Causes of allergic cough in children: symptoms and treatment, how to distinguish pathology from other diseases. Allergic cough: how it develops, signs and course, diagnosis, basics of therapy How to get rid of allergic cough in a child

Every conscious parent knows that the child’s health must be carefully monitored from birth. Due to a weak immune system, children often develop various diseases. After all, the immune system needs some time and special conditions to strengthen. Cough is very common among children. Many coughs in children are correlated with colds. But, in most cases, this symptom indicates the presence of an allergy. It is an allergic cough that manifests itself first in a child. And if treatment is not started in a timely manner, the allergy will begin to progress and become chronic.

Symptoms of allergic cough in a child

It is very difficult to distinguish an allergic cough in children from a sign of acute respiratory infections. But, nevertheless, there are some features and symptoms that will help to recognize the cause of the disease. The first feature is the onset of cough unaccompanied by elevated body temperature. In general, the baby feels fine.

After some time, the symptoms intensify. General lethargy of the body occurs, the child becomes irritable and restless. Sleep patterns are disrupted. Allergic cough in children is accompanied by a runny nose and bouts of sneezing. The symptoms and characteristics of cough caused by allergies are as follows:

• The cough is barking in nature;
• Occurs unexpectedly and in attacks;
• Mostly dry;
• Lasts more than two weeks;
• Attacks occur mainly at night.

Symptoms include severe itching in the nasal cavity and throat. The larynx is severely irritated. The trachea suffers greatly from coughing. Frequent spasms cause the child’s muscle corset to ache.

Causes of allergic cough in children

The first symptoms of an allergy, namely a cough, often occur against the background of hay fever. Simply put, it is an allergy to pollen from flowering plants. The disease manifests itself in the spring and summer, with the first flowering of trees. Symptoms may be aggravated by a rash on the body, itching and burning, conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis. A child’s cough gets worse when walking outside near plants. It is important to recognize the problem promptly and begin treatment.

No less rarely, an allergic cough in a child occurs due to the impact of pet hair on the mucous membranes of the body. I would like to clarify that allergies do not arise from the cat’s fur itself. A certain protein is produced in the pet’s body, which is distributed through the animal’s saliva and urine. Thus, the pathogenic component settles on wool, clothing, dishes, carpets, and furniture. It is this that, when inhaled, causes irritation to the throat, which leads to an allergic cough. And even modern hairless cat breeds will not protect your child from illness. This type of allergy can be recognized by observing the baby’s body in the company of an animal and without it.

Children often develop a cough due to the presence of household dust. Due to frequent exposure to dusty rooms, allergies develop. At the same time, a cough can also appear from long-term accumulation of dust in household items (pillows, sofas, beds). In its composition, dust is nothing more than a collection of dead skin cells, hair, microscopic mites, fur, food debris, and dirt. When this is inhaled, allergic rhinitis occurs, followed by coughing. The toddler suffers first of all, since the little person’s body has not yet developed all its protective functions. It is important to monitor the baby’s room and bedding, and choose the right toys. Dust accumulates over the years in the following things:

• Home library;
• Thick curtains and curtains;
• Carpeting;
• Cushioned furniture;
• Small interior items;
• Stuffed Toys.

A child may suffer from an allergic cough due to intolerance to certain foods. It is in childhood that food allergies occur. Over time, at an older age, the problem goes away. Eating certain foods causes a cough in a child. If left untreated, angioedema may develop, which leads to an increase in the size of the larynx, throat, tongue, or palate. Because of this, oxygen does not enter the lungs and the baby risks suffocation. It is necessary to completely eliminate the allergen product and all its other variations (supplements, essential oils, creams, etc.) from use. Foods that put your baby at risk include:

• Citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries;
• Cow's milk, chicken eggs;
• Sweets and baked goods;
• Food additives, seasonings and spices;
• Fatty meats;
• Tomatoes, beets, carrots;
• All types of nuts.

Cough is provoked by various medications. These include most antibiotics and hormonal drugs. Herbal remedies also cause allergic cough attacks in babies. The cause may also be molds inhaled by the child.

Treatment methods for allergic cough

First of all, treatment of this type of cough is aimed at eliminating the body’s sensitivity to the allergen. For this purpose, antihistamines are used in medicine. All of them block the production of histamine. Three generations of antihistamines have been developed. The first includes those that have a number of contraindications and possible adverse reactions. Due to their rapid elimination from the body, these medications need to be taken much more often than others.

The third generation, on the contrary, has a minimal list of side effects. They stay in the body for a long time, so their effect lasts throughout the day. Among all antihistamines against allergic cough, the following are noted:

The most effective treatment for allergic cough is achieved through immunotherapy. Treatment involves the systematic administration of a small dose of a diluted allergen. Thus, the child’s body gradually gets used to the influence of the pathogenic component. The immune system begins to react correctly and produce antibodies to the allergen. The disadvantages of the method include the length of time (about 1.5 years). Also, injections are carried out only under the supervision of a doctor, and the child must be taken to the clinic several times a week.

