Nonproductive cough with high fever in a child. What can be done if a child has a cough and fever. What to do if your child has a severe cough, snot and fever

A child’s cough with fever is a combination of a sign of inflammation such as elevated temperature body, with a defensive reaction respiratory system in the form of a cough - a typical phenomenon when various infections ENT organs and respiratory tract.

Causes of cough in a child with fever

The key causes of cough in a child with fever are associated with acute respiratory viral infections(ARVI), influenza, pharyngitis, nasopharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, whooping cough, diphtheria, measles.

The flu begins to manifest itself as a general malaise and symptoms of viral intoxication (ache, headache etc.), however, a child develops a cough and a temperature of 40 very quickly. Adenoviral ARVIs are characterized by fever, cough and runny nose in a child, as well as damage to the connective membrane of the eye (conjunctiva). The fever may last for a week and be accompanied by diarrhea.

When the throat is sore, the throat hurts when swallowing, the temperature is 37.5 and the child has a cough, then this may be viral inflammation mucous membrane in the throat - pharyngitis. If the mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx are simultaneously affected by infection, doctors diagnose rhinopharyngitis, which is characterized by dryness and pain in the throat, difficulty breathing, dry cough, vomiting and fever in the child. Moreover, vomiting mucus is characteristic of initial stage of this disease.

With laryngitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords - the voice is hoarse, the throat is also sore, and the child suffers from attacks of dry cough. Tonsillitis or tonsillitis (inflammation palatine tonsils) is a complex disease: it can occur not only due to streptococcal or viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, but also due to infectious mononucleosis or enteritis. IN the latter case The child develops a cough, fever and diarrhea.

Due to inflammation of the mucous membrane windpipe- tracheitis - the child has a severe cough and fever: the cough is dry (mainly at night, becomes more intense in the morning, when coughing it hurts behind the sternum), but the temperature rises slightly.

The manifestation of bronchitis begins with a dry cough against the background low-grade fever bodies. Then the cough becomes productive, that is, with the discharge of mucous and mucoserous sputum. So a wet cough and fever in a child may be signs of an inflammatory process in the bronchi.

Most often in children of the first two years of life, pneumonia is acute infectious inflammation lungs with fever and cough - caused by staphylococci, parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial viruses and Escherichia coli bacteria; in older children, the main causative agents of pneumonia are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. And the bacterium Chlamydophila pneumoniae causes chlamydial pneumonia with a prolonged dry cough and fever.

Inflammatory process in the lining of the lungs during exudative form pleurisy makes itself felt as a wet cough and fever in a child, and if the cough is dry, then it is fibrinous pleurisy. In many cases, this pathology occurs as a complication of inflammation in the lungs.

The causes of cough in a child with fever may lie in the catarrhal form of whooping cough - acute infectious disease respiratory tract caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. In the prodromal period, whooping cough, as a rule, does not produce elevated body temperature, and if the temperature increases, it is insignificant, having little effect on general health child. In addition, despite the paroxysmal nature of the cough, some pediatricians are misled by the similarity of the initial phase of whooping cough with acute respiratory infections, and they prescribe treatment with conventional respiratory infection. Meanwhile (after about 8-10 days), the coughing attacks become stronger - with a whistle when inhaling, with viscous sputum that is difficult to cough up, with painful coughing attacks turning into vomiting. And no therapeutic measures These symptoms do not go away, which is why in the West the disease is called the 100-day cough

Under such circumstances, a good doctor should be forced to immediately order a blood test for leukocytes and lymphocytes, as well as conduct serological test sputum and nasopharyngeal swab. Because the most mild complication whooping cough – bronchopneumonia, when the child’s temperature is 38 and cough with shortness of breath. And the most difficult and sometimes irreversible thing is respiratory arrest.

The diagnosis of diphtheria is made when the pharynx and larynx are affected by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae with the formation of films fused to the tissues. A barking cough and fever in a child, swelling of the mucous membranes near the local lymph nodes and sipota are signs of croup or laryngeal diphtheria. All this can lead to narrowing of the airway and obstruction.

Fever, rash and cough in a child are signs of measles, the causative agent of which is a virus of the genus Morbillivirus. When infected with measles, a child has a temperature of 39 and a cough (dry, barking), as well as a rash on the skin (first on the face and neck, and after a couple of days on the whole body). Cough with measles requires high air humidity in the room where the sick child is. Among the most common complications of this disease pneumonia is noted.

