The child has difficulty breathing and coughing. Severe cough in a child: causes and treatment. Factors and causes of cough

One of the common symptoms of various diseases in childhood is a dry cough. Usually it causes severe discomfort, so when it appears, parents try to help the baby in all available ways.

Causes of cough

A child may develop a dry cough when:

Much less often, a dry cough is one of the symptoms of a tumor process in the lungs, heart disease, inflammation of the lymph nodes in the bronchial tree or aortic aneurysm.

It is also worth noting that infants may develop a physiological cough in the morning, during which the airways are cleared of mucus. In this case, there will be no other symptoms of illness.

Why is it dangerous?

Coughing, by its nature, is a protective reflex and can occur in a healthy child, but a prolonged dry cough most likely indicates that the baby has some problems with the respiratory system. Sometimes these are diseases for which treatment should be started as soon as possible. So if a lingering cough has been tormenting your child for more than a day, you should definitely go to the doctor with your baby.

Peculiarities

Cough at night

In many children, the cough gets worse at night because sputum is separated less easily when lying down. In addition, mucus draining from the nasopharynx can also provoke a cough. In addition, if a child’s nasal breathing is difficult, the baby will breathe through his mouth in his sleep, which will lead to additional drying of the mucous membranes and an increase in dry cough.

Barking cough

A barking cough is a strong cough that sounds like a dog barking.

This rough cough, in which you can hear whistling and wheezing, often occurs with whooping cough. Other causes of such a cough are laryngitis, allergies, nervous disorders, dry indoor air, and a foreign body in the larynx.

A barking cough significantly affects the child’s well-being, intensifies at night and, as a rule, occurs in paroxysms. During such a cough, the child may even lose his voice.

Allergic cough

Such a cough can occur for no apparent reason, periodically disappearing and reappearing. This cough is often associated with the flowering period, as well as with the child’s body exposed to household allergens. It is often accompanied by a runny nose and lacrimation, and the temperature with such a cough, as a rule, does not rise.

Temperature as a sign of disease

Most often, the appearance of a dry cough is combined with elevated body temperature. Such symptoms are typical for acute respiratory infections. The child may also have weakness and lethargy, poor appetite, runny nose, moodiness and other manifestations of the disease. As a rule, after some time the nature of the cough changes - it becomes wet.

Child care rules

• To prevent dry room air from provoking additional coughing attacks, it should be humidified. Use a special device, wet towels or containers of water.
• Maintain optimal temperature conditions. Let the room where the child with a cough is, have a temperature of about 20-22 degrees.
• Avoid any irritation to the respiratory tract. The child should not be exposed to any chemical odors or tobacco smoke.
• Take care of a special drinking regimen. Give a coughing child a warm, alkaline drink, such as still water, tea, or milk, more often.
• It is better to make nutrition sparing during illness. Don't force your child to eat if he refuses. The menu prefers low-calorie and light dishes, for example, fruit puree, jelly, mashed potatoes.

Medicines

When using medications to treat dry cough in children, you should remember the following nuances:

• In childhood there is a high risk of exceeding the dose. For this reason, the use of medications to eliminate cough in children under 2 years of age should be monitored by a doctor, carefully selecting the dosage taking into account the age and weight of the child.
• All drugs have side effects. The medicine can be safe for adults, but in children it can cause drowsiness, dizziness, allergies and other problems.
• Children under two years of age do not know how to cough to produce sputum, so they try to prescribe expectorants as rarely as possible.
• Babies are more sensitive to various chemical compounds, so the prescription of any medications should be combined with plenty of fluids.

In the treatment of dry cough in childhood, the following groups of drugs are used:

1. Drugs that inhibit the cough reflex. They affect the child's brain.
2. Local medications. They moisturize the mucous membrane and relieve irritation.
3. Drugs that reduce the viscosity of sputum, thereby improving its discharge.
4. Antibiotics and antimicrobials. They are prescribed in situations where cough is a symptom of a bacterial infection.
5. Combined medications. In addition to coughing, they also affect other symptoms of the disease, for example, they reduce temperature.

Effective drugs for treatment

Most often, syrups are used to treat dry cough in childhood. The choice of a suitable drug is primarily influenced by the age of the child.

For babies

Under the age of one year, children are often prescribed Prospan and Gedelix. These are mucolytics based on ivy leaf extract. Also, children under 12 months of age may be prescribed syrups containing ambroxol, for example, Ambrobene or Lazolvan. The use of marshmallow-based syrups is also allowed at this age, and Linkas can be given to six-month-old babies.

For children under 3 years old

One-year-old children are prescribed Tussamag (a preparation based on thyme extract), Dr. Theiss plantain syrup, and the multicomponent herbal preparation Travisil for cough. Two-year-old children can take Gerbion syrups (plantain or ivy), syrups with marshmallow and syrups with ambroxol. The baby's back and chest can be lubricated with Pulmex Baby.

For children over 3 years old

From the age of three, the use of Doctor Mom syrup is allowed. You can also give all the syrups used in the treatment of younger children.

Folk remedies at home

Quite often, when dealing with a dry cough, parents limit themselves to traditional methods of treatment, since they are available and can be used even in children under one year old.