To treat a child’s cough and reduce the frequency of attacks, it is necessary to use expectorants in the form of tablets and syrups. Almost all syrups are approved for use by infants. Alteika is such an effective remedy for children. Available in the form of syrup. Used after meals. Treatment with this remedy lasts for two weeks.

Thermopsol is considered a strong expectorant. The product is made on the basis of medicinal herbs. Tablets are prescribed for severe attacks of allergic cough and bronchial asthma. The course of treatment for children is no more than five days. You can use various herbal infusions that are sold in every pharmacy.

Prevention of allergic cough

To prevent allergic cough in a child, parents need to do hard work. First, you need to monitor what your baby is eating. It is very important to carry out daily wet cleaning in your living space. It would be better to get rid of items such as carpets, thick curtains, and soft toys. The ideal floor covering would be simply linoleum or laminate. You can lay loose tracks for the floor.

The largest dust collector is stuffed toys. Very often they do not undergo any processing. Young children often put everything in their mouth. Toys should be such that they can be washed under running water every day. Experts recommend using humidifiers if you have a child at home.

If the cause of an allergic cough in a child is hay fever, try to go outside less in the spring and summer. Walking should be done in the evening, or after rain. Do not walk with your child near flowering plants. After going outside, be sure to wash your child thoroughly. It is also worth clearing the nasal cavity and gargling. When you get home, change your baby into new, clean clothes for the house. By following all the rules, you will be able to protect your baby and not treat him with multiple medications.

One of the body's defense reactions is coughing. And this does not always mean a cold or flu. When an allergen enters the respiratory tract, an allergic cough occurs. In children, it is often not possible to recognize it in time.

What is an allergy in children?

It acts as a defender of the immune system in response to attack by irritants. Inhaled chemical compounds can become provocateurs. Unlike a cold, an allergic cough in children occurs abruptly, without accompanying symptoms of an infectious disease. The throat does not hurt, the temperature does not rise, there are no migraine attacks, and the appetite is normal.

Causes of allergic cough in children

Most often, substances contained in the inhaled air can be provocateurs.

1. Dust that rises when air masses move.
2. Plant pollen - during the flowering period of grasses there is quite a lot of it in the air.
3. Fungal spores are carried by the wind.
4. Animal fur.
5. In addition, an allergic cough in children is possible as a response to a foreign protein. It can enter the body after the vaccine is administered. Plasma and serum should be added to this list.
6. The smell of perfume can also cause an allergic cough.

Symptoms of the disease

Most often, manifestations of an allergic cough last a couple of weeks. Possible runny nose. Itching appears in the throat and nose. The child sneezes. A dry allergic cough can last for many hours. Your child's symptoms may return intermittently over weeks.

Rarely, phlegm may be produced when coughing. It is transparent and does not contain impurities.

The symptoms of this disease worsen at night, and during the day, on the contrary, the condition improves.

How not to confuse an allergic cough with other diseases - bronchitis or whooping cough

Bronchitis is an inflammatory process in the bronchi, and whooping cough is an infectious disease often found in children. So, allergic cough in children is very similar to the one that occurs with these diseases. But there are clear differences.

Doctor Komarovsky about allergic cough in children

This doctor is very popular among mothers, because he gives good advice for the treatment of various childhood diseases. Regarding how to cure an allergic cough in a child, Komarovsky says the following:

1. Here a whole chain of first actions is built - the doctor makes a diagnosis based on the symptoms, then treatment is prescribed. The doctor is in charge.
2. In fact, with the help of coughing, the body clears the lungs of accumulated mucus, which cleanses the bronchi and neutralizes viruses and bacteria.
3. To prevent the mucus from drying out, which is so necessary in the body’s self-healing process, you need fresh air and plenty of fluids.
4. If an allergen is found that caused the disease in a child, it is necessary to exclude all contacts of the baby with it. This could be a wool blanket or flowers.

Diagnosis of allergic cough

If parents cannot achieve success in treatment on their own by giving the child antitussive drugs, then they take him to see a doctor. The specialist conducts a thorough diagnosis and identifies the exact allergen, after which treatment can begin. First, the doctor examines the child to see if he has any symptoms of other illnesses that could cause coughing attacks. Then tests are carried out with the help of which it becomes possible to determine the allergen. They are done so that you can determine how to cure an allergic cough.

Small scratches are applied to the skin of the forearm with a scarifier. Solutions with certain substances are dripped onto them. This is how an allergy test is performed. If irritation appears at the site of the drop, the desired allergen will be found. Although there may be several of them. This diagnosis is contraindicated in children under 3 years of age.

