When your child catches a cold, it can sometimes be something more serious than a simple cold. It is likely that when you hear your child cough a part of your soul will shrink.. You want him to get well and stop coughing. There are times when you don't have to worry about coughing because it can happen on its own, but there are other times when you do, when you need to worry and even go to the doctor.
Therefore, today from Madres Hoy We want to talk to you about when you should worry about your child's cough and also help you learn how to act and differentiate coughs that may mean something worse for your little ones' health.
Barking cough
If your child goes to sleep with a stuffy nose but has been sleeping peacefully for a few hours, you may suddenly start hearing a cough that sounds like it is coming from a dog rather than a precious baby. This cough is quite aggressive and both babies and children have to fight to catch their breath.
What causes this cough is usually a viral disease that causes inflammation in the vocal cords, larynx, and trachea. It is most common to occur in children and babies between October and March and usually affects children between the ages of 6 months to 3 years. The cough usually appears during the day but at night it is much worse. It can also be heard as a high-pitched hiss when air is inhaled.
How to help your child with a dog cough
When your child wakes up and has a dog's cough, you should warm him up before going outside, but the cold helps to relax the airways. An idea is also to turn on the hot shower and sit with your child in the bathroom to inhale 15 minutes of water vapors, the hot and humid air can also help them breathe better and cough less.
If your child has severe trouble breathing or if his breathing gets worse with each breath, see a doctor. When she has coughing spells, use a cool mist humidifier in the room and make sure she drinks plenty of fluids. Although the cough may go away on its own, it is always a good idea to see a doctor to find out exactly how bad it is. In addition, so when the doctor sees you, you can assess what is the best treatment for your child.
Dry cough and night cough
If your child has a nagging cough from time to time or throughout the winter but it gets worse at night or when he's playing, we are probably talking about a dry cough.
What causes this cough can be asthma, a chronic disease where the airways and lungs become inflamed and narrow. or when excess mucus occurs. Although parents often think of wheezing as the first signs of asthma, a dry cough - especially at night - can be a single symptom.
The mucus in the lungs creates a small tickle that causes children to cough. Other signs that should make you stay alert are: coughing can be triggered when the little one exercises, when there are allergies, when he catches a cold or when it is cold.
How to help your child with a dry cough
If you suspect that it may be asthma, then you should quickly go to the doctor. Children who are old enough - between 5 and 6 years old - will blow into a special tube to see how well they are doing lung function. In order to make a diagnosis in children younger than 5 years old, doctors generally rely on examining the young along with what the parents report and with the pattern of symptoms and a family history of allergies or asthma.
Children with milder cases can take medications such as a bronchodilator that must be inhaled when there is an attack.While children with moderate asthma will need medicine to prevent asthma attacks. If your child is having trouble breathing and you think it is a significant problem - he is unable to speak, eat or drink - then go to the ER as soon as possible.
Hoarse cough
If your child suddenly has a hoarse cough and is so weak that he does not even want to play, then it is likely that a high fever, muscle aches and sneezing will appear later. I mean, you will have the flu. The flu is a viral disease that attacks the respiratory system, it has a long incubation period in children and therefore before they get sick and all the symptoms appear, they may have already infected classmates and family members. When a classmate sneezes just once, the flu virus flies through the entire room, spreading very easily.
How to help your child with a hoarse cough
Your child with the flu and a hoarse cough will need plenty of fluids, as well as acetaminophen. It is necessary that you go to your doctor to provide the treatment according to your needs. And if you think he's prone to flu, then it never hurts to ask your pediatrician for a flu shot.
Whooping cough
If your child has had a cold that has lasted for more than a week and is now coughing, having trouble breathing, and making a strange sound while inhaling air, then it is likely whooping cough.
This cough is caused by a bacteria called whooping cough that attacks the lining of the airways. producing severe inflammation that causes it to narrow and even block. Children who have not yet been fully immunized are more likely to get pertussis. However, young babies are most at risk. Babies younger than 6 months do not have enough strength in their lungs to make the characteristic noise of this pertussis, making it difficult for parents to detect it. Instead, your cough may come in continuous bursts that end with nausea or vomiting, you may stop breathing for a short time, and your lips may turn purple from not getting enough oxygen.
How to help your child with whooping cough
The first thing you will have to do is call your doctor if you think your child has a bad cough. It is treated with antibiotics and it is necessary for the doctor to evaluate the case and follow up.