• Gargle with water and salt (sometimes iodine and soda are added to it) or herbal infusions.
• Breathe steam.
• Drink tea with breast milk, rosehip infusion, cranberry juice.
• Do various warming manipulations.

Here are several commonly used remedies for dry cough in childhood from the arsenal of traditional treatment:

1. Bring 500 ml of milk to a boil and cool. Stir the yolk, a teaspoon of honey and a tbsp into warm milk. spoon of cream. Give it warm to your child up to 5 times a day.
2. Squeeze the juice from a medium-sized lemon, mix with a spoon of honey. Give your child one spoon at a time.
3. Cut out the flesh of a medium-sized black radish and fill the radish with honey. After a day, drain the juice and honey and give the child a tablespoon three times a day. You can also squeeze the juice out of the radish and mix it with plenty of sugar.
4. Brew two teaspoons of elecampane roots with a glass of boiling water, divide into three parts and give to the child throughout the day.
5. Mix sugar with water and boil until brown. Give this caramel syrup to your child.
6. Peel a ripe banana and crush it with a spoon, add boiling water and mix well. Give 2 spoons up to 10 times a day.

Compresses

A warm compress helps relieve a dry cough by locally increasing blood circulation. Before applying a compress to your child, you should definitely consult a doctor. For compresses, you can use boiled potatoes, a mixture of water, honey and apple cider vinegar, heated sunflower oil, and lard. When the compress is removed from the child’s body, it is important to immediately dress him warmly.

Inhalations

Such procedures help soften a dry cough and moisturize the mucous membrane. Usually, special devices called nebulizers are used to carry them out. At home, a child can simply breathe over the steam that rises from brewed chamomile, boiled potatoes, or sage infusion. Inhalation is permissible only in the absence of fever.

Is it worth using banks?

In the past, cupping was often used as a remedy for colds and coughs, but its use is not recommended in modern times. This is not only ineffective, but also a skin-traumatic procedure.

Komarovsky's opinion

A well-known pediatrician calls coughing a useful reflex that clears the lungs of mucus, bacteria and viruses accumulated in them. He recommends combating dry cough by keeping the child hydrated and providing the child with access to cool air.

Komarovsky considers it unacceptable to give children medications that suppress cough unless prescribed by a doctor. He emphasizes that such drugs are permissible only for whooping cough and must be prescribed by a pediatrician. In other cases, a popular doctor advises limiting yourself to medications that reduce the thickness of sputum and cause contraction of the bronchi to remove it.

Komarovsky lists effective and harmless drugs that help with coughs as mucaltin, lazolvan, potassium iodide, ACC and bromhexine. The doctor advises keeping them in your first aid kit, but consult your doctor about the advisability of their use and dosage in each case of cough.

In the video below, Dr. Komarovsky gives advice on treating dry stool.

• If you notice that your child coughs frequently, do not delay in contacting the pediatrician. It is better to make sure that the cough is physiological than to waste time in treatment. It is especially important to consult a specialist in time if the child is suffering from a debilitating cough.
• When purchasing any medicine for a child with a cough, read the instructions carefully. Before giving the syrup to your baby, it is important to make sure that it is suitable for your age, and that the dosage indicated by the doctor matches the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Remember that the child needs your care and love. Treat your baby’s illness with understanding, even if the baby is capricious or refuses treatment.

• Komarovsky about cough
• Treatment
• At night
• Potions
• Folk remedies

A child's cough always causes parents to be wary and worried. What caused the illness, how and with what to treat the baby - such questions have probably visited each of us more than once. Some use traditional medicine recipes, others rush to the pharmacy for a miracle cure. Let's look at who is right and how pediatricians advise treating cough in children below.

Types of cough

Many parents know firsthand how difficult it is to get rid of illness, especially in young children. After all, most medications are prohibited for young patients, and folk remedies often cause allergies. Therefore, the selection of treatment methods should be carried out by a pediatrician.

Only a doctor is able to make the correct diagnosis and, depending on the age of the child and the type of cough, prescribe the necessary medicine. But parents also have a significant responsibility. To make it easier to understand the pathological process, let’s look at the main types of cough in children, find out why they are dangerous and talk about treatment methods.

Physiological cough

Any person periodically needs to clear the airways of dust and accumulated phlegm. This is a normal reaction aimed at protecting the body from foreign bodies and pathogenic bacteria.

Thus, a child’s natural cough is not a pathology and does not require treatment. It occurs most often in the morning and does not cause significant discomfort to the baby.

Dry or dusty indoor air can provoke such a reflex. This problem is especially relevant during the heating season.

Pathological cough

Most often, children are bothered by this type of cough. Unlike the natural one, it manifests itself in a very diverse manner and depends on the nature of the pathogen. In most cases, these are various respiratory diseases:

• laryngitis and pharyngitis;
• tracheitis;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections;
• acute and chronic tonsillitis;
• flu;
• tuberculosis.

In general, the causes of cough in children are varied and are not always of an infectious nature. A similar reflex can be caused by a narrowing of the bronchi, which is specific to bronchial asthma, or by the entry of a foreign body into the respiratory system. In this case, the cough develops unexpectedly and is choking in nature. The child's voice disappears and breathing becomes difficult.

