Every parent is distressed and terrified when a child coughs persistently, particularly for those who have been coughing over an prolonged duration. Coughs can be repetitive and irritating, and can come with vomiting and fever. Coughs can also come at night, upsetting the child from her rest when her body should be resting and recovering from the exhaustion of coughing.
Parents have a need to see that coughing is in fact a good thing the body does on its own, as ready reflex, to get rid of phlegm. Although a cough looks, feels, and sounds nasty, it is actually beneficial to a child. A child normally does not require assistance with coughing, she can do this on her own. This is particularly true for clear coughs, or coughs which have plain, and not yellowish, sputum.
The foremost thing parents can do to help a child in defeating cough is fortifying the child’s immune system against enveloping diseases. When a child coughs, especially at night, she loses precious time for sleep and rest, which in turn causes her immune system to fall and her exposure to diseases to heighten. A kid can be given lots of water, fruit juices, a healthy diet, and lots of handwashing for a week to help him fight the effects of coughing.
Coughs that remain for over two weeks signal an alarm. In this case, parents should see a doctor for a detailed diagnosis of what illness the cough may be offering a symptom of. The doctor may prescribe medication which will be administered for one week.
Persistent cough with itchiness, asthma, and other irritations necessitate a visit to a physician if, after the medicine is administered for one week, the coughing still persists.
A word of caution to parents: Never give children an adult OTC cough medicine as these