What can be treated barking cough in a child

Barking a child’s cough is one of the most important symptoms of an infection or cold. This is a kind of response of the body to the presence of a large amount of sputum. In our article we will tell you what are the causes of such a cough and how to treat it - with medication and with the help of traditional medicine.

The main causes of cough

Barking type cough - dry. "Visiting" the child, he exhausts the baby with his long bouts. And most often it occurs in children of preschool age, and in infants this cough is very rare.

Let's look at what causes it. Such a strong dry cough appears due to the characteristics of the larynx - the throat passage is quite narrow, and during inflammation it narrows even more. When the disease spills over to the vocal cords, children have hoarseness and barking cough.

The main diseases listed below.

False croup

In case of sudden attacks of strong dry cough, which is additionally accompanied by wheezing, noisy breathing, one can speak of false croup. It is important to remember that this disease can lead to the death of the infant, since recently born children have a very narrow lumen of passage.

False croup can cause respiratory failure due to swelling of the mucous membranes.

This disease, except for barking cough, is usually accompanied by symptoms such as:

• dyspnea;
• severe weakness;
• the appearance of chest pains.

Most often occurs at night, because when the child lies, blood flow to the larynx increases, which leads to the development of severe edema. If you notice any of these signs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Laryngitis

It is an inflammatory process in the vocal cords. The culprit of this disease is developing pathogenic microflora.

Laryngitis can also be accompanied by fever, loss of voice, runny nose, pain when swallowing, headache.

Whooping cough

Infection. Most often, they suffer from children under 7 years of age, and this disease is especially dangerous at the age of less than two years. When whooping cough most often cough is paroxysmal, and such attacks may be accompanied by a drop in pressure and seizures.

In addition, other causes can cause a barking cough. For example, it may appear as a result of dust entering the throat, small solid particles, which, by scratching the airways, lead to coughing. Also the reason may be banal allergies. To define it simply: the absence of temperature and other signs of illness. Moreover, as allergens can be food, dust, household hair.

We provide first aid to children

If a child has attacks of barking cough, it is necessary to call the doctor without fail, even if there is no temperature, since many diseases are almost asymptomatic at first. Before the arrival of the doctors, try to calm the child, because the unrest will provoke new attacks, and do the following:

1. Dress your baby in loose clothes, it will allow him to breathe better.
2. Ventilate the room as the air must be fresh. In winter, you should hang wet towels on batteries.
3. Rinse the nose of the baby in the presence of rhinitis.
4. In the case of puffiness, you must put mustard plasters or lower your baby's feet in the tub (in the absence of temperature).
5. Give him as much as possible to drink: compotes, warm teas, fruit drinks.

If you have the following signs, you cannot do without calling an ambulance, and this should be done as quickly as possible:

• blanching of the skin;
• sharp rise in temperature;
• wheezing;
• loss of consciousness.

What pills prescribed for barking cough?

When such a cough appears, the treatment should be started as quickly as possible, in this case there can be no serious consequences. Doctors most often prescribe:

Antibiotics

Such drugs will help in the fight against viruses and bacteria that cause coughing. They are prescribed at temperatures above +38.5 degrees. Pediatricians recommend such means as:

1. Aminopenicillins. They destroy bacteria, provide quick recovery. But they are forbidden to take in diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, with allergies.
2. Tetracyclines. Preparations of this group act on protein synthesis. They can be taken from 8-9 years. Contraindicated in diseases of the kidneys.
3. Macrolides. Treat the easiest antibiotics providing antimicrobic effect.
4. Fluoroquinolones. Medicines, the reception of which leads to the destruction of microbes, they also prevent their new education.

In the case of antibiotics, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions to the drug, and it is better to give the medicine at the same time.

Cough medicine

If the child is regularly tormented by a cough, especially at night, you should drink some antitussive drugs. When prescribing, the doctor takes into account the age of the baby:

• from 2 months prescribe Sinekod;
• from six months - Panatus;
• from three years can be given Neo, Bronholitin;
• from four years old - Glukodin.

You can only add drug treatment with folk remedies on your own, but it is best to coordinate their use with your doctor.

We use traditional medicine

There are ways of home medicine, which will help to quickly get rid of barking cough, accelerate the healing process.

You can be helped by:

1. Carrots and milk. Finely grate a few root vegetables, put the mixture in a glass, pour 200 ml of hot milk. After 30-40 minutes you can give the remedy to the child.
2. Eggs and mixture. Boil 200 ml of milk, add honey and a little butter. Into the yolk add a pinch of salt, whisk well. Mix all the ingredients and give the baby.
3. Broth onions. Boil a couple of bulbs with husks in a liter of water. Add 200 g of sugar, boil the mass on low heat for an hour. After that, remove the bulbs, and the syrup, let the baby take a few tablespoons three times a day.
4. Ginger Drink. Mix ginger powder with honey (in a 1: 1 ratio), add 200 ml of orange juice. Give the child such a drink in the form of heat during the day.
5. Tea from dates. Take 10 dates, 500 ml of water, boil compote for half an hour and give it to your child throughout the day.
6. Lemon. Take one fruit, cover it with water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, cool the lemon and squeeze the juice out of it, mix with 2 tablespoons. glycerin, honey to make a whole glass of drink. Give this remedy to a child two teaspoons twice a day.

To alleviate the condition of a small child (up to 3-4 years), you need to use carrot or cabbage juices. Give the baby 2 teaspoons of the remedy three times a day. You can also make inhalations using essential oils and medicinal herbs. You can use garlic, thoracic collections, use peppermint and coltsfoot.

You can also be helped by:

• decoctions of oats and rose hips;
• cranberry drinks;
• tea with the addition of medicinal herbs.

It will also be useful to make chocolate butter: put 3 tablespoons of cocoa and pork fat, 100 g of butter and chocolate in a saucepan (it is better to use bitter). Mix everything thoroughly, give the baby a tablespoon or as a mass for sweet sandwiches.

A few helpful recommendations for treating barking cough

As Dr. Komarovsky notes, with a barking cough, it is very important to create an atmosphere at home that is conducive to recovery. In his opinion, you can deal with the problem much faster if you follow these recommendations:

1. The more fluid you give to the child, the faster the sputum begins to liquefy, the cough will no longer be barking, it will not be so painful.
2. To the heat quickly gone, you need to release the child from the clothes.
3. If the temperature is below +38 degrees, you should not use any medication to bring it down.
4. Do not use for grinding ointments, which include essential oils, as this may cause allergies.
5. Daily inhalation with the use of mineral water.
6. In order to facilitate breathing, in the evenings, give the child a light massage.
7. When the child coughs, you should not give him water, because of this, he may begin to choke.
8. In the absence of high temperature, go out with your baby for a walk - he needs fresh air to recover.

Remember that a barking and dry cough can be a sign of a serious illness, because it is so important to begin treatment as quickly as possible.

Watch the video: Whooping Cough - Mayo Clinic (April 2024).