An ailment of an allergic nature has other symptoms - a cough occurs for no apparent reason and is not accompanied by signs of a cold. After the allergen is removed, the baby's condition returns to normal.

In different pathological conditions, cough manifests itself differently. It can be productive and dry, barking or harsh, dull, paroxysmal and spastic.

Dry cough

The most obsessive cough in a child. It usually appears at the beginning of the disease and causes many problems for both parents and the baby. It does not separate sputum, so the process of coughing becomes long and painful. If not treated correctly, it becomes chronic.

Spasmodic reflex

If a child coughs against the background of bronchial spasm, it is quite possible to develop asthma. In this case, there is no sputum, the baby suffocates and wheezes. The malaise is paroxysmal in nature and requires mandatory medical supervision.

Croupous cough (false croup)

The most dangerous type of illness, especially for young children. In this category of children, the anatomical and physiological structure of the larynx predisposes them to the development of croup. Even the slightest inflammation can cause severe swelling and suffocation. Therefore, if a child develops a hard, barking cough, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

If your baby develops a barking cough, it is necessary to show him to a doctor.

The following symptoms will help distinguish false croup from other ENT diseases:

• hoarseness, especially after crying;
• swelling of the larynx;
• shortness of breath, severe difficulty breathing;
• pale or blue discoloration of the skin;
• loss of consciousness is possible.

If the child only wheezes, but does not cough and is breathing heavily, these are also signs of incipient false croup.

In this case, you should not engage in amateur activities and try to help the baby with folk remedies. You will only waste precious time. Laryngeal edema is very dangerous and must be treated by a doctor.

Wet (productive) cough

This, one might say, is an ideal scenario for the development of the disease. Such a cough, as a rule, appears at the end of the disease, does not cause alarm and is quickly cured. With its help, the lungs and bronchi are freed from sputum and remnants of pathogenic microorganisms. How to treat a child’s cough of this nature will be discussed below.

Whooping cough

This is a common infectious disease that most often affects preschool children. At an early stage of pathology, whooping cough is difficult to distinguish from a normal cough. But after a few days it becomes paroxysmal and spastic, ending with severe vomiting.

Whooping cough is dangerous due to its complications, so if a child has coughing attacks, the breathing rhythm is disrupted, or the skin appears bluish, medical help is needed. Young children are subject to mandatory hospitalization.

The disease is especially severe in children under 2 years of age. There is no innate immunity to this disease, but after recovery the protection remains forever.

Other types of cough

It is quite difficult to independently determine the disease by the nature of the cough. For example, if a child coughs while sleeping, this could be a symptom of either a respiratory disease, asthma or allergies, or a consequence of dry indoor air.

Coughing during sleep can be a symptom of many pathologies

Snot can also provoke a reflex reaction. Flowing down the back wall of the nasopharynx and irritating the mucous membrane, they easily activate cough receptors. Especially often, a cough from a runny nose occurs in a child with rhinopharyngitis.

Tracheitis can cause a similar symptom. This infectious disease develops as a complication of pharyngitis, laryngitis or rhinitis. It is characterized by a muffled cough in a child, especially pronounced at night and in the morning or occurring with a sharp breath.

Such a variety of forms of illness should prompt parents to pay greater attention to such symptoms and take the necessary measures. So, what to do if your child is coughing?

Treatment

To begin with, it should be noted that home therapy is only possible for dry and wet cough. All other types of pathological reflex require the help of a doctor.

• maintain an optimal microclimate in the room where the sick child is located;
• Give your baby warm, unsweetened drinks as much as possible;
• if there is no temperature and your health allows, allow the child to move more.

It is undesirable to use essential oils in treatment without the knowledge of the pediatrician. Concentrates can cause bronchospasm, which is especially dangerous for young children.

Medications

Pharmacy medications will help quickly cure a child’s cough. They are prescribed depending on the type of ailment - if there is sputum, then antitussives should not be taken. For dry cough, on the contrary, it is advisable to use this treatment option to the maximum.

Choice of medications for cough

Modern medicines are available in different forms: tablets, sprays, syrups, drops and lozenges, powders for preparing solutions. Liquid forms of medications are usually used to treat a child. They are more convenient and easy to drink.

Expectorants

This group of drugs is designed to remove mucus from the respiratory tract. Most expectorants are made from plant extracts, so the medicines are relatively safe and easy to drink.

Most often, for a wet cough for children, the following is prescribed: Gerbion syrup with plantain or primrose; Eukabal, Prospan, Alteyka, Prospan, Flavamed, Ambroxol, Ambrobene.

Each of these remedies has its own age restrictions, contraindications and unwanted reactions. For example, Eukabal and Prospan are allowed to be prescribed to babies from 6 months. Other drugs are recommended to be used only after 2 years. Therefore, if a child has a cough with sputum, it is better to entrust the choice of medication to a doctor.

Mucolytics

To thin out viscous and thick mucus that has clogged the airways, young patients are prescribed the following medications:

• Carbocysteine;
• Bronchobos;
• Fluditek;
• Flavamed.

These remedies help relieve a child's cough, make it productive and help remove phlegm.

Fluditec is prescribed to children to liquefy and evacuate thick, viscous secretions.