In addition, before starting treatment for allergic cough in children, it is necessary to determine the level of immunoglobulins in the blood. With the help of this modern and accurate method, it becomes possible to reliably state that the child has an allergic reaction.

It is necessary to gradually protect the baby from suspicious substances and objects. If the attacks stop as a result, it means that the allergen was definitely found.

Types of allergic cough

There are the following types of cough:

• Dry. It worsens in the winter season, as well as in the summer. This is the main sign indicating that children have allergies.
• Barking. It cannot be confused with another type of cough. The child has a hoarse voice, ringing during attacks, similar to the barking of a dog. This is allergic laryngitis - the larynx becomes inflamed and the lumen in it narrows. The baby has difficulty breathing due to decreased air flow to the lungs.
• Night. It is paroxysmal and does not stop for a long time. The eyes begin to water, the child has a runny nose. At the same time, the temperature does not rise as in the case of colds.

In what cases can we assume that a child has an allergic cough?

1. If attacks occur more often at night.
2. The cough is dry.
3. The temperature does not rise.
4. More often, a child coughs in the summer or winter.
5. The attacks stop when taking certain medications - the drugs "Tavegil", "Suprastin" or "Diazolin".
6. There is severe nasal discharge, but vasoconstrictors do not provide relief.
7. There is redness in the area of ​​the nasal passages.

Effective treatment of allergic cough in children is the key to the child’s well-being. Indeed, due to the impact of the irritant on the child’s respiratory system, mild asphyxia is possible against the background of swelling. In order to get rid of the irritant, the baby coughs - this is the body’s attempt to protect itself from the negative effects of allergens.

How to treat an allergic dry cough in a child

To effectively combat frequent attacks, various drugs and folk remedies are used. If there is an allergic cough, the child’s symptoms are not quite similar to a cold, because the body temperature does not rise, for example. In any case, you first need to consult with a specialist and only then begin treatment.

Allergens that cause coughing attacks

These include:

• Household. Dust, mold fungi, cockroaches and their waste products.
• Reaction to pollen.
• Food. Often children are allergic to milk or eggs, cereals. You need to add honey and strawberries to this list, as well as citrus fruits. And also chocolate and nuts, sesame seeds.
• Epidermal. Wool, saliva, dander, fluff, feathers, pet excrement.
• A reaction to insect bites, manifested as an allergy.
• Medicinal. For antibiotics or anesthetics.
• Fungal.
• Helminthic.
• Physical factors. Wind or heat, cold or mechanical irritation.

Treatment methods for allergic cough in children

There are many effective medications, but only a doctor can prescribe them - self-medication is unacceptable here. There are other effective remedies for allergic cough.

1. The house must be kept as clean as possible. Wet cleaning should be done several times a week.
2. You should not smoke in the room where the child lives. Even the clothes of a smoker can cause a coughing attack in a baby.
3. In case of allergies to animal fur, children should limit their contact with the pet.
4. Products with a high risk of developing allergies should be excluded from the diet.

Medicines for allergic cough in children

There are many effective means, among which are:

• The drug "Gerbion" is a syrup with plantain. It is absolutely harmless to the child and is an excellent remedy for dry cough. Contraindications include individual intolerance and diabetes. This syrup helps get rid of irritations due to the negative reaction of sensitive nerve receptors to allergens.
• In order to stop the onset of an attack, allergic cough tablets are used. Preferable antihistamines are Suprastin, Diazolin and Loratadine. The effect of taking them occurs after approximately 20 minutes.
• If your doctor allows it, you can do inhalations with medications or herbs. After brewing medicinal plants, you need to breathe the resulting steam. In this way, the child’s condition can be alleviated. But first you need to make sure that there are no allergies to the constituent components, otherwise the situation will become even worse.

Folk remedies for allergic cough in children

Rinse your child's throat and mouth several times a day with warm water, especially after walks in the fresh air. Rinse your nose and nasopharynx a couple of times a day. Add sea salt to the water.

Prepare a mixture of bay leaves boiled in water, a couple of teaspoons of sweet honey and baking soda. If a child has coughing attacks, take the medicine.

To remove mucus, place a few drops of aloe juice into your nose.

Onion honey will soften the walls of the respiratory tract. Boil a couple of small onions in 1 liter of water - the water should evaporate by half. Strain and drink during severe attacks.

Preventive actions

Even during pregnancy, a woman should go for walks more often, breathe fresh air and get rid of bad habits. From birth, at the slightest suspicion of diathesis, you should consult a doctor. When allergens are identified, the child must be protected from them.

How to deal with allergens

By following a few simple rules, you can protect your child from allergies:

1. Wet cleaning should be carried out every day, rooms should be ventilated.
2. Pets should not be allowed in the baby's crib.
3. If you have a food allergy, allergenic foods should be excluded from your diet.
4. Before the child goes to bed, be sure to ventilate the room.

