How to treat whooping cough in children at home

Whooping cough is an infectious disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets. You can become infected only through a sick person - if saliva gets into the mucous membrane of the mouth or nose of a healthy person during coughing. In open space, whooping cough wand does not survive, so it is impossible to get infected through objects of general life.

Whooping cough - a very serious disease, manifested by severe attacks of cough. Whooping cough is dangerous due to the fact that during a spasm the lumen of the larynx can close and lead to respiratory arrest. Whooping cough often affects children under 6 years old, but there are also cases of whooping cough by adults. A few decades ago, whooping cough was a deadly disease, a huge number of young children were dying from it.With the advent of mass vaccination, pertussis patients have become less, and the disease has become much easier to endure. The pertussis vaccine is injected as part of a general DTP vaccination, and it is this that causes such a reaction as an increase in temperature, a general deterioration of well-being.

Pertussis stick, once in the body, begins to actively multiply. The waste products of this stick poison the body with toxins, which cause the strongest cough. It should be noted that the cause of cough is nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. The cough is not caused by inflammation in the bronchi, therefore, often when listening to the chest of a patient with whooping cough, the doctor concludes "The lungs are clean."

How long does the disease last

From the moment of infection of a person to the appearance of the first symptoms, it takes from several days to several weeks. On average, the incubation period is one week. Symptoms gradually increase within 5-15 days. After this comes a period of convulsive spasmolytic cough, which can last a month or more. Then the attacks become rare and not so intense. People say that whooping cough is a disease of a hundred days.This suggests that the disease lasts an average of three months, although often remote symptoms in the form of a rare cough can last up to six months. Re-infection does not occur - the child who has been ill develops lifelong immunity.

Pertussis symptoms

Very often, whooping cough (especially in the early stages of development) is confused with ARVI, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Here are some symptoms characteristic of pertussis.

1. Cough. This is the main and main symptom. Often, coughing becomes a decisive factor in the diagnosis. A cough doctor can say with precision that it is whooping cough. The cough in this disease is debilitating, long, paroxysmal. A baby can have up to 50 coughs a day. During an attack, the child coughs incessantly, he does not have the opportunity to breathe. When the child inhales the air again, a characteristic whistle is heard, which indicates swelling of the larynx.
2. During a strong cough, the child may tear out. This is due to excessive irritation of the back wall of the tongue.
3. In addition, there is a general intoxication of the body.The child becomes lethargic, apathetic, capricious, he loses his appetite.
4. At the initial stages of pertussis development, a slight temperature may appear, but it rarely rises above 38 degrees.
5. At the end of a coughing attack, sputum discharge can be observed - viscous, transparent, glassy.
6. During a coughing attack, the baby’s face turns red and sometimes even blue. Veins protrude on the neck, the bridle may be damaged in the process of coughing, the tongue is exposed outside during the attack, the whites of the eyes may turn red with tension.
7. Attacks of cough during whooping cough are quite long, and can last about five minutes.

If bacterial infection joins the whooping cough, complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and laryngitis develop. A strong cough can cause an umbilical or inguinal hernia. But the worst complication is choking. Therefore, it is very important to properly treat whooping cough and be able to get rid of a coughing fit.

Drug treatment of pertussis

Whooping cough can be treated both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital - it all depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the course of the disease. If the patient is not even a year old, it is better to remain under the supervision of doctors, so that at the right moment you can remove the state of false croup and save the child from suffocation.

Antibiotic therapy is used as a medical treatment for whooping cough. Antibiotics are selected, most sensitive to infectious bacilli. As a rule, these are ampicillin, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, macrolides. The course of treatment is 5-7 days. It is also very important at the beginning of treatment to introduce into the body a special gammaglobulin against pertussis.

In addition, symptomatic treatment is prescribed. First of all, these are antihistamines. They contribute to the removal of laryngeal edema, which reduces the number and intensity of coughing attacks. In severe cases, a small patient is prescribed antispasmodics to relieve the intensity of cough at night. Sedatives may also be prescribed to reduce the number of nerve impulses that cause coughing fits. When a runny nose and nasal congestion appear, vasoconstrictive drops are used, and antipyretic drugs are used to bring down the temperature.

