How to stop a coughing attack in a child

Coughing is the body’s defensive reaction to foreign objects in the airways. With the help of cough, the body tries to get rid of the allergen. But most often coughing occurs when sputum is released - this reflex jerk helps to remove mucus. Often cough worse at night. This happens due to the fact that the mucus flowing from the nose irritates the diaphragm, causing a cough reflex. Sometimes a cough can be so debilitating that it does not normally fall asleep, and when falling asleep it immediately makes you wake up. In these moments, I really want to help my child and relieve a coughing fit. But first, let's look at the reasons for its occurrence.

Why is the baby coughing

A strong coughing fit can be triggered by several factors.

1. Foreign object. If a fish bone, piece of a packet, or stem of a plant hit the throat, a foreign object may get stuck on the wall of the trachea, constantly irritating it and causing a cough.In this case, you need to give the child to eat a crust of bread, so that a solid object pushes the stuck body through. If it does not work out - go to the doctor immediately.
2. Allergy. If completely healthy people react only to strong dust and the sharp smell of pepper, then allergy sufferers may begin to cough after sleeping on a feather pillow, after contact with an animal or eating citrus fruits. Very often, children begin to cough after sweets - such products increase the production of mucus, therefore, are strictly prohibited for diseases of the throat. Sometimes a lingering cough after an illness can turn into an allergic form.
3. SARS. Almost all respiratory diseases are accompanied by cough and runny nose. In this case, the cough is needed to remove mucus from the lungs.
4. Adenoiditis If the baby's nose is constantly stuffed, mucus flows from the nose, which irritates the diaphragm receptors. A characteristic feature of cough with adenoiditis - it appears only in a dream when the child is in a horizontal position. Happy cough almost none.
5. Diseases of the respiratory tract. Bronchitis, tracheitis, asthma, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, sinusitis are often accompanied by a cough - dry or wet.For laryngitis is characterized by "barking" cough.
6. Gastroesophageal reflux. This condition of the esophagus arises from the weakening of the food sphincter. The muscle valve opens in the supine position of the child and the contents of the stomach re-enter the esophagus. This annoys the trachea and coughs up.
7. Whooping cough. This is a bacterial infectious disease, which is characterized by a debilitating cough. In this case, the child turns red, tears appear, coughing can provoke vomiting.
8. Stress. Sometimes a cough can be the result of serious feelings, fear, stress. Nerve endings are located on the trachea, with irritation which causes a cough. Such a cough usually occurs only during the day. You can check the psychogenicity of coughing by talking with the baby on an unpleasant topic. If the child began to cough while experiencing, this is your case.

Whatever the cause of the cough, it is not a symptom that needs to be treated, but the disease itself. However, the treatment process is long, but I want to relieve the child’s condition and relieve him of a coughing fit now.

Warm drink

It is very good to drink a decoction of medicinal herbs - a train, sage, and a coltsfoot. Lime tea is known for its excellent anti-cold properties. It will not only relieve coughing, but also relieve nasal congestion. You can soothe the throat and get rid of cough with chamomile decoction - it has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Alkaline mineral water will help to soften the mucous throat. It will soothe the excited mucous, relieve swelling and inflammation. It can be replaced with plain water with a pinch of baking soda.

Ample warm drink will not only relieve coughing attacks, but also speed recovery. After all, as you know, the best remedy for a viral disease is a large amount of fluid. Drinking plenty of water flushes the virus out of the body, and the baby will feel much better.Drink plenty of water - this means at least one liter of fluid for a two-year-old baby per day. Older children, respectively, more. Let the kid drink what he likes - compote, juice, tea with lemon, the main thing is that there is a lot of liquid.

How to stop a coughing fit

If the baby coughs without stopping and even warm drinks do not help, use the following methods of stopping the attack.