Treatment of cough in a child with fever

Like any therapeutic effect, treatment of cough in a child with fever must take into account two fundamental factors: the cause of the cough and increased temperature indicators, as well as the characteristics of the cough (whether it is dry or wet). Etiological treatment is aimed at the cause of the disease, and treatment of the cough itself refers to symptomatic therapy, which depends on the type of cough.

If a child has a temperature of 38 and a cough, pediatricians recommend using antipyretic drugs for children in the form of a suspension: Panadol Baby, Ibufen D or Ibufen Junior. For example, standard doses of Ibufen D are for children under 1-3 years old - 0.1 g three times a day, 4-6 years old - 0.15 g, 7-9 years old - 0.2 g, 10-12 years old - 0.3 g three times a day. Panadol Baby in the form of syrup, children 2-6 months old take 2.5 ml; from 6 months to 2 years – 5 ml; 2-4 years – 7.5 ml; 4-8 years – 10 ml; 8-10 years - 15 ml; 10-12 years - 20 ml.

Etiological treatment of cough in a child with fever involves combating bacterial infection. If a child has a cough and a temperature of 40, then antibiotics are needed. In such cases, pediatricians prescribe Amoxicillin (Amin, Amoxillat, Ospamox, Flemoxin), Clarithromycin (Klacid, Klimitsin, Clindamycin, Fromilid) or Azithromycin (Azitral, Zitrolide, Sumamed). Amoxicillin is given to children 2-5 years old 0.125 g three times a day (after meals), children 5-10 years old - 0.25 g three times a day. Dosage for adults – 0.5 g three times a day.

The dosage of Clarithromycin recommended for the treatment of tonsillitis in children over 12 years of age (the drug is not prescribed to children under this age) is 0.25 g twice a day or 0.5 g once a day (minimum course of treatment is 5-7 days ). Azithromycin in the form of syrup is prescribed at 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, the drug should be taken once a day an hour before meals - for three days.

It makes sense to use antibiotics for whooping cough within three weeks from the onset of symptoms of the disease, but in the future antibacterial therapy does not give positive results in most sick children. For whooping cough in infants, it is recommended to use hyperimmune gamma globulin against whooping cough. A effective methods Symptomatic treatment for cough in this disease has not yet been developed.

The main task that the symptomatic treatment of cough in a child with fever should solve is to turn a dry cough into a wet one and thereby speed up and facilitate the release of mucus from the airways.

Thus, Ambroxol cough syrup (Ambrobene, Ambrohexal, Lazolvan) should be used for children under 2 years old - 2.5 ml 2 times a day; 2-5 years - 2.5 ml three times a day; after 5 years - 5 ml 2-3 times a day. If, with laryngitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, a child has an intense dry cough with a fever, then, starting from the age of 12, the use of the drug Acetylcysteine ​​(ACC, Acestad) is allowed - 100 mg three times a day.

• marshmallow syrup – use for children under 12 years of age, a teaspoon (dilute in 50 ml warm water) up to 5 times a day, for children over 12 years old - a tablespoon 4-5 times a day (take after meals);
• Pertussin (Tussamag) - taken in tea or dessert spoon three times a day;
• Bronchicum - children under 2 years of age are recommended to give half a teaspoon twice a day; 2-6 years - one teaspoon; 6-12 years - one teaspoon three times a day; after 12 years - a dessert spoon three times a day;
• Bronholitin - children 3-10 years old give 5 ml three times a day, over 10 years old - 10 ml 3-4 times a day (after meals);
• Bronchipret - used from three months of age, 10 drops three times a day (after meals), and from one year onwards, one drop should be added to 10 drops for each year of the child’s life.

Expectorant medicine based on marshmallow root extract, Mucaltin (in tablets) thins phlegm; Children 3-5 years old are recommended to be given half a tablet three times a day (you can dissolve the tablet in small quantity warm water). After 5 years, you can use the whole tablet.

If a child over three years old has a severe cough, vomiting and fever, then it is possible - exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician - to use Sinekod (Butamirat) syrup, which suppresses the cough reflex: children 3-6 years old - 5 ml of syrup three times a day, 6-12 years old - 10 ml, after 12 years - 15 ml three times a day.

