Young parents always closely monitor the state of the baby, so any deviations from the presumptive rate are perceived acutely. So even a slight deaf cough in a child without a temperature can cause panic, and if it is wet and strong, it is not the first day that is repeated, the rhinitis is connected to it, the search for the cause of such symptoms becomes even more active. When should I see a doctor?
What is a cough in a child
If an alien object enters the respiratory tract, the body instantly tries to get rid of it by pushing it out with airflow and squeezing the walls. This process is a physiological reaction - it is a reflex laid by nature. The general mechanism is the same for a child and an adult. The very same protective reaction can be observed not only on a large foreign body, which is often swallowed by a small child exploring the environment: even because of the air flow that "got into that throat", the baby is able to cough.
Cough without fever in a child
According to pediatricians, the baby coughs up to 10 times a day: very sensitive mucosa of the respiratory tract as it accumulates dust particles, microorganisms, etc., foreign bodies trying to clear, which results in such a reflex. The frequency, intensity and nature of the attack may vary depending on:
- congenital features of the organism;
- humidity and cleanliness of the room;
- sensitivity to chemicals.
Experts say that it is not for young parents to disturb a child's cough that is not accompanied by fever, runny nose and other symptoms of serious diseases of viral or bacterial etiology. Even if it exceeds these 10 times a day, one can not exclude the most common cause - an allergic reaction, which in infancy can happen literally at all. A child older than a year is also a frequent case, but here we are not talking about the situational manifestations of allergies caused by the addiction of the organism to the environment, but about the permanent.
Causes of
For a small child, allergic coughs are characteristic( in severe cases - strong barking, from which the baby can even burst into tears), and simple physiological - if any irritant elements enter the respiratory tract. However, to say exactly why a child coughs for a long time without temperature, it is possible only after studying the nature of the process - wet or dry, how intense, when it appears, whether it is permanent.
Cough without fever and other symptoms of ARVI, regardless of age, the baby can:
- after a nervous shock, prolonged stress;
- as a response to contact with an allergen;
- in the process of tuberculosis development;
- for nonspecific infectious diseases;
- because of congenital bronchial asthma.
Dry cough without temperature
If the child does not spit the phlegm, or you hear that the sound coming from the throat, wheezing, such a cough is called dry. According to doctors, it is more often wet, mainly due to external factors, although it may be accompanied by acute inflammation of the trachea at the initial stage. If the baby emits a dry barking sound, passes into attacks of suffocation, there is no temperature, the general condition is normal, there is a risk that a foreign object has entered the pharynx.
However, the situation can be more complicated:
- Cold is a common cause of dry cough, which is characterized by frequent attacks, but low intensity. The kid can complain about "scabies" in the throat, the feeling of "sand".When listening in the chest, there is no rattling, normal breathing does not interfere with an attack. As the development of the common cold begins, the sputum is discharged.
- Dry cough may indicate the presence of infection in the body. The temperature will appear in a day or a little later, and the child will become sluggish, capricious.
- Pathologies of a gastroenterological nature( mainly reflux disease) can also provoke a dry cough that occurs after eating. Vomiting is not excluded.
- A paroxysmal dry cough with signs of suffocation may occur in a child who has pertussis. Its characteristic feature is the appearance of tears in the eyes due to the intensity of the attack, the protrusion of the tongue.
Prolonged cough
If the attack is long, the child can not calm down, the eyes begin to water, but there is no temperature, it is likely that this is a reaction to the chemical composition of the air. Tobacco smoke, heavy metals, exhaust gases and even an abundance of perfume fragrances in a child provoke a paroxysmal dry cough more than an adult, as the sensitivity of the larynx mucosa in a baby is higher. However, if the child is at home, the state of the environment did not change, but he abruptly began to cough, and a strong attack, it could be:
- symptoms of bronchitis;
- asthma attacks;
- manifestations of individual sensitivity to dry / cold air.
Separate attention to the protracted cough that is caused by the foreign body entering the larynx: it is active, it can be observed for several weeks and even months, accompanied by wheezing, but not progressing - there will be no sputum, additional complications( temperature, weakness, runny nose).In such a situation, you need to show the child to the doctor and make an X-ray.
Wet cough
A young child who is at the stage of the appearance of the first teeth, young parents can notice a strong wet cough, accompanied by even salivation. If there is no heat, you do not need to be afraid of this symptom - it is characteristic of most of the babies. Among the normal physiological reactions of the organism of a small child there are coughing attacks after crying or eating: this often occurs in infants. However, it is possible that a cough with phlegm without a temperature in the child will indicate:
- inflammation of the respiratory tract;
- is a viral disease;
- remission of pneumonia;
- bronchitis;
- pulmonary tuberculosis;
- development of asthma.
At night
If a child has frequent seizures, when he sleeps, observe if they repeat if he simply is in a horizontal position. If the answer is positive, the cause may lie in the presence of reflux, but the child will complain of heartburn. If, however, a baby coughs at night, the baby is approaching the moment of teething - in such a situation, attacks will last no more than a few days. A prolonged cough in a child at night without temperature is a sign of residual or developing bronchitis.