Whatever the parents’ assumptions about the origin of the cough, it is imperative to consult a specialist. Only after this should you begin treatment. The doctor will conduct the necessary examination of the child, identify the cause of the allergy and help get rid of unpleasant symptoms. The recovery process will be quick if parents do not resort to self-medication with various untested methods.

Hello, dear readers. In this article we look at why children may develop an allergic cough.

Let's discuss what symptoms it differs from colds or whooping cough, what therapeutic methods are used for treatment.

Cough in childhood allergies: manifestations, diagnosis, therapy

Very often, when a child coughs, and even spasmodically, this indicates an allergy. Therefore, it is important for parents to know the basics about an allergic cough in a child, its symptoms and treatment.

A child's cough of an allergic nature is not always easy to recognize and is not confused with a cold. An allergic cough that occurs in children is a reaction of the bronchi to an allergen, and not a disease.

Typically, the irritant enters the bronchi by air, and coughing acts as a defense that is activated to cleanse the bronchi.

It can be considered as a signal either of the possibility of developing asthma, or of already developed asthma. There is also a possibility that this is a manifestation of a general allergy.

Symptoms of cough in case of allergies

Is it possible to determine that this is an allergic cough in children, but not any other?

Allergy symptoms:

• The cough appears suddenly, it is usually paroxysmal, suffocating (sometimes parents notice that before the attack there was contact with a potential irritant: for example, the child was stroking a cat, smelling a flower).
• The attacks are long and repeated at certain intervals.
• The cough is painful, dry, and can last up to three weeks; there is no fever, no itching in the nasopharynx or sneezing.
• For the most part, attacks occur at night; during the day they occur much less often.
• As a rule, doctors note the dryness of an allergic child’s cough. However, sometimes clear sputum is released, in which there are no impurities.
• Sometimes rhinitis (allergic in nature) is present.
• It is enough to take an antihistamine and the cough will disappear.

Symptoms of allergic reactions depend on the type of allergy. A timely visit to an allergist during coughing attacks will help eliminate the risk of allergic bronchitis or asthma.

Childhood allergy cough and whooping cough: difference in manifestations

Whooping cough is also accompanied by attacks of dry cough. The disease is very serious. For babies, it can lead to respiratory arrest.

The basic differences between whooping cough and allergic attacks are as follows:

• Whooping cough causes an increase in temperature, but with allergies the temperature is normal.
• Allergy attacks occur as a result of encountering an irritant.
• With an allergy accompanied by a cough, there is no whistling noisy inhalation, which is a sign of whooping cough.
• Attacks of whooping cough cannot be controlled with an antihistamine.
• Sputum from whooping cough is often viscous and difficult to remove.

If there is any paroxysmal cough, you should immediately show the child to a specialist.

What causes a cough?

Doctors list the main reasons that can cause allergic cough in children:

• The saliva and particles of cat skin (or rather, the protein-protein) found in them can sometimes cause other animals to cause an allergic reaction. There is always saliva and dead skin in the smallest form on the fur of pets.
• Ticks. There are many of them in pillows, carpets, etc.
• (it contains tick particles).
• Chemical household products, cosmetic aerosols.

Sometimes an allergic cough develops after diseases of the respiratory tract: the virus or bacteria is no longer in the body, but the immune reactions triggered by the microbe still last.

How is it treated

Inevitably, parents are faced with the problem of how to treat an allergic cough in a child. Such manifestations of allergies will disappear if the child is removed from contact with the irritant or from reacting to it.

Why the attacks occur and what the child reacts to, parents will not figure it out on their own. The risk of developing allergic manifestations increases if one of the parents is allergic.

Therapy is prescribed and carried out exclusively by an allergist. But some easy preventive measures can be taken at home.

These are general rules: ventilate the apartment often, do daily cleaning (wet). You can teach children to rinse their mouth and throat with warm water, especially after going out.

Diagnostics and therapy

During an acute attack, you can give your child an antihistamine prescribed by a specialist at home to stop the reaction.

To effectively prevent cough, your doctor usually prescribes comprehensive treatment.

The doctor will carry out the necessary diagnostics (perhaps they will be prescribed, or perhaps) to identify what provokes an allergic reaction in such a painful form.

So, how is an allergic cough in a child treated? Therapy occurs in two courses: first, the acute condition is relieved, then medications are prescribed for the time between attacks.

For acute manifestations of allergic cough, the following are indicated:

• Medicines that combat excess histamine in the body (second or third generation).
• Agents that bind toxins that are necessarily present in childhood allergic manifestations.
• Drugs for dilation of bronchi.

