A severe cough in a child is a fairly common situation today. 5% of parents in Russia face this problem every day. Most often, it occurs suddenly and is a special reaction of a small organism to the action of bacteria in its respiratory tract.
Severe cough in a child
A severe cough in a child is almost always accompanied by some changes. First of all, this is the fact that in the case of babies, the cough goes down rather quickly into the bronchi, and then into the lungs. That is why it is very important to treat a severe cough in children. Moreover, the treatment is significantly different from those methods and means that are used in the treatment of an adult.
As a rule, the disease manifests itself at night; in the daytime, such symptoms are rare. In any case, this should be a signal to the parents that the child has caught a cold. The first confirmation of this will be an increase in body temperature, tk. the development of infection is always accompanied by a similar phenomenon. A seemingly ordinary cough often causes the body temperature to rise to thirty-seven and eight degrees. In fact, this is not a cause for concern, in this way the child's body fights bacteria. It is not necessary to knock down this temperature, because Antipyretic drugs will minimize the activity of the body's defense mechanisms.
It is imperative to consult a specialist if the baby has a strong dry cough, the temperature has risen above thirty-eight degrees. Similar symptoms may indicate diseases such as rhinitis, bronchitis, tracheitis and many other inflammatory processes. These are serious diseases, the cause of which must be found out. Only a pediatrician can determine this. First of all, during the examination, it is necessary to exclude the presence of tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Types of cough
Experts divide cough into several types. It can be productive or unproductive, episodic or short-term, paroxysmal or persistent, acute or chronic. Each of them requires a special approach and treatment. Therefore, one should not self-medicate, as it is dangerous to the health and life of the child.
It should be borne in mind that not every type of cough requires medication. Some phlegm can be liquefied, for example, by drinking plenty of warm drinks. This will facilitate its easier release from the bronchi and lungs, and will also improve the baby's breathing. But this method is suitable only if there is no inflammatory process in the respiratory tract. Dry cough is treated in stages. For example, first, the baby is given expectorant drugs for a while, and then special cough-blocking drugs are prescribed. You need to cure a severe cough in a child only by contacting a local pediatrician.