Facilitate coughing up sputum and help treat cough in a child with fever steam inhalations with soda (a teaspoon per glass of boiling water) or with any alkaline mineral water. It is also useful to breathe in the steam of a hot infusion pine buds or eucalyptus leaves.

Prevention of cough in a child with fever

The main prevention of cough in a child with fever due to ARVI consists of year-round hardening of children and systematic strengthening of their immune system. British pediatricians recommend giving children one gram of vitamin C per day during the coldest period. Some say that this reduces the manifestation of cold symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose in a child by 13%. Other doctors say that prophylactic use ascorbic acid does not reduce the incidence of colds, but reduces the duration of the disease by 8%.

Respiratory tract infections in children (especially in the first five years of life) - due to the inherent childhood anatomy of the organs of the respiratory system - they tend to manifest themselves over a fairly long period of time in the form of a subacute cough. Thus, after specific infections (for example, pneumonia), bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a child can last from three to eight weeks. And even with adequate symptomatic treatment cough and normalization of temperature, the threat of transition to chronic cough remains. For this reason, in some cases, doctors do not guarantee a 100% positive prognosis for cough in a child with fever.

In the prevention of cough in a child with fever due to diphtheria, measles and whooping cough, appropriate vaccinations play a leading role. According to WHO, more than 40 million people worldwide suffer from whooping cough every year, of whom approximately 290 thousand die. About 90% of people with whooping cough are children under 10 years of age. For almost 2% of children under one year of age infected with whooping cough (in developing countries - up to 4%), this infectious disease is fatal.

So, a cough in a child with a fever, first of all, must be correctly diagnosed, which is only possible when contacting qualified pediatricians and pediatric ENT doctors.

Young children are more likely than adults to be susceptible to various colds and infectious pathologies. Not only during the off-season, but also in any other month, a child may develop a cough and fever. Parents almost always associate such an illness with signs of an acute respiratory disease, but it also happens that a high fever and cough in a baby can become symptoms of a more serious illness.

Etiology of the disease

If a child develops a fever and cough, parents should be wary. When a child coughs, it means that the body is protecting itself from the attack of a harmful infection. If the sore throat is combined with high temperature, then often we're talking about about the development of acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections. It is important to remember that a cough and high temperature may well indicate the activity of infectious and viral processes such as chickenpox or rubella. In any case, upon manifestation painful symptoms, it is important to provide the child qualified treatment, which is prescribed individually by a pediatrician.

It is important to remember that if the baby has a cough and fever, parents should not engage in folk or self-medication. This can provoke serious complications.

High body temperature in a child with a cough can have different origins. A high temperature is a sign of a pathogenic infection entering the body. These signs may be the causes of the development of the following diseases:

• ARVI;
• tuberculosis;
• flu;
• tracheitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• laryngitis;
• whooping cough.

Any of the above diseases has its own individual clinical picture, children tolerate the symptoms of the disease differently, and accordingly, the treatment of diseases should be different.

Each pathology has special cough characteristics. For example, with the flu there is a dry and paroxysmal cough (in more mild stage the disease manifests itself wet cough). With whooping cough, it is characterized by attacks and a prolonged course. With tuberculosis, the cough may be clear and dry, but it is almost always accompanied by an admixture of blood.

Not always unpleasant feeling in the throat indicates the presence of an infectious or viral process in the baby’s body. For example, a child often coughs due to allergies, asthma, or something in the throat foreign body.

If the disease does not cause any particular inconvenience to the child, then it is not worth treating it with strong medications. It is important to remember that cough is the body’s protective reaction to the introduction of foreign bodies, viruses, infections, pathogenic microbes; accordingly, it helps the body get rid of harmful substances and normalize the functionality of the respiratory system.

When a baby has a cough and a temperature of 39 degrees, parents should urgently call an ambulance. It is prohibited to treat with medications not prescribed by a doctor, as this can provoke an attack of suffocation. The manifestation of painful symptoms in a baby should also be a good reason to consult a doctor. It is important to remember that children cannot be treated with the same drugs as adults.

It is believed that a child’s temperature cannot be brought down to 38 degrees, since an increase in temperature is the protection of the body and the activity of the immune system. But it is also important to remember that a cough and temperature of 38 in a child is a symptom of a disease that can only be determined by the attending physician.