The doctor will advise you to adhere to a hypoallergenic diet: exclude all cocoa-containing products, tangerines, oranges, seafood, and red fruits.

Between attacks, the specialist will definitely prescribe:

• Taking accumulative antihistamines.
• Immunity-boosting procedures (the identified allergen is injected under the skin, gradually increasing the dosage). This reduces the allergic reaction to the pathogen. Such therapeutic measures are indicated only for a child who is over three years old.

Self-medication is unacceptable; trust your allergist. This will help avoid severe allergic complications.

Preventive measures

• Refusal during pregnancy will be a certain preventive anti-allergenic measure for your baby.
• Contact with the identified allergen must be excluded. If it is impossible to do this (for example, if the attacks are seasonal, as a reaction to flowering plants), immunotherapeutic procedures are performed.
• If the irritant is not identified, you should do the following: introduce for the child, refuse animals in the house, do wet cleaning every day, remove carpets, remove down pillows, purchase synthetic hypoallergenic pillows, refuse plants in the children's room.

Important to remember

1. Allergic coughing attacks can be a reaction to any allergen.
2. There are basic symptoms that distinguish children's allergic cough from any other.
3. The appearance of a paroxysmal cough is a reason for an immediate examination of the child by a specialist who will prescribe comprehensive treatment. Without timely treatment, a serious illness such as asthma can occur.

See you in the next article!

The number of children suffering from allergies increases every year. And it is very difficult to avoid it, since the main causes of its appearance (hereditary factors, surrounding ecology) are almost impossible to influence. Allergies are characterized by many symptoms that significantly worsen the baby’s quality of life, and sometimes even lead to disability. One of its most important signs is the allergic cough reflex.

How to recognize an allergic cough

The first symptoms of an increased allergic reaction of a child’s body may appear before the child is one year old. The predisposition and accompanying cough are determined in the child by heredity, as well as diathesis suffered in infancy. An allergic cough reflex is observed in children mainly 1.5-7 years old. Among adults, only 2% have allergy symptoms.

An allergic cough in a child can also occur as a result of eating an allergenic food product. Additionally, there is a burning sensation, a sore throat, swelling of the oral mucosa, and rashes throughout the body.

It is most difficult to distinguish an allergic cough from a cold when the child is an infant. The main symptoms of an allergenic cough reflex in children include:

• seasonal increase in attacks;
• strengthening them in contact with animals or down products;
• The cough is dry and subsides after taking antiallergic medications.

For frequently recurring coughing attacks in children (especially if it is a newborn), you need to consult a doctor who will tell you how to recognize an allergic cough reflex and also help prevent negative consequences from occurring.

Signs of an allergic cough in a child

Allergic cough in a child is characterized by a certain set of symptoms and requires complex treatment. The main manifestations of cough due to allergies in a baby:

• dry, wavy;
• no signs of a cold: high fever, headache, chills;
• before the onset of each attack, suffocation is noticeable;
• itching of the throat and nose, redness of the latter;
• sneezing and rhinitis are periodically added;
• worsens at night, as well as in the morning;
• duration up to several weeks;
• sputum is absent or clear, in small quantities;
• begins suddenly;
• taking expectorants and cough medicines does not bring relief;
• disappears after taking antihistamines.

Causes of allergic cough

Many substances are allergens. They can enter the body and provoke the development of pathology in different ways. There are several main factors in the occurrence of the allergic cough reflex:

1. Heredity (40-80%).

2. Allergens:

• food (fruits, sweets, milk, nuts, spices);
• household (dust, feathers, animal fluff and hair, cosmetics);
• pollen (color of alder, linden, poplar, maple, meadow grasses).

3. Environmental factors (the influence of passive smoking, polluted air, taking certain medications).

Allergic coughs in children can occur at any time of the year. However, if its cause is plant pollen, then attacks occur in the spring, autumn, and also in early summer. If you are intolerant to house dust, allergy symptoms may bother you more often during the cold season, since this is when the rooms are not ventilated very often.

Based on the test results, the doctor decides how to treat the child’s allergic cough (which antihistamines to prescribe). And if you pay maximum attention to therapy and approach the implementation of the doctor’s recommendations responsibly, then you can overcome the disease without allowing the occurrence of obstructive bronchitis. But within 2–3 years it can be complicated by bronchial asthma, requiring lifelong use of special medications.

Diagnosis of the pathological condition

Allergic cough in children is treated only after all examinations have been completed.

Determining the allergen is also necessary, since only an accurate diagnosis will make it possible to select an effective course of therapy.

First, the doctor examines the baby to ensure that he has no symptoms of other respiratory diseases that can cause a cough. If they are not there, then tests are prescribed to identify the allergen. Basic tests:

1. Allergy test - several small cuts are made on the skin of the shoulder with a scarifier, then solutions with allergens are instilled there. If an inflammatory process is noted, then the cause of the cough has been discovered (there may be several of them). Using multitests, leading and minor allergens are identified. However, this diagnostic method is prohibited for children under 3 years of age.
2. Determining the amount of immunoglobulins in the blood - an increase in IgE titers indicates an allergic reaction.

