When a child coughs, parents are stressed and alarmed especially with coughing that runs up to two weeks and which bother and beat the child. Some coughing also comes with vomiting, and leaves the child drained. In fact, a child can cough the hardest at night, and this robs her of sleep which her body requires to recuperate and become strong for the cough again.
Parents need to realise that coughing is in fact good, however nasty it sounds, looks, and makes the child feel. A cough is the body’s natural reflex to release phlegm from the esophagus and the lungs. A child does not ordinarily require assistance in coughing, especially if it does not come with fever and the sputum is clear and not yellowish and viscous.
Parents can help children by fortifying them, because if anything, coughing can be so straining and with want of sleep due to coughing at night; the immune system weakens. A great deal of water, fresh fruit juices, rest, hand washing, and a sound diet can help the child’s body to become strong enough to cope with the effects of recurring and exhausting coughing. This therapy can extend for at least a week.
However, coughs that go for up to two weeks or more are awful. Parents should bring the child to a physician who can name the true illness which presents coughing as a symptom. Parents may then be prescribed the age-appropriate medicine for the child. This can be administered for one week.
If after a week of medicine and the cough is still there, then bring the child to the paediatrician to confirm the possibility that the cough may be characteristic of other more serious sicknesses like asthma.
A word of precaution to parents: Never give kids an adult OTC cough medicine as these have harmful effects on the child. Cough medicines also do not bring around the cough, they simply relieve the child of the irritations affiliated with coughing such as runny nose, sore throat, losing breath, fever and fatigue.
Bring the child to a doctor for the most reliable approach to cough management.