Types of cough

What to do if a child has a cough and fever? If painful symptoms appear, the baby should be shown to the doctor in any case. To describe the clinical picture of the disease, it is necessary to find out which child suffers from cough.

So it could be:

• Dry (or unproductive) - the child cannot clear his throat, his throat hurts, and it hurts to cough.
• Wet (or productive) - coughing is easy, sputum is actively released.
• Constant - the baby’s cough is observed constantly, that is, throughout the entire day.
• Changeable - the disease manifests itself periodically, that is, in the morning, afternoon or evening. Very often a child develops a cough at night when the body is in a supine position and there is difficulty in expelling sputum.

Clinical picture of ARVI

During the off-season, a cough at an elevated temperature in a child becomes a sign of acute respiratory viral infection or acute respiratory infections. Children under 3 years of age are more often susceptible to the disease, since their the immune system is not able to give a worthy rebuff to viruses and infections.

Signs of ARVI:

• increase in temperature conditions (often up to 40 degrees);
• chills;
• weakness;
• headache;
• aches in joints and muscles;
• mucous discharge from the nose;
• dry and painful cough.

The baby’s fever “lasts” for several days. As a rule, on the third day the temperature drops and remains at around 37 degrees until full recovery baby (another 3-4 days).

Even a slight increase in temperature and the manifestation of other symptoms of ARVI is a reason to prescribe necessary therapy. It is important to remember that a coughing child is a carrier of infection, and in children aged 3 years, ARVI can be complicated by pathologies such as pneumonia, otitis media, inflammation of the brain, etc.

Signs of pertussis infection

Often a cough and a temperature of 38 in a child are the first signs of developing whooping cough. The disease is infectious in nature; for children as young as 2 years old, the pathology can become deadly.

The symptoms of whooping cough are very similar to the symptoms of ARVI, they manifest themselves in the form of:

• increased body temperature;
• spasmodic cough;
• swelling of the veins of the neck;
• nasal discharge;
• changes in skin tone;
• suffocation;
• hemorrhages;
• seizures

It is the cough that is hallmark pathology, with whooping cough it becomes paroxysmal, changeable (at first it is rare, then it intensifies). A sick child may cough for 7 days or more. Attacks are accompanied by suffocation, lack of air, cyanosis skin. Similar physiological state is very dangerous for small children.

When signs of whooping cough appear in a child, only the doctor determines how to treat the pathology. Children are currently vaccinated against whooping cough.

Symptoms of bronchial inflammation

Coughing and fever in a child are the main signs of bronchitis. High temperature conditions the child’s body temperature lasts for 3-4 days, then it begins to decline to normal. The main reasons for the development of pathology are:

• inhalation of toxic and harmful substances;
• penetration of viruses, bacteria, microbes into the bronchi;
• close contact with active allergens;
• infection from a sick person.

The duration of the disease is from three days (with acute course the disease can last a week or more), the first day the symptoms of the disease appear acutely, on the fourth day the symptoms subside, but continue to appear from time to time.

It is important to promptly begin treatment for bronchitis, as it can develop into pneumonia.

Signs of pneumonia

The most serious and dangerous disease pulmonary system for children younger age is pneumonia. The pathology is characterized by an inflammatory process lung tissue. There are several types of pneumonia, but all of them cause significant harm to the health of children at a young age.

Signs of pathology:

• cough - wet.
• increased body temperature;
• rapid breathing;
• wheezing

Pneumonia is characterized by a temperature of 39 degrees, which torments the baby for quite a long time (from three days). The cough is productive and persistent. In some cases, the sputum released has a rusty tint.

Treatment methods

Before you begin to treat a cough, it is necessary to find out the root cause of its manifestation. Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor selects treatment methods individually. The method of therapy depends on the nature of the pathology, as well as on age little patient.

The general treatment regimen includes the use of the following medications:

• Antipyretic drugs. It is recommended to give such medications to children if their body temperature is above 38 degrees. How to treat fever? Young patients can be given medications containing Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. Suspensions are prescribed for infants and young children; children over 5 years old can be given tablets.
• Expectorants. Main function mucolytics - diluting sputum, as well as removing it from the respiratory tract. For small patients for relief wet cough you can give Lazolvan, Gerbion, Doctor Mom.
• Antitussives. When a child has a cough with a body temperature of 39, he must be prescribed antitussive drugs to help relieve general condition at painful cough— Sinekod, Codelac. To eliminate night cough, the drug Libexin is indicated.
• Antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Azithromycin). The drug is prescribed if the cause of the disease is the activity of pathogenic bacteria.