When examining children, additional tests are also required: a nasal swab, sputum and blood, and, if necessary, a stool test for dysbacteriosis and worm eggs.

Drug therapy for allergic manifestations

Only the doctor decides how to treat an allergic cough. It is highly desirable to eliminate the cause of respiratory tract irritation from the baby’s environment. However, it is not always possible to exclude the provoking factor. Therefore, treatment is aimed at mitigating the reaction that occurs after encountering an allergen, as well as preventing consequences for the child.

Modern therapy involves the use of third-generation antihistamines (Zyrtec, Cetrin, Telfast). They differ from their predecessors of the first (Tavegil, Diazolin, Suprastin, Ketotifen) and second (Fenistil, Claritin, Semprex) generations in the absence of side effects: drowsiness and negative effects on the heart.

These drugs can stay in the child’s body for a long time, protecting him from allergies. They can be prescribed to children from one year of age.

Absorbents are also used. Most often, the doctor recommends activated white or black carbon, Enterosgel or Polysorb. Absorbents effectively block the absorption of allergens from the gastrointestinal tract and remove toxic substances. However, they neutralize the effect of other medications, including antihistamines. Under the influence of activated carbon, the immune system is strengthened and the normal composition of the blood is restored. In order to strengthen the immune system, immunomodulators and vitamins can also be prescribed.

A good method of treatment is inhalation procedures using a nebulizer. They are used at the first signs of cough, which helps alleviate the symptoms of the pathological process.

Inhalations with saline or mineral water (Borjomi) perfectly moisturize and cleanse the mucous membranes, relieve the feeling of soreness and dryness in the throat.

The duration of the procedure in children is 1-3 minutes, recommended 1-2 times a day. If inhalations are done regularly, the manifestation of a pathological cough will be less painful.

Minimizing provoking factors around the child increases the effectiveness of treatment:

1. It is advisable to remove carpets from rooms and store books in closed cabinets.
2. You need to do wet cleaning of the room several times a week.
3. It is recommended to use curtains from a material that is suitable for frequent washing and quick-drying.
4. It is better to choose wallpaper with a smooth texture, without relief in which dust accumulates.
5. It is safer to replace soft toys with rubber and plastic ones.
6. It may be necessary to get rid of houseplants and pets.
7. It is imperative to regularly ventilate the premises, especially the child’s bedroom.
8. Rinsing and rinsing the mouth and nose with a saline solution helps get rid of some allergens. Recommended several times a day.

Following a special diet is recommended for all allergy sufferers, even if the cause is not food. After all, cross-reactions may occur, provoking another attack of pathological cough. Whole cow's milk, red vegetables and fruits, seafood, nuts, strawberries, citrus fruits, chicken eggs, and chocolate are excluded.

In situations where the concentration of allergens becomes very high, blood purification is performed using glucose or saline droppers. Allergen-specific immunotherapy may be effective. This is a treatment method in which an irritant is injected into the body, causing an allergic reaction. The dosage is slowly increased. As a result, the immune system stops responding to the allergen. This treatment option is a fairly long process (3-5 years), but as a result, the problem disappears forever.

Traditional methods of treating allergic cough reflex

After consultation, the attending physician may allow you to supplement drug therapy with alternative medicine. A certain combination of plants in tinctures and decoctions can soften the cough reflex and reduce its pain. An infant may experience an intensified allergic reaction, so treatment using traditional methods is not carried out in this case. Well-known folk recipes for allergic cough:

1. Raspberries. 50 g roots and 0.5 l. Boil water for about 40 minutes. The finished chilled decoction is taken 25 ml 2 times a day.
2. Fresh celery juice. Use 1 tsp. per day to cleanse the body of allergens.
3. Honey, bay leaves and baking soda. 8-10 leaves are boiled for 5 minutes in 1 liter of water, adding 1 tbsp. honey and soda on the tip of a knife. Take 1/4 cup a day as soon as a coughing attack begins.
4. Onion milk. Chop 1 medium-sized onion and boil in 200 ml of milk over low heat for several minutes. Drink in 2 doses.
5. Black radish. Thoroughly washed black radish is crushed, honey is added in a 2:1 ratio. Leave to release the juice for 8-10 hours. Then drain the resulting liquid and drink 20 ml 3 times a day. in a day.
6. Ginger root. Grate a small piece and boil in 200 ml of water for 5 minutes. When a cough begins, take 50 ml.
7. Calendula. To prepare the decoction, 10 g of dried flowers are poured into a glass of boiling water. Drink 30 ml several times a day.
8. Anise. 10 g of seeds are poured into 200 ml of hot water and left for about an hour. Dosage: 30 ml every day before meals.