Cough in a child without fever and cold
If the disease affects only the bronchial mucosa, trachea or lungs, the child may look healthy. Cough is not accompanied by a runny nose, there is no fever, but the appearance of seizures is mostly sudden, and they themselves are long and almost always characterized by the separation of sputum, there is a risk that the development of dangerous diseases of the respiratory system. They can accompany acute and chronic inflammation, be a complication with frequent colds and reduced immunity.
Even if there is no temperature, the parents should be alerted if the sputum is separated:
- is abundant and has a rusty color - it is a symptom of pneumonia;
- contains pus - lung abscess is possible;
- comes with blood - a characteristic sign of tuberculosis;
- has a watery consistency - it is characteristic of acute inflammation in the respiratory tract.
Cough and runny nose without fever in the child
The appearance of discharge from the nasal passages, in contrast to coughing attacks, is in most cases a symptom of the inflammatory process, so even the absence of temperature does not cast doubt on the activity of the virus or the bacterium. In such a situation, treatment is prescribed not so much as symptomatic, as with an emphasis on the source of the disease, since with these symptoms there may be a mild cold and a more dangerous flu.
Rough cough
Heavy breathing, barking sounds when you try to clear your throat, frequent attacks - obvious symptoms of laryngitis or laryngo-tracheitis. These diseases are mainly accompanied by swelling of the larynx, which, with their progression, provokes dyspnea and increased coughing attacks closer to the morning, which requires a doctor's call. The temperature and other symptoms of the ailments of the respiratory system may be absent.
Diagnostics
Most of the causes of coughing are associated with diseases of the ENT organs, so to diagnose a child you need to show the pediatrician first, and then to the otolaryngologist. The latter will conduct a classic examination, having examined the mucous throat. Optional:
- In case of an allergic cough, a detailed blood test will be required and a detailed description of the events preceding the seizures should be given.
- If you suspect a foreign body, you need to do a re-gen.
- If a cough is not a symptom of bronchial asthma, a sign of a cold or its residual phenomenon, is not associated with an allergy, it does not have a runny nose, but it is wet and strong, lasts several weeks, a phthisiatrician and pulmonologist should be examined.
Than to treat
If you observe dry cough in children without fever, but with characteristic cold symptoms( runny nose, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite), there are chances of not letting the disease begin. The baby should be provided with a plentiful warm drink: from tea and broth to herbal decoctions. With infectious diseases prescribe drugs that strengthen immunity and kill the virus, but additionally need symptomatic therapy.
Drugs
To apply antitussive drugs for the purpose of treatment there is no sense, because they only suppress the symptom. The only thing they can be prescribed by doctors is to remove coughing attacks at night. The basis of the same drug therapy is the means aimed at the impact of the problem:
- Taking antihistamines( Tavegil, Suprastin) is an obligatory measure of cough treatment caused by allergy. So you can achieve relief of attacks and remove the swelling, observed with inflammation of the larynx due to contact of the mucosa with the allergen.
- To treat with antibiotics, only acute infectious diseases are recommended, if it is impossible to get rid of them otherwise. Mostly these are penicillin group drugs and cephalosporins.
- Mucolytics( Bromhexine, Ambrobene) the doctor appoints for the treatment of chronic diseases, accompanied by an unproductive cough. They are effective for pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis.
- The use of expectorant drugs is practiced in the absence of thick sputum. The most effective are Gedelix, Mukaltin.
Procedures
An effective method for treating wet cough doctors call a massage with honey, which is applied to the back of the child, and then perform light tapping. In addition, you can use these tips:
- To treat a dry cough in a child without high temperature help inhalation.
- If the sputum is strongly separated, pediatricians recommend rubbing the back and the baby's breasts with warming ointments for the night.
- Active throat rinses are recommended with abundant sputum: they are taken at an interval of one hour.
- If there is a normal temperature, it makes sense to have a hot foot bath( duration - 15-20 minutes).
Folk remedies
Helps children's body and broths of herbs - sage, linden, oregano, which drink as a means of strengthening immunity. They will also help to calm the envelope of the respiratory tract during inflammation, and mint and eucalyptus will relieve acute attacks. For the purpose of separating sputum, you can use charges that include:
- althea root;
- licorice;
- leaf of plantain.
Features of treatment for infants
In a child under the age of one year, coughing attacks are the norm if they occur in the morning. If this is an infectious disease, the treatment should be entrusted to the doctor and not risk with folk medicine. From medicines it is possible to use syrups with a natural composition:
- Lazozvan;
- Ambrogen;
- Ambroxol;
- Bronchicum.
Prevention
In order to prevent the development of infectious diseases, the contacts of the baby with the carriers of the virus must be reduced to zero, especially if the child is younger than 7 years old. In addition, doctors advise:
- to take care of the tempering of the child;
- take immunostimulants;
- maintain a moderate humidity in the apartment.