Coughing a young child always causes great concern to parents. This unpleasant symptom can be of a very different nature: doctors have more than 50 possible causes of cough: from respiratory infections to heart diseases. Therefore it is really very important to determine as soon as possible what caused coughing in the baby, in order to immediately begin correct, correct treatment.
Of course, the most frequent and first reason for childhood cough that comes to mind is inflammation of the mucous respiratory tract caused by an infectious or cold disease. However, it is not uncommon for a child to cough allergies. In order not to trigger an allergic reaction and not lead to chronic bronchial and lung diseases, it is very important to know and distinguish the symptoms of an allergic cough in children.
Symptoms of an allergic cough in a child
- Allergic cough in a child is dry. It is not accompanied by sputum, or, in rare cases, there is very little excretion.
- Before the attack, there are signs of suffocation, shortness of breath.
- There are no cold symptoms: there is no fever, chills, headache.
- Coughing attacks increase at certain times of the year: for example, in the spring or summer, during the flowering of plants; or in winter, when the child spends more time in a closed room.
- Allergic cough is worse in the presence of an allergen: a pet, a feather pillow, a houseplant, linen, baby cosmetics or laundry, washed with a certain detergent, etc.
- Allergic cough in children, as a rule, is accompanied by discharge from the nose and reddening of the skin around the nasal passages. Sucking drugs from the common cold do not help.
- There is a positive reaction to taking antihistamines.
- The presence of the allergic nature of cough is more likely in children with a tendency to diathesis.
The most difficult thing is to determine an allergic cough in a baby: a crumb can not complain about difficulty breathing or say about other specific ailments. Therefore, in case of an attack of a cough in a baby, parents should be extremely attentive. An untreated or improperly treated allergic cough in a child can lead to chronic bronchitis and, at the most extreme, to bronchial asthma.
Allergic cough in children - treatment
First of all, with the slightest suspicion of having an allergy, it is necessary to consult an allergist. The doctor will help to identify allergens that cause coughing, and
- taking antihistamines;
- Exclusion or minimization of contact with the allergen;
- stimulation of immunity.
From the methods of symptomatic treatment for an allergic cough, it is sometimes advised to make inhalations with alkaline water (in any case not with herbs - they themselves can cause an allergic reaction and only worsen the condition).
In no case do not self-medicate with an allergic cough. And having addressed to the doctor, trust to it and be ready to that treatment will be long. But with a responsible approach it will give good results.