A child's fever and cough are symptoms various diseases, most often this is a consequence of a respiratory viral infection, influenza, ARVI. First, children experience a temperature of 37 to 38.5 degrees, then they may develop a runny nose and a slight sore throat. After baby it's already underway to recover, begins to move actively and develops a cough. In this situation, you need to urgently contact a pediatrician; such symptoms may indicate an inflammatory process in the larynx, bronchi, trachea, and lungs.

Causes of temperature 37-38 and cough in a child

Most often, the symptoms indicate a cold, a viral infection, and can also accompany diseases such as rhinitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Depending on the disease and its complexity, the doctor decides whether antibiotics can be taken or not.

Methods for treating cough in a child with fever

If children have a respiratory viral infection, do not use a large number of medicines, the immune system itself must overcome it; if you start feeding your child antibiotics, the disease will only get worse. A runny nose and cough are symptoms that help a child fight the virus.

When a child’s temperature rises to 38.5 degrees no higher, it cannot be brought down, this indicates that the body is producing special substances to fight the disease. Give your child as much warm drink as possible; if the fever is very high, then you need to use antipyretics and drink something sour. This will not only reduce your fever, but also relieve your cough.

If a child blows his snot out without any problems, force him to do this as often as possible; it is forbidden to use tissues, as this will only worsen the runny nose; for these purposes, you need to purchase wipes that are thrown away immediately.

Cough is treated depending on its type and the cause that caused it. If the child coughs normally, there is no need to specifically drink different medications, in this way the body is cleansed. When a child is worried about dryness persistent cough, you need to drink as much warm water as possible, therapists prescribe Sinekod, which helps eliminate dryness and thins sputum; additional mucolytics are not recommended.

Please note that mothers often like to use expectorants; they can further aggravate the disease. Mucoltin and Alteyka often cause vomiting.

An important role in case of fever and cough is played by the child’s diet; it should be easily digestible; if the child refuses food, there is no need to scold him, it is better that he drinks more. Some doctors say that food puts even more strain on the child’s body; he does not have enough energy to fight the disease.

A small child who has not yet turned one year old with a fever and cough must be carried in his arms, constantly massage his back and chest, this way you can help him remove phlegm. If you have a runny nose, you need to rinse your child’s nose, then apply Nazivin, Vibrocil, etc. to the nose. It is not recommended to get carried away with drops, this vasoconstrictors, can lead to the child being taken to intensive care; often due to droplets, children’s body temperature drops sharply.

Psychological support for parents also plays an important role; you shouldn’t panic, sit and cry over your child, you should have good mood, charge your child with it too. The psychological atmosphere in the family plays an important role in the treatment of the child. Within a week, the child can return to his usual lifestyle.

It is important to consult a doctor in time if the child is less than six months old, the child does not drink well, or is bothered by constant vomiting

It is important to help your child cope with cough and fever at home:

1. If you need to bring down a high temperature.

2. Forcing the child to drink to protect him from loss of body fluids.

3. Monitor how the child behaves and feels.

Video: A child has a fever. What to do

Are coughs and fever symptoms of a cold or flu?

You need to be able to distinguish between the two diseases. A cold refers to an infection that can develop within two days. With it, the voice becomes very inflamed and sore, then the nose is stuffy, a runny nose appears, the child coughs, has a severe headache, and in some it is accompanied by a sore throat. Colds a child can easily pick up kindergarten, school, public place, suffers from it often. It is dangerous for small children; they develop complications in their ears and develop otitis media. Adults get sick less often, no more than 4 times a year, most often in late autumn and winter.

The flu in a child is difficult, although the symptoms are a bit like a cold. The flu is constantly accompanied by a high temperature of up to 40 degrees, muscle pain, and trembling. The disease lasts for a long time.

Danger of fever and cough in a child

It is important to contact your doctor in time if the temperature is very high, more than 38 degrees, the child is worried painful sensations in the chest area, the disease does not go away within a week.