Antitussives

Drugs in this series help suppress the cough reflex and calm a child’s cough. There are several types of antitussives:

• narcotic drugs - Codeine, Ethylmorphine. Use only under medical supervision. Often addictive and adverse reactions. Rarely used in the treatment of children;
• non-narcotic medications - Oxeladin, Sinekod, Glaucine, Butamirate. The most effective and safe drugs, therefore they are taken much more often;
• peripheral agents - Prenoxydiazine. The result of its use is significantly lower. The medicine is not able to stop a coughing attack and is prescribed extremely rarely.

The simultaneous use of antitussive and expectorant drugs is prohibited.

In addition, the use of antitussive medications for wet cough is dangerous. This can cause mucus to accumulate in the airways and cause pneumonia.

Sinekod and similar drugs are prescribed to children for dry cough

Bronchodilators

These remedies help eliminate bronchospasm and make breathing easier. Medicines such as Eufillin, Broncholitin in syrup or Theophylline are prescribed for cough if the child is diagnosed with asthma or progressive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Local remedies

Locally acting drugs include warming ointments, mustard plasters and plasters. The latter come in different types and have contraindications, in particular, they are prohibited for young children.

The use of warming rubs Eucabal or Pulmex Baby will help soften a child’s cough. They can be used from 6 months of age. Dr. Theiss balm is approved from 2 years of age.

Children after 3 years of age can be rubbed with ointments with camphor, Vicks Active balm, Helpex Effect ointment or Doctor MOM.

Folk remedies

In addition to medications, pediatricians often recommend alternative therapies. Alternative medicine helps cure a child's cough quickly and safely.

However, despite the effectiveness and harmlessness of folk remedies, their use must be coordinated with a pediatrician. Young children often develop allergies to natural ingredients.

The most popular cough recipes for children are:

• black radish juice with sugar or honey;
• It is recommended to drink a drink made from fresh or frozen viburnum berries instead of tea;
• anise infusion with honey is perfect for treating infants;
• fresh carrot juice with sugar can be taken at the time of a coughing attack, 1 tsp;
• onion gruel with honey will be useful for bronchitis and tracheitis;
• A mixture of lemon, honey and medical glycerin will help cure a child with a dry, painful cough.

Honey can cause an unwanted reaction, so it is not recommended to give it to children with allergies.

With a huge number of folk recipes, the most widespread and favorite is still hot milk with honey and other additives. The drink has excellent softening and expectorant properties. No child will refuse such a tasty medicine.

Inhalations

You can quickly cure a child’s cough using inhalations. For procedures, it is better to purchase a nebulizer. This convenient and safe device will protect your baby from burns. With its help, sessions are carried out with both medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical liquids. Alkaline mineral waters and saline solution have a good expectorant effect.

Inhalations are contraindicated in children under 2 years of age due to the risk of developing bronchospasm

The most commonly used medications for inhalation are:

• mucolytics - Lazolvan, Pertussin, Fluimucil;
• Bronchodilators - Berovent;
• natural medicines - tincture of eucalyptus, propolis or plantain, Rotokan;
• Tussamag antitussive;
• glucocorticosteroids - Pulmicort or Dexamethasone.

Inhalations are carried out 2 hours before meals for no more than 10 minutes. The therapeutic course consists of 8–10 sessions.

The procedure moisturizes and soothes irritated mucous membranes, promotes deep penetration and rapid absorption of medicinal substances.

For inhalation with herbs, choose plants with antitussive and expectorant effects: coltsfoot, plantain, oregano, pine buds, eucalyptus, licorice.

Compresses

Another effective remedy that can quickly cure a child’s cough. Compresses come in a variety of varieties - dry and wet, oil, honey, vodka and curd. Apply them to the chest and back, avoiding the heart area. The baby is wrapped in a woolen garment and covered with a blanket.

The following compresses are the most effective and safe:

• potato. Add a spoonful of alcohol, turpentine and sunflower oil to the hot puree. The resulting mass is applied to gauze and left for 2–2.5 hours. After the procedure, it is better not to wash off the compress, but to wipe the skin with a damp towel;
• oil. A piece of gauze or cotton fabric is soaked in hot oil and squeezed out, covered with wax paper (not polyethylene) on top and kept for at least 3 hours;
• acetic. Apple concentrate is diluted with hot water and honey is added to the solution. Gauze is soaked in the mixture and applied to the bronchi area. Leave for 20–30 minutes.

The compress should not be applied to the heart area

It is not recommended to make compresses for skin damage, elevated body temperature and infants. Alcohol application is contraindicated for children under 3 years of age and those suffering from thyroid pathology. It is not advisable to use honey for treatment if the child is prone to allergies.

Another ancient way to fight a cough is to rub the baby's chest and back with internal fat. The bear and badger product is especially good. It is advisable to do this procedure at night.

Mustard plasters

For painful coughs, mustard plasters will be useful. They have a warming effect, promote blood flow and increase mucus discharge. It is recommended to place mustard plasters through cloth or gauze so as not to burn the baby’s delicate skin.

For children under 3 years old, it is better to have mustard wrap. This more gentle procedure has the same effect as placing mustard plasters.

