation dry cough expectorant to help in the wet drugs (they contribute to the promotion of the airway mucus, such as thermopsis, marshmallow), mucolytics (phlegm, which contributes to its better discharge of, for example, bromhexine) and bronchodilators (dilate bronchi).

Remember, it is best to cure the child cough doctor, was he able to understand why a child coughs and how to treat it.

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