A cold is always accompanied by the following diseases:

Video: Elena Malysheva. How to reduce a child's temperature

1. Sinusitis, when the nasal cavity becomes inflamed.

2. Laryngitis, due to an infectious disease in the laryngeal area, makes it difficult for a child to talk.

3. Tonsillitis, when the tonsils become inflamed.

4. Due to pneumonia, bronchitis, when the infection affects the pulmonary system.

Video: Fighting fever - Doctor Komarovsky - Inter

So, a cough and a temperature of 37-38 degrees can be a symptom of a cold, a virus, which is not dangerous to health, but also a serious inflammatory process in the body. Often a strong cough with such a temperature accompanies a disease - pneumonia, which should never be started, as the child may die. Such symptoms are especially dangerous for small children; you need to constantly monitor their body temperature, help them cough, they have not yet developed the cough reflex.

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Colds among children attending childcare centers are quite common. Common symptoms of a cold are: runny nose, cough and fever. If parents are still able to treat a runny nose on their own, then help will be needed with symptoms of cough and fever medical specialist. What does a cough with fever in children indicate, as well as methods of treating diseases, we will find out further.

Causes of dry cough

A dry cough and fever in a child are the very first and main symptoms developing disease. Before understanding the question of what is the treatment of dry cough, it is necessary to find out the reasons for its occurrence, as well as the main symptoms concomitant disease. A child may develop a dry cough due to the following diseases:

1. Cold. With a cold, a runny nose most often occurs, and a dry cough occurs when signs of sore throat develop. A dry type of cough is formed due to the detection of signs of a sore throat.
2. Flu and its complications. If a child gets sick with the flu, the first symptoms are a high fever and the development of signs of a dry cough. After some time, the cough reflex turns into a wet form, and a runny nose occurs.
3. Reflux disease. This type The disease develops through the entry of gastric juice into the esophagus. In the esophagus gastric juice irritates the mucous membrane, resulting in symptoms of a dry cough.
4. Whooping cough. A disease that occurs in children and is accompanied by fever and cough. The disease is quite serious and contagious. The main symptom of whooping cough is the symptoms of a dry and spasmodic cough.
5. Penetration into the larynx and respiratory tract foreign objects. In this case, the child develops a dry cough, but the temperature remains normal. Only when inflammatory processes occur does the child’s temperature increase.
6. Tracheitis. Symptoms of the disease are caused by the development of a strong and dry cough.
7. Laryngitis. Laryngitis causes symptoms such as hoarseness and sore throat. The child’s temperature rises to 37.5-38 degrees, but not higher.

Only after determining the cause of the disease, which must be confirmed by the treating doctor, can one think about how to treat the disease. The diagnosis is made by the attending physician, and on its basis, appropriate treatment is prescribed. But first, you should understand in detail what constitutes a dry cough with fever in a child.

Symptoms of the disease

What to do if symptoms of dry cough occur in a child? Initially, you need to make sure that the cough is really dry, since the type of disease depends on its form. The following symptoms occur with a dry cough:

• signs of a barking cough, the development of which is often caused by the penetration of a foreign body into the larynx area;
• coughing occurs regularly, and does not depend on whether the child is resting or actively playing;
• when coughing, there is no release of phlegm from the throat;
• when coughing, there is a feeling as if something has gotten into the baby’s throat and he is trying to cough it up;
• severe dry cough worsens, mainly at night;
• symptoms become so severe that signs of nausea and vomiting may occur;
• increase in body temperature, while the thermometer can show a value of 39 degrees and above.

Regardless of what caused the child to develop a dry cough and a temperature above 38 degrees, parents should take the baby to the hospital or call an ambulance medical care. What to do if signs of a dry cough develop in a child should be considered in more detail.

Features of treatment

Before carrying out treatment, you should definitely make sure that it is rational. To do this, you need to visit a doctor who will diagnose correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. Treatment of a cold, the main symptoms of which are a temperature of 39, runny nose and cough, consists of the following measures:

1. First of all, the doctor prescribes mucolytic drugs. The main advantage of these drugs is to combat dryness in the respiratory organs, as well as dilute mucus to remove it. After mucolytic therapy, the sign of the disease changes from dry to wet, that is, expectoration of sputum occurs.
2. Use of expectorants. Such medications are due to their thinning properties, as a result of which there is an improvement in the removal of mucus from the respiratory system.
3. Expectorant drugs that have a reflex property. With the help of such medications, the cough reflex is strengthened, whereby sputum is eliminated much faster, and the child recovers.
4. At high temperatures, if the thermometer value exceeds 38-38.5 degrees, antipyretic drugs should be used. It is important to know that their use below 38 degrees is strictly contraindicated, since the immune system copes with the disease on its own.