Knowing how to treat a child’s cough, you can quickly eliminate this unpleasant symptom yourself. Properly selected medications and traditional medicine will improve the baby’s well-being and speed up recovery. However, if the child suffers from discomfort for several weeks, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Any problem with the baby’s health causes panic in unprepared parents. This is not the best help in solving the problem. Especially such as a dry cough, when the baby and parents are exhausted by incessant attacks that lead the child to suffocation. Without sufficient information, one can assume many reasons for the occurrence of such a symptom, but not be able to eliminate them.

Dry cough in a child: what do parents need to know about this?

When talking about a child’s cough, it is worth taking into account not the reflex clearing of the airways from interference, but rather a dry, paroxysmal cough. When the child’s condition worsens significantly, and the cough leads to vomiting and suffocation. Most often, such attacks annoy the child at night, preventing him from falling asleep. Despite the absence of fever and other symptoms of the disease, this reaction of the body already warns that the child has become a victim of some kind of infection.

And, given that with a hard cough, clearing the lungs of mucus is difficult, there is a danger of even greater infection with viruses that cannot be removed from the body. Treatment should begin immediately at the first sign of a dry cough.

Causes of dry cough in children

Parents should not set themselves the task of getting rid of a cough at any cost. It is more important to visit a pediatrician in a timely manner to make a correct diagnosis. To find out the reason that caused such a reaction in the body, and not to engage in meaningless treatment of the effect. What is needed is to relieve the child’s cough.

The causes of dry cough in children can be very diverse. These are airborne allergens (dust, pet dander, or pollen from flowering plants). Excessive activity of the child, great physical activity. Unhumidified, unventilated room. As well as many bacteria and viruses that lead to diseases, a symptom of which may be a dry cough:

• ARVI;
• bronchitis;
• whooping cough;
• laryngitis;
• pharyngitis;
• pneumonia;
• emphysema);
• inflammation of the trachea;
• postnasal drip;
• allergic croup (swelling of the larynx);

Factors and causes of cough

Cough receptors are found not only in the bronchi and lungs, but also in the stomach and diaphragm and can be irritated, causing a cough. With differential diagnosis, it can be established that sometimes a cough appears not only with pulmonary diseases, but also with increased stomach acidity.

Therefore, only a doctor can find out the causes of cough, depending on the symptoms.

Symptoms and signs

Dry cough is a common reason that makes parents worry about their child and take him to the doctor. This must be done in the following cases:

• cough leads to vomiting;
• wheezing appears;
• The cough has a barking and paroxysmal character;
• increased temperature and general malaise;
• breathing is difficult and allergic manifestations are noted;
• the strength and duration of the attack makes it impossible to fall asleep;
• sudden onset of an attack, a feeling that there is something foreign in the child’s throat;

A cough can be a symptom of an acute respiratory viral infection, manifesting itself as a residual phenomenon of a previous cold. And when foreign objects enter the respiratory tract. And also when inhaling air saturated with dust or gases. And also be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux.

Diagnostics

When you contact a pediatrician with complaints of cough, a diagnosis will be made after collecting all the data. It is within the parents' power to help the doctor clarify the circumstances that could lead to the child's current condition. It could be some product eaten by the child. Or his playing with small objects that his parents later missed. And also, probably, buying a new washing powder. Any little thing can help the doctor find out the cause of the disease. You must be prepared to answer the following questions:

• whether there are attacks of suffocation;
• How long has the cough appeared?
• Do you have heartburn or belching?
• Is there wheezing?
• is there any discharge from the nose;
• what is the frequency of coughing;
• is there an increase in temperature;
• whether there was any infection before;
• Are there any seasonal exacerbations?
• whether sputum is released and in what quantity;
• Are there any unfavorable environmental factors?

A single survey is not enough to make an accurate diagnosis. Examinations are also necessary.

Physical examination for a dry cough in a child

They identify the accumulation of mucus on the back wall of the pharynx (or rhinitis), determine wheezing (to determine or pulmonary edema).

X-ray and CT (computed tomography)

It will help to determine darkening or changes in the pulmonary pattern, multiple shadows () or enlargement of the hilar lymph nodes.

Study of respiratory functions during a dry cough in a child

Determines a decrease in forced expiration and vital capacity of the lungs.

Sputum analysis for a dry cough in a child

Each disease has its own standards, which are determined by culture and cytological examination.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy

Performed if sarcoidosis is suspected.

Assessing cough intensity

Using a special scale, you can determine how much the cough affects the patient’s vital condition, in order to determine the necessary treatment.

How to treat a dry cough in a child

For every parent, the rule: “Never self-medicate, especially for illnesses in children” should become an axiom. There is no pill that magically helps in any situation. When treating children, you need to remember that if there is a cough, sputum must be separated. Don't let it become dry and sticky. But if the room has dry air and too warm a temperature, this is inevitable. And in this case, it makes no sense to wait for help from medications.

Very important rules that help you learn how to treat a dry barking cough in a child without fever:

1. The child needs to breathe clean, cool, moist air.
2. Drinking plenty of fluids is necessary to keep the sputum thin. There is no other method to change its viscosity!

General techniques for helping a child with a dry cough

• do inhalations;
• humidify the air;
• ventilate the room;
• give plenty of fluids to drink;
• make the pillow higher, raise your head.