It is not necessary to take antitussive and expectorant drugs, or to do this under the supervision of a doctor and with great care. The fact is that such drugs are aimed at removing sputum, that is, they stimulate cough, from which we are trying to get rid of.

The prognosis for patients with whooping cough is favorable.To date, modern methods of treatment are so effective that death occurs very rarely and only in old age. Survive whooping cough can be important to do it right.

How to facilitate the flow of whooping cough in a child

Here are some tips to help you reduce the time of illness of the child, as well as reduce the duration and intensity of coughing attacks.

1. It is a proven fact that seizures almost never occur outdoors. Therefore, with a child with whooping cough, you need to walk often and for a long time (if he has a good state of health).
2. Be sure to ventilate the room as often as possible to ensure that the child has access to fresh air.
3. Daily wet cleaning should be done to eliminate the provoking factor - household dust.
4. At the time of illness, it is necessary to put a humidifier in the room. It will significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.
5. In the first days of the child, when there are still signs of intoxication of the body, it is necessary to provide the patient with bed rest. Instead of active games, read the child a fairy tale, look at the books.
6. Meals should be balanced and light. The child should eat often, but little by little. Avoid provocative factors - chocolate, spicy, smoked and fried foods.
7. If whooping cough is difficult, you may need an oxygen mask. But it is usually practiced only in stationary conditions.
8. For the treatment of pertussis at home is very good to use a nebulizer. This is an apparatus that supplies steam in a concentrated form. Inhalation of vapor swelling mucous subsides, the attack is stopped.
9. It is very important to keep a calm atmosphere in the house, as any nervous experience, crying, fright or emotional shock can trigger the onset of an attack.
10. If a whooping cough is ill, the infant should be left in a dark and cool room, away from provoking sounds and noise. This will reduce the number of coughing episodes.
11. In winter, the batteries operate at full power, drying the air in the apartment. This is highly undesirable for a patient with pertussis. If there is a possibility, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of their work or to air the room more often and hang wet towels on the radiator.

These simple rules will help you ease the course of the disease and make whooping cough not so debilitating.

How to stop a cough with whooping cough

If a coughing attack begins at night, try helping your child. You can give him a drink of warm water to soothe the mucous. Do not stop taking antihistamines so that edema does not increase. In addition, with a strong attack of cough, you can give your baby an inhaler to breathe - it will become much easier for him. If there is no inhaler on hand, get the baby in the bath, turn on the hot water and close the door. Bend the baby to the water so that he inhales the hot, wet steam. This will help relive a coughing fit.

Against a coughing attack during whooping cough, a salt lamp may be helpful. It is an ordinary lamp, which is covered with a canopy of mineral salt. When heated, salt begins to emit special ions that purify the air.

If the child is small, do not risk - it is better to call an ambulance. A coughing attack with whooping cough can cause false croup and the child will simply suffocate.

Folk remedies against whooping cough

Unfortunately, popular recipes are ineffective against such an insidious and annoying disease.They can only be used in combination with conservative treatment. There are some fees and plants that will help reduce cramping, making attacks easier.

Arnica plant is a herb that helps to stop a barking and dry cough, relieves arousal and spasm. A spoonful of dry plants should pour a glass of boiling water and let it brew for a couple of hours. Arnica decoction should be brewed before night (since it is at night that more attacks occur). Keep the Arnica decoction in a warm form, so that when a seizure arises give the child a drink. Usually half a cup is enough for the baby to calm down and fall asleep at least for 2-3 hours.

Here is a recipe for another effective collection against choking cough. Mix flowers Altea, grass oregano, thyme, pine buds, plantain leaves, nettle and coltsfoot in equal proportions. Three spoons of collection anger with a liter of boiling water and insist at least 6 hours. Drink a tablespoon every 3 hours, especially before bedtime. The active substances of medicinal herbs soothe the larynx mucosa, relieve swelling, reduce the activity of nerve endings that cause spasm.

Whooping cough is a serious disease.It exhausts the child not only physically, but also morally. After all, because of the constant attacks of cough, the baby cannot sleep normally, is frightened, crying. In this state, the mother must remain calm, comply with the doctor's instructions and be unshakable support and protection for the child. After all, if the mother is calm and the baby will be comfortable - then everything goes as it should. A calm state of the crumbs reduces the number of spasms and seizures. Remember, prevention is the best protection, vaccinate children on time!

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