If frequent runny nose and cough continues to torment the child, and the temperature subsides only after the use of antipyretics, then it will be necessary to resort to antibiotic therapy. Children often suffer from colds, which are complicated by bacterial diseases.

It is important to know! Parents are strictly prohibited from using antibiotics on their own. After examining the small patient, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate antibiotic, which should be used strictly according to the prescription or instructions.

Parents treat a runny nose and dry cough at home using methods such as compresses, heating and mustard plasters. All these methods are quite popular and effective, but their use at fever is strictly contraindicated. Even minor symptoms of fever are a reason to exclude the use of traditional methods.

It is important to know! One of the popular methods of treating dry cough is the use of a nebulizer. It can be used at elevated and high temperatures, and also as the main drug for carrying out therapeutic therapy and prevention.

If parents implement self-treatment child, then at least they must imagine the danger of these actions. Treatment of a child folk ways allowed in combination with drug therapy. If the disease goes from acute form chronic, it will be almost impossible to get rid of the cough. In addition, the development of complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia or a chronic form cannot be ruled out.

Preventive measures

Prevention methods are quite important when treating a sick baby. The basis preventive measures includes security comfortable conditions in the room where the baby is. To do this, it is necessary to increase the air humidity and also warm the room to 18-20 degrees. It is imperative to ensure that the room is regularly ventilated, which will speed up the healing process and reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms in the air.

Causes

Why does my child have a cough and fever? The most common cause is considered to be ARI - otherwise acute respiratory infection (acute respiratory disease), which has infectious nature. A child can become infected anywhere, but the highest degree of risk comes from close contact or prolonged stay in an unventilated room with a sick person.

If there are several infected children or adults, the likelihood of transmission of the pathogen increases. Hypothermia and a recent illness (not necessarily of infectious etiology) increase a child’s susceptibility to ARI.

The mechanism of transmission of the pathogen is simple. The main one is airborne: the patient spreads the infection with respiratory secretions exhaled during sneezing or coughing. The contact path is also relevant.

If a person sneezed, covering his mouth with his palm, and then touched the handrails in public transport, toys, dishes - there will be a secret on them, which means a virus or bacteria. It is enough for a child to grab his favorite mug, rub his eyes, nasal mucosa - unhindered access to infection is open.

Cough and fever are not always symptoms of ARI. Some diseases of the respiratory system - for example, cystic fibrosis - lead to secondary infection, recurrent bronchitis and pneumonia.

Bronchiectasis, characterized by deformation of the bronchi, their pathological expansion with the formation of bronchiectasis, can develop against the background of cystic fibrosis or have a different etiology.

What is a cough like?

A complaint of cough as a manifestation of catarrhal syndrome in ARI or other pathology requires clarification. To get closer to formulating a diagnosis, you need to find out which one. According to the classification, it can be:

1. Dry (unproductive) and wet (productive).
2. Morning, afternoon, evening and night - or constant, if it is impossible to select any time of day.
3. Timbre of cough - important aspect; it is divided into hoarse, silent and “barking”.

There are also additional characteristics cough - metallic tint with laryngitis and tracheitis, spastic cough tremors with whooping cough.

And temperature can be signs acute bronchitis, as well as relief after sputum discharge.

Types and treatment of ARI

The clinical picture of infections accompanied by cough depends on the level of damage to the respiratory tract. They are characterized by common symptoms:

• headache, weakness;
• rapid fatigue, especially during physical exertion;
• hyperthermia from 37 to 41 degrees Celsius;
• decreased or lack of appetite during fever;
• cough.

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx. The child has a dry cough; the temperature rises to 37–38 degrees Celsius. The dominant symptom is a sore throat and sore throat, which radiates to the ears when swallowing saliva.

To cure pharyngitis, use rinses with chamomile, inhalations with warm steam, foot baths with hot water, refusal of spicy, mucosal irritating foods. If the child does not have allergies, milk with honey has a positive effect.

Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx. Since affected vocal cords, characterized by a hoarse, quiet voice. The child develops a typical “barking” cough with a temperature of up to 38 degrees Celsius. Treatment includes prohibition of speaking loudly, eating spicy food, be in cold air, near smokers or in a room where the air is hot and dry.