How to treat a dry barking cough in a child

The medications prescribed by the pediatrician to treat the underlying disease also eliminate the manifestation of the disease – cough. Expectorants (herbal medicines) are quite harmless, although ineffective. But during severe attacks in a child, you need to worry not about what medicine to use, but how to help the child cough. This is the only way to clear the lungs of mucus. Therefore, first - air and a lot of drink, and only then medicine.

However, parents also need to know what remedies exist and what the doctor can prescribe. When treating the symptoms of diseases that cause coughing, the following drugs are used:

• Antitussives- inhibiting the cough reflex - codeine, glaucine, butamirate, bithiodine.
• Mucolytic- thinning and removing phlegm - bromhexine,
• Expectorants – promoting sputum separation - potassium iodide, broncholithin.
• Mucoregulatory- normalizing sputum viscosity - Carbocysteine ​​lysine salt, Carbocisteine

It is important to remember some rules: if an excess amount of phlegm has accumulated in the lungs, then medications that block the cough reflex can lead to stagnation of mucus in the lungs. Microbes will not be eliminated from the body and this can lead to inflammation or other complications. Only a doctor can determine the advisability of prescribing such drugs. In addition, some antitussives contain narcotic substances that can be addictive. And their use is possible only when absolutely necessary.

Another situation is when, in case of excess sputum, expectorants are used. This risks causing the amount of mucus to increase even more and lead to worsening coughing.

And it is extremely important to know! You should not give your child cough suppressant tablets at the same time as expectorants. It will be difficult for sputum to separate, although its quantity will continue to increase.

How to cure a child's dry cough at home using folk remedies

If the doctor has no doubt that there are no serious pathologies, if the baby has an exhausting cough, he can prescribe special medications that reduce the cough reflex. They can be used for a short period of time, but this helps neutralize the cause.

The effectiveness of folk remedies is beyond doubt. Pediatricians also recognize the treatment of dry cough in children with natural products and remedies. Here is a list of a small number of products that are used most often:

• ground almonds, with honey;
• crushed basil (leaves) mixed with honey;
• gargling with solutions of table salt dissolved in water;
• juice of onions cut into circles (like lemon), sprinkled with sugar;
• raw onion, garlic, ginger, cut into slices on a plate and exuding its aroma.

With the correct attitude of parents towards the baby’s health and thanks to the competent recommendations of the attending physician, the child will certainly improve.

The health of the child is what parents should worry about first of all and, of course, when the baby has difficulty breathing, it is necessary to provide him with help. It is best to have the help of a qualified medical professional, but sometimes you can help a patient cope with such problems on your own.

Description

For a child, the breathing process is considered normal when the inhalation is audible, but the exhalation is not.

Due to fluctuations of the alveoli (structures that participate in the act of breathing and carry out gas exchange with the capillaries of the lungs) in children aged six months to 7 years, breathing can be puerile, i.e., differ more significantly from the breathing of healthy adults and prolonged noise during exhalation.

It is not a disease or any pathology if there are no other symptoms of lung damage. These are features of the physiological development of the child’s respiratory tract.

And, as a rule, over time the baby gets rid of such hard breathing on his own, without any intervention. However, if hard breathing is accompanied by a list of other symptoms, this is a signal that not everything is in order with the body and then the help of a specialist is required.

Did you know?The fact that your baby breathes through the mouth and not through the nose can lead to a series of problems: jaw contraction, as a result of which the child’s teeth may begin to grow crookedly, a lisp, and incontinence during night sleep.

Symptoms

We have found that up to a certain age, harsh breathing in children is considered normal in the absence of other symptoms. However, wheezing or excessively loud sounds when exhaling may indicate a serious illness and be just one of many symptoms.

Among the ailments, the appearance and development of which may be evidenced by the phenomenon under consideration, are the following:

• progressive This disease is diagnosed if, in addition to difficulty breathing, there is hyperthermia and wheezing;
• if hard breathing is accompanied by attacks of suffocation, shortness of breath, the patient’s condition worsens sharply after physical exertion;
• nasal injury or (enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsil);
• if there is swelling of the nasal mucosa or respiratory tract;
• Hard breathing can also signal that the child has a bacterial or viral infection: flu, etc.

Diagnostics

If you notice that your child is making unusual sounds when exhaling, you should contact your pediatrician. The doctor, first of all, should listen to the baby using a phonendoscope and check for wheezing.
During the examination, the doctor must determine:

• breathing pattern;
• volume;
• spreading;
• whether wheezing and/or shortness of breath are present.

If there is no wheezing, shortness of breath, cough or fever, you need to do allergy tests to find out if allergies are the cause of hard breathing. If you have a cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath, an X-ray of your lungs should be taken.

Causes of hard breathing

The most common factors contributing to the appearance of this disease in children:

• sudden change in air temperature from low to high;
• insufficiently humid air in the baby’s room;
• lack of walks in the fresh air;
• drinking deficiency;
• chemical irritants;
• chronic form of respiratory tract infection;
• the effect of allergens or other pathogens.

+ and cough

If hard breathing is accompanied by a cough, most likely the reason lies in the fact that the baby has recently had an acute respiratory viral infection, and all the mucus has not yet come out of the bronchi.

