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A cough is a normal reflex of your body that occurs when anything irritates your respiratory tract. In children, cough can occur due to various reasons. It may last from one to two days and go away on its own- which occurs due to some throat infection. But sometimes, it can last for even months, indicating some serious illness. The cough itself is not a disease. It is a symptom of some underlying cause. If your child has a complaint of chronic cough, you should take them to the best child specialist in Lahore.
Reasons for Cough in Children
Cough can occur in children due to various reasons. Some of them are;
Infections
Bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory tract can cause cough. However, it may remain for some time and go away as the infection gets better. Colds cause a moderate cough, croup causes barking cough at night with noisy breathing. Flu, when gets severe, can cause a dry cough. Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics, but they can be managed with other symptomatic treatments.
Acid reflux
Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, is a condition when gastric acid regurgitates to the esophagus. To get rid of cough due to acidity, you can do the following things.
Remove spices and other things like chocolate, peppermint, sugary products, fried foods, fatty foods, and caffeinated beverages from their diet.
Make them eat at least two hours before bedtime.
Make them eat smaller meals.
Asthma
Asthma is a condition in which constriction of the bronchioles occurs. It is a common cause of cough in children. Asthma can be tough to diagnose, especially in children, as they vary from child to child. The common symptoms of asthma are cough and wheezing.
Asthma-induced cough may exacerbate upon physical activity or play. To treat asthma, healthcare providers may prescribe different medications, depending on the severity. You must rule out triggers that exacerbate asthma. It can be anything like dust, mites, pollens, or pet danders.
Allergies
An allergy occurs due to hyperactivity of your immune system. It can occur due to various triggers as dust, mites, pollens, or pet danders. Allergy, along with cough, may be accompanied by an itchy throat, sneezing, fever, and runny nose.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a condition characterized by back-to-back coughs, followed by an inhale that has a whooping sound. It may also cause other symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and a low-grade fever. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics.
Inhaling
Inhaling something like cigarette smoke or irritants from pollution can also cause cough. Also, if a child inhales some part of their toy, or food during eating, it may represent a cough. If your child coughs repeatedly and can not breathe, you must report to a healthcare provider.
The bottom line
A cough is a normal reflex of your body that occurs to clear the respiratory tract. In children, it is quite common and can occur due to various reasons.
Cough, that occurs due to cold or flu can not be cured by medications. Sometimes honey, hard candies, lozenges, or cough drops can help relieve a sore throat. However, because of choking hazards, they should not be given to the child before the age of 4. Also, do not give honey-based syrups and cough drops to children of 1 year or younger.
If your child is having a croup, moist air may help. Give them a warm steamy bath or direct steam. For cough due to asthma, the doctors may prescribe steroid shots or bronchodilators to get rid of cough. Do not give cough medications to children under the age of 4. Cough syrups are not approved for young children, and their benefits are also not proven in these age groups. If your child has a complaint of chronic cough, you should visit the best child specialist in Islamabad.