A mixture of goat fat and butter is also used as an external remedy in alternative medicine. Children rub it on their chest and back to relieve cough. You can cure nasal congestion due to allergies using potato inhalations.

The child is recommended to breathe in vapors without covering himself with a towel. This procedure can be carried out for about 15 minutes every other day.

Allergies will bother you much less often if you drink fresh birch sap in courses for several weeks every spring. Regular tea can be replaced with a decoction of strawberry leaves. Juices from carrots, apples, cauliflower, cucumbers, beets and fresh greens are useful, which can be taken every day half an hour before meals.

With timely diagnosis of allergies and proper treatment, followed by mandatory adherence to the principles of proper nutrition, and the exclusion of allergens from the child’s environment, it is possible to avoid complications and live a full life.

The mysterious disease of the century - allergies can manifest themselves in different ways. One of the most common symptoms of a common allergic disease is cough. It should be understood that allergic cough itself is not a disease, but the body’s reaction to the action of harmless antigens. If the immune system fails, then ordinary pollen from flowering plants or animal hair is perceived by the body as pathogenic. How to distinguish an allergic cough in a child from a cold? There are symptoms by which you can determine its nature and begin treatment.

Symptoms and signs of allergies in a child: severe coughing attacks

Allergens can create serious problems in a child's respiratory system. Moreover, cough can appear at any age. It is associated with inflammatory processes in the trachea, bronchi, and mucous membrane of the throat. Without treatment, the cough becomes more severe and leads to chronic diseases or dangerous acute conditions such as shortness of breath and asthma attacks.

Causes

A predisposition to allergies can be transmitted genetically or arise due to poor living conditions. Prolonged stay in damp, fungal-infected rooms, poor diet and unfavorable environmental conditions contribute to the appearance of allergic reactions in the form of cough.

Read how to treat a wet cough in a child.

Allergens enter the body most often through the respiratory system. There their first meeting with the cells of the immune system takes place. They must recognize newly arrived substances and transmit information about them to lymphocytes. If a failure occurs in the circuit, the immune system identifies harmless dust as a dangerous element.

Lymphocytes begin to produce immunoglobulin, a protective protein. It is involved in the fight against the allergen. Specific cells begin to produce and release histamine into the blood, which spreads throughout all organs, causing swelling, itching, coughing and suffocation.

The causes of allergic cough depend on the type of allergy. Today there is a popular version that children develop allergies due to their parents’ careful attitude to hygiene. Inna Danilycheva, a researcher at the Institute of Immunology, believes that excessive cleanliness does not contribute to the formation of immunity in a child. Moderate pollutants, on the contrary, train the immune system.

Read how to properly do inhalations for coughs in children.

Whatever the reasons, the cough must be treated. And this should be done by a specialist. Diagnosis of allergic diseases is carried out in laboratories through tests to identify the allergen, and treatment is prescribed by a doctor.

How to distinguish from colds and other types of cough

A cough caused by an allergy may not be productive. It is always dry, sometimes barking, and does not go away until the cause of its appearance is eliminated.

Find out how to cure a runny nose in one day.

The main signs of allergic cough in children:

• It starts suddenly.
• Coughing attacks are prolonged.
• The condition does not change unless the allergen is eliminated.
• Attacks worsen in summer and winter, or during mass flowering of plants.
• At night, cough is most acute, sometimes only during contact with an allergen or immediately after contact with it.
• The cough is dry, if the sputum is separated, it is transparent, colorless, without pus.
• The cough is not accompanied by fever or other symptoms of a cold, however, rhinitis, itchy nose, and sneezing may occur.

Any object, product or substance in the modern world can be an allergen. Food allergies are most often caused by exotic fruits and vegetables, coffee, smoked foods, food with preservatives, mushrooms, honey, eggs.

Detergents with a pungent odor, for example, Domestos and other chlorine-containing substances, also cause allergic cough in children. And also a walk near a highway with active traffic, a trip to a store with strong odors, ingestion of an unusual protein during vaccination, contact with animal fur.

However, not only allergies cause a dry cough. The cause may be helminthiasis. During migration, roundworm larvae enter the lung tissue, causing coughing. Therefore, the diagnosis of allergic cough involves excluding helminthiasis.

It is difficult to distinguish a whooping cough from an allergic cough in the early stages. It becomes spasmodic, with a characteristic wheezing breath, only in the third week. Such a cough can turn into an allergic one. Treating this disease on your own is dangerous.

A simple test will help determine the presence of spasm in the bronchi, as one of. To do this, you need to hold a sheet of paper by the edges in front of the child's face. It should blow hard on the paper. If the effort is enough for the sheet to take a horizontal position, then everything is fine with the bronchi; if not, you need to undergo an examination.