Colds in children are often the result of the child being frozen, as a result of which immunity decreases, the body weakens and infection quickly spreads in it, causing inflammation in the bronchi with increased secretion of phlegm. Then, when listening to the lungs, wheezing is heard.

+ and temperature

If noises during the respiratory process in a child are accompanied by an elevated temperature within 36.5-37.6 ° C, drowsiness, loss of appetite, and general fatigue, the presence of inflammatory diseases can be suspected.

A temperature above 37.6°C indicates serious problems in the body, the nature and nature of which must be determined by a doctor. In this case, drug treatment under the supervision of a qualified specialist is necessary.

+ and absence (without) temperature

Since an elevated human body temperature is a signal from our body about the presence of malfunctions, at a normal temperature in a child with hard breathing, there is no need to be nervous.

Did you know?The temperature of the human body varies from place to place: the temperature in the mouth is often half a degree lower than the temperature measured in the rectum. The readings of the thermometer used to measure the temperature in the right armpit may differ from the readings of the thermometer after measuring the temperature in the left armpit of the same person (most often on the left by 0.1-0.3°C higher).

When to Seek Qualified Help

Hard breathing itself does not require qualified help, but if it is accompanied by a cough with hyperthermia, or simply hyperthermia, you should consult a doctor.

If you hear a noise while the child exhales and notice that the timbre of the child's voice has changed to a lower pitch, you may suspect the presence of bronchitis or bronchopneumonia. In this case, you also need to go to the doctor.

Treatment

In order to cure hard breathing in a child, you must first determine what is causing it, because it can be either simply a physiological feature of the child’s body or a consequence of ARVI, or a symptom of some more serious disease.

Folk remedies

Non-drug methods for treating hard breathing accompanied by a cough involve the use of infusions of medicinal plants, for example, marshmallow or licorice root, peppermint or plantain leaves. This method is applicable for children aged from one to 10 years.

Important!Before giving your baby an infusion of any plant, you need to make sure that the child is not allergic to it and consult a doctor, otherwise you may harm your child.

Mashed banana with honey, diluted with boiled water, or figs boiled in milk also helps relieve coughs. This folk medicine should be given to the baby 3 times a day, half an hour before meals.

If, along with hard breathing, the child experiences wheezing, it is necessary to treat with herbal teas (ledum, plantain, coltsfoot).

Medicines

Diseases such as bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, bronchial asthma, etc., especially when other symptoms include elevated body temperature, must be treated with medications, since trying to help a sick child using traditional methods can only trigger the disease until complications appear, which will later It will be difficult to get rid of even with the help of special drugs.

Medicines should be chosen depending on what led to hard breathing, what illness the child has and at what stage of development. As a rule, in the early stages, these are either drugs, tablets, or medications that are necessarily prescribed by the doctor. It is better for the child not to choose medications himself.

Under medical supervision

This is the most effective and safest way to treat a child, since by self-treatment, a non-professional can harm the patient and only worsen his condition.

It is better to seek help from a pediatrician or otolaryngologist. He will conduct a thorough examination of the child and, depending on what is wrong in his body, will prescribe treatment, which may consist of both traditional methods and drug therapy.

The doctor will definitely schedule a follow-up appointment to make sure that the treatment was successful or will prescribe other medications if your child’s condition has not improved.

If hard breathing is not accompanied by any other symptoms and a specific disease has not been diagnosed, the doctor may not prescribe medications for treatment, but simply advise walking the baby more often, ventilating his room and maintaining moisture in it.

Important!If your baby is breathing harshly or coughing, give him more warm water, as it helps remove mucus accumulated in the bronchi from the body.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

One of the most famous children's doctors in the CIS countries, Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky, points out the cause of hard breathing: it is inflammation affecting the airways.

Thus, the volume of exhalation, which in the normal state of the respiratory tract is not audible at all, becomes the same as the volume of inhalation. The doctor calls this breathing, in which both inhalation and exhalation are equally audible, hard.

According to Evgeniy Olegovich, hard breathing is one of the consequences of an acute respiratory viral infection, when almost all the symptoms have already gone away, but due to dry mucus, which makes the surface of the bronchi uneven, noise occurs during exit.

Video: causes of difficulty breathing in a child It is not difficult to fight this “disease”. Dr. Komarovsky recommends walking more, moisturizing and ventilating the child’s room, and not stuffing him with medications, then hard breathing will go away on its own over time.

Thus, your child’s tightened breathing may be a temporary phenomenon, provoked by the developmental characteristics of the baby’s body. If it is not aggravated by signs that would indicate a more serious illness, the condition most likely does not require treatment.

But if, in addition to the noise manifested during exhalation of air, the baby experiences hyperthermia, wheezing, and coughing, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment prescribed by the doctor.

A child should not normally experience harsh breathing. If this symptom has developed, this indicates a pathological process in the respiratory tract. The severity of this condition and its danger to health depends on the accompanying symptoms - cough, pulmonary failure, swelling, degree of inflammation of the mucous membrane.

The mechanism and causes of hard breathing

During physiological breathing, the movement of air in the lower respiratory tract creates certain noises. This is due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure. During auscultation, a breath of air is usually heard. At the same time, the exhalation remains silent. The amount of air exhaled is three times less than that inhaled.

