Treatment on Coughs to children

Treatment on Coughs to children

Causes, Signs, Symptoms

This is one of the de­fense mechanisms of the body. It is not a disease In itself but a sign that some­thing is irritating the breath­ing passages. It is the body's way of cleaning the breathing system. It gets rid of phlegm (mucus with pus) and germs in the throat, air passages, and lungs. Common causes of coughing are (1) Infection of the throat, wind pipe, and lungs; (2) worm infestation (larvae of worms go to the lungs; (3) allergies; (4) acci­dents - breathing chemical substances (such as poison­ous gas) or objects (e.g., food, seeds, coins) that found its way into the wind pipe or lungs.

Recurrent dry cough ac­companied by loss of weight and appetite and enlarged nodes in the neck may be due to tuberculosis or primary complex in young children.

Treatment

1. Encourage the child to drink more liquids to liquify the thick mucus or phlegm.

2. Let him or her breathe in steam or hot water vapor for 15 minutes several times a day.

3. Allow the child to cough out phlegm or mucus. Do not suppress cough­ing by cough syrup with codein especially when It is productive-phlegm or mucus is expelled by coughing. However, for severe dry cough (with­out phlegm or mucus) that disturbs sleep, you may give cough syrup that stops coughing temporarily.

4. Continue breast-feed­ing; give child nutritious meals.

5. Consult the doctor.

Whooping coughs

Causes ,Signs, Symptoms

Bacteria cause whooping cough. They grow in the bronchi and spread by drop­let infection. These bacteria cause the mucosa of the bronchi to make very sticky mucus, so a child coughs in a special way. He or she coughs out many times with­out breathing in. Then, when he or she breathes again, a noise called a whoopis heard. He or she becomes "cyanosed" and looks like he or she is going to die. After whooping, the child vomits thick mu­cus. Whooping cough starts with a nasal discharge, fever, and cough. The cough is called 100 days cough be­cause it can last that long.

Treatment

Consult the doctor for treatment. Complications such as pneumonia and tu­berculosis can develop.