1. Massage. You can soothe the bronchi and lungs with a regular massage. Put the baby on his back, make stroking circular movements. Then with two hands, run along the lungs - up and down. Such smooth movements will improve blood circulation in the lungs and help stop the attack. At other times, you need to do baby percussion massage. It consists of patting, rubbing and tingling of the chest and back in the area of ​​the lungs. Competent and professional percussion massage contributes to the rapid release of sputum.
2. Air temperature. Very often, runny nose and cough worse in a hot room. The high temperature of the air in the room contributes to the drying out of the mucous membrane, which is another powerful provocateur for the resumption of cough. The optimum air temperature in the room should not exceed 25 degrees.The lower limit is 18 degrees. If your child is cold, dress it warmer, but do not turn on the heater. In addition to temperature, humidity is very important. It should not be less than 60%.
3. Inhalation. If the cough does not go away, the child should be inhaled. The ideal option is a nebulizer. You can fill it with plain sea water, chamomile decoction or furatsilina solution. If there is no nebulizer, you can make inhalations in the old fashioned way. To do this, cook boiling water or a decoction of any medicinal herbs. Water should be moderately hot. Add a piece of Star Balm to the water. Essential oils not only stop the coughing attack, but also relieve nasal congestion. Cover the baby’s head with a towel and ask him to take a few deep breaths. Hot couples will disinfect the airways, breathing will be much easier, coughing will stop. If the baby coughs very much and there is no time for all the manipulations, just close in the bathroom and turn on the hot water - the effect will be about the same. Have your child breathe hot steam.
4. Vertical position If the child cannot cough, raise it and hold it upright for a while.Cough must stop.
5. Antihistamines. If the cough is allergic, it is enough to give the baby an antihistamine - Zyrtec, Zodak, Desal, Suprastin, Ketatifen, etc. The dosage is determined depending on the age. In asthma, the baby should have special drops or sprays on hand that stop an attack. If necessary, call an ambulance to consult about the dosage of a particular medicine.
6. Antitussive drugs. Despite the fact that they are taken according to the scheme, regardless of the attacks, in the composition of these syrups are essential oils that can instantly stop the cough. Among the cough syrups can be noted Doctor Mom, Lasolvan, Prospan, ACC.
7. Rubbing. Sometimes in order to stop a cough, you need to warm the chest and back of the child. For this purpose warming rubbing is used. Rub baby's chest can be mutton, badger or goose fat - animal fats are excellent heat and keep warm for a long time. The child’s chest and back can be spread with iodine to make an iodine net. Heats honey and camphor oil very well. Mix the two ingredients and thoroughly spread the chest and back, avoiding the spine and the area around the heart. Then wrap the baby in a scarf and put on a fitting blouse.The cough will stop quickly, and the child will be able to sleep until the morning.
8. Folk remedies. Honey cakes will help to stop coughing. It is made from honey, mustard, flour and vegetable oil. The skin of the child is pre-oiled and put a cake. It warms the bronchi well, not only relieves the attack, but also cures the cough itself. The onion with sugar helps very well. You need to prepare onion tincture in advance - cut the vegetable into small pieces and cover it with sugar. Keep the composition at the ready - in an attack, give the baby a teaspoon of sweet onion juice. This medicine is useful not only for coughing, it fights flu and runny nose well. One of the best home remedies for coughing is black radish. Cut the fruit, make a recess in it, pour some honey. When the radish begins to secrete juice, it can be given to the child one teaspoon three times a day and upon the onset of an attack.

Try all these tools one by one, until you can stop the attack of obsessive cough.

Croup

Cough is the dignity and lack of an organism at the same time. On the one hand, coughing torments and debilitates, does not allow to fall asleep, tears up throat. And on the other hand, with the help of a cough, the body can get rid of excess sputum and other irritating factors. If the cough does not go away in a week, and home treatment does not bring results, contact your pediatrician.The treatment of a long and serious cough involved pulmonologist. Be careful, do not neglect this symptom, protect the health of your baby!

Video: how to remove an attack of dry cough in a child