The volume level of noises that make breathing harsh depends on the degree of inflammation in the bronchial tree. During illness, you can always hear the exhalation of air from the lungs. The act of breathing becomes equally loud.

The appearance of stiffness is promoted by the accumulation of pathological exudate in the bronchi. Dry mucus forms irregularities on the inner surface of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, which creates noise. If there is little sputum, the pediatrician hears only hardness; if there is a lot, they add different intensities.

Causes of symptoms:

• residual effects after a respiratory infection (ARVI, influenza);
• bronchitis - acute, chronic, obstructive;
• allergic swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory system;
• exposure to chemical irritants on the mucous membrane;
• aspiration of the respiratory tract (entry of stomach contents through the esophagus into the bronchi);
• presence of a foreign body;
• childhood infectious diseases - whooping cough, chickenpox, measles, false croup due to laryngitis, scarlet fever;
• bronchial asthma;
• adenoids grade 2-3.

In children, inhalation and exhalation may become more difficult when body temperature rises to 38°C or higher. If there is insufficient breathing, stiffness appears after physical exertion or sports.

Impaired inhalation and exhalation manifests itself after injuries to the face, chest, or with anomalies of the anatomical structure - curvature of the nasal septum, defects of the larynx, trachea, and lungs. Impaired breathing occurs with a diaphragmatic hernia, esophageal atresia (a severe congenital defect in a child in which the esophagus has no exit and ends blindly).

Harsh breathing is normal in newborns and infants in the first months of life. This is due to the immaturity of the respiratory system and the process of opening the lungs.

Clinical manifestations of hard breathing

If heavy breathing is not accompanied by a cough, this means that the child’s condition is not cause for concern. This happens after a viral infection in the autumn-winter period, when the situation is aggravated by cold air and reduced immunity. In this case, the baby’s general condition is satisfactory, sleep, appetite, physical activity, and psychological balance are not disturbed.

If there is a serious pathology in the body against the background of breathing problems, the development of a hard cough is observed. This condition is typical for acute inflammatory processes of the bronchi and lungs, exacerbation of chronic diseases, childhood infections, and bronchial asthma.

Characteristic signs of deterioration in general condition and progression of the disease:

• unstable intermittent breathing;
• unevenness between inhalation and exhalation;
• spastic attacks of suffocation in the chest area;
• short-term cessation of breathing (apnea);
• severe, unrelief, dry cough;
• cyanosis of the skin of the nasolabial triangle;
• loss of voice, hoarseness, hissing.

In an infant under 1.5 years old, hard breathing may be associated with increased elasticity of the epithelium of the respiratory tract. Over time, the cartilage tissue of the larynx thickens, and additional sounds during inhalation pass on their own. If bronchial noises are suspicious, it is better to call a pediatrician at home for examination and consultation.

If a child’s hard breathing is accompanied by increasing suffocation, continuous coughing for 2 hours, hoarseness appears, body temperature rises, and all these symptoms increase in the evening, then diagnosis for bronchial asthma is necessary.

Distinctive signs of the development of pneumonia are rigidity and heaviness of breathing with retraction of the intercostal spaces, a persistent increase in body temperature, and increased sweating at night.

How to treat illness in children

If a child’s breathing problems are associated with residual effects after a cold, taking pharmacological medications is not necessary. To cure your baby, it is enough to properly organize the daily routine:

• complete and varied nutrition, enriched with proteins, vitamins, fiber;
• daily walks in the fresh air for at least an hour 2 times a day, with the exception of cases when there is severe frost outside, cold autumn rains;
• ensuring the correct microclimate in the children's room - air temperature 18-20°C, humidity 50-70%;
• daily wet cleaning of the premises;
• quality night and day sleep.

If hard breathing is associated with a disease of the bronchopulmonary system, drug treatment is prescribed in accordance with the diagnosis.

For obstruction of the bronchial tree, children are prescribed mucolytic (expectorant) drugs. They not only promote the evacuation of mucus, but also relieve the severity of the inflammatory process, eliminate swelling of the epithelium, and alleviate the condition of a dry cough.

Names of expectorants used in the treatment of children:

• Erespal;
• Ascoril;
• ACC (acetylcysteine);
• Gerbion;
• Bronchicum;
• Stoptussin;
• Doctor Mom;
• Dr. Theiss.

To eliminate hard breathing and asthma attacks in bronchial asthma, inhalation of bronchodilators is prescribed - Salbutamol, Berodual, Fenoterol, Berotec.

In parallel, symptomatic treatment is carried out. At elevated temperatures, children under 2 years of age are given antipyretics based on ibuprofen; after 2 years, paracetamol can be used. To reduce inflammation and pain in the chest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed - Ibuprofen, Nimesulide, Nimesil.

Children over 3 years old can take teas and decoctions of medicinal herbs. The following plants effectively soften the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and make breathing easier: plantain, licorice, fig, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, linden, thyme.

Hard breathing in a child is a symptom that requires monitoring. If the condition worsens, it is necessary to conduct physical, instrumental and laboratory diagnostics. With timely and adequate treatment, the rigidity of inhalation or exhalation does not pose a threat to the baby’s life.