Needs plenty of warm drink, gargling with herbal decoctions. Recovery is promoted by hot foot baths and alkaline inhalations.

Tracheitis is called inflammatory process in the trachea. The cough is dry, paroxysmal and accompanied by pain in the chest. In children, the temperature can reach 39 degrees Celsius. A few days after the onset of the illness, viscous sputum begins to be coughed up.

Range therapeutic measures wider than with pharyngitis and laryngitis. Antiviral or antibacterial agents are used if the etiology of tracheitis is certain, inhalation, and plenty of warm drinking.

A painful cough can be relieved with antitussives (codeine, libexin). But they cannot be taken without a doctor’s prescription - if the process has spread to the bronchi, this can lead to serious complications.

Bronchitis in a child usually means. At the beginning of the disease, the cough is unproductive, it becomes wet after three to four days, the sputum is mucous, moderate amount. Since in most cases (90%) the causative agent is a virus, you should not start treatment with antibacterial drugs.

Recommendations include plenty of warm drinks: teas (with raspberries, honey) and heated water. Antipyretics should not be abused. Hyperthermia is a protective reaction, so it is necessary to reduce the temperature if it is too high or the child does not tolerate it well.

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is contraindicated in children due to the risk of developing Reye's syndrome (acute liver failure). Paracetamol and ibuprofen are allowed. Mucolytics (sputum thinners) are prohibited for children under 2 years of age; they are replaced by an increased drinking regimen, comfortable air humidification, and inhalations.

– damage to small bronchi in young children age group. In addition to the fact that the child has a cough and a temperature of 37-39 degrees Celsius, there is shortness of breath with the participation of auxiliary muscles, flaring of the wings of the nose, severe intoxication: weakness, lethargy, lack of appetite.

Add to list mandatory measures oxygen therapy includes severe forms apply antibacterial drugs, glucocorticosteroids.

Pneumonia – involvement in pathological process lungs. As a rule, the lower lobes are affected on one or both sides. This disease is characterized by pronounced intoxication syndrome. Weakness forces the patient to stay in bed; he does not tolerate physical activity well.

A child may develop a cough and a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius immediately or a few days after typical picture ARI: rhinitis, sore throat, persists for more than 3 days. Pneumonia is often a consequence of bronchitis.

The therapy uses a wide spectrum (amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefotaxime, josamycin). Compliance is mandatory drinking regime. Recommendations regarding mucolytics and antipyretics coincide with the rules for use in bronchitis.

Chronic cough

A cough that lasts more than 8 weeks is considered chronic. The temperature only rises in acute period and remains normal outside of exacerbations, but in some cases low-grade hyperthermia is constantly observed.

With cystic fibrosis, a persistent cough worsens at night, the child suffers from attacks of suffocation and vomiting. The addition of an infection provokes bronchitis and pneumonia. Children with cystic fibrosis should receive complex therapy, which includes:

• diet with increased content salt;
• breathing exercises;
• antimicrobial agents;
• mucolytics;
• vitamins;
• inhalation;
• pancreatic enzymes.

The antibiotic to treat complications is chosen based on the results bacteriological research and antibacterial sensitivity testing.

Exacerbation of bronchiectasis includes constant weakness, shortness of breath, cough with thick discharge purulent sputum viscous consistency in large volume and body temperature equal to 37 degrees Celsius and above. IN severe cases possible hemoptysis.

Antibacterial therapy and sanitation are suggested as treatment bronchial tree, if necessary, glucocorticosteroids and surgery.

How probable cause chronic cough, pulmonary tuberculosis should be considered. If a child has a prolonged cough and a temperature of 37, weight loss, night sweats, as well as a history of contact with a patient with tuberculosis, it is worth carrying out a specific diagnosis.

Considering wide range possible reasons cough and fever in a child, you can encounter both mild form ARI viral origin, so with serious illness, requiring extremely careful attention on the part of parents and doctors.

Pathologies of the respiratory system, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, are difficult to determine independently, without confirmation by X-ray data.

Self-medication or lack of treatment can cause serious harm to the child’s health. The choice of group, dosage and method of drug administration (oral, parenteral) should be made by a medical specialist based on an in-person examination and a sufficient examination.