Treatment

If a child begins to have an allergic cough, it must be stopped as quickly as possible to prevent bronchial obstruction. Simple cough syrup won't help here. To stop coughing:

• eliminate allergens;
• increase the child's immunity;
• take antihistamines.

During treatment, herbal preparations should be avoided, as herbs can cause an allergic reaction. Glucocorticosteroids are given to children only in extreme cases. It is better to limit yourself to infusions of glucose and saline. A positive result is obtained by rinsing the nasopharynx with a weak saline solution.

The use of enterosorbents brings results. Children are given (maximum 2 weeks) activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polyphepan, Polysorb, milk thistle seeds. Sorbents are used separately from medications.

Plasmapheresis is also used - mechanical purification of the blood from allergens and toxins. But the procedure has contraindications and is valid for a limited time.

You will find the reasons why you have a sore throat and cough.

How to get rid of a breastfeeding baby

In infants, even a cold cough can pass without sputum production due to insufficient functioning of the bronchi. A long, paroxysmal cough may be a manifestation of an allergy, an asthma attack, or a consequence of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract.

If you suspect an allergy, you need to:

• ventilate the room;
• remove possible allergens;
• call a doctor.

In children under three years of age, cough is most often caused by food allergens. But it is possible that the reaction is associated with toys, feather pillows, plants and animals.

Taking antihistamines in the first year of life makes it difficult to clear sputum. They are used carefully. After all, if it turns out that the cough is not allergic, then the medicine may cause harm.

What to take for preschoolers

• dust and mold;
• insects and dust mites;
• Pets.

During treatment, contact with allergens should be minimized. In addition to antihistamine therapy, special exercises can be used. The simplest thing is to inflate balloons.

Finger massage relieves the condition. It is done by lightly tapping your fingers on the back of the child, who is lying on his stomach at the edge of the bed, with his chest hanging down. Manipulation helps remove mucus from the bronchi.

What medications to give to schoolchildren

How will it cure schoolchildren? Schoolchildren suffer from allergic cough most often due to pollen. They are prescribed antihistamines (Tavegil, Suprastin, Pipolfen, Diazolin) and treated with Histaglobulin. Breathing exercises using the Buteyko method are effective. And only in severe cases are corticosteroids used.

If it is not possible to completely eliminate the effect of allergens, specific hyposensitization can be used at this age. It's called an allergy shot. The therapy is based on the gradual introduction of allergens into the body with a constant increase in dose, which leads to a decrease in sensitivity.

Treatment for allergic bronchitis and runny nose

Painful inflammation in the bronchi is treated with medication. The treatment regimen combines specific and nonspecific measures:

1. Long-term specific hyposensitization by the allergen prevents bronchitis from transforming into asthma.
2. If bronchitis is complicated by tracheitis, Histaglobulin therapy is used. Conduct from 2 courses of subcutaneous injections of the drug.
3. To stimulate the body, Metacil, Sodium nucleinate, Pentoxyl are prescribed.
4. Antihistamines are administered intramuscularly, in the form of aerosols or tablets.

Doctor Komarovsky about the essence of the disease

The doctor reminds you that coughing is just a symptom. He claims that cough does not exist. We need to look for the reason for its appearance. If the causative agent of cough receptors is found, it will be possible to correctly prescribe treatment.

Komarovsky believes that diagnostics should be carried out by a doctor. Without his recommendations, you cannot take cough suppressants, which include Libexin and Glaucine. Uncontrolled use of even the most harmless medications for an allergic cough can only cause harm. This also applies to mucolytics (they are especially dangerous for children under two years of age) and expectorants.

Without risk to the child’s health, you can take measures such as:

• drinking plenty of water;
• regular air humidification (especially before bedtime);
• rinsing the nose and throat.

The doctor recommends stopping a coughing attack with an injection of Suprastin. Its effect will begin within 10 minutes, while the tablets will take effect only after 20 minutes. This is a long-acting drug, its effect lasts about 12 hours.

And do not forget that all antihistamines do not cure, but relieve symptoms.

If you are not allergic to honey and bay leaves, you can prepare a mixture for this type of cough. To do this, boil dry laurel leaves for 5 minutes in a glass of water, cool, add a teaspoon of honey and soda. Take ¼ cup of decoction orally during attacks.

Video: how to determine that a child has an allergic cough and what means to relieve an attack

This video will tell you what kind of cough indicates an allergy.

According to the doctor, the main method of combating (how to get rid of/relieve) allergic cough is prevention. To do this, it is enough to monitor the cleanliness of the house, food and avoid contact with animals. It is equally important to support the child’s immunity. A strong, healthy body will be able to cope with allergens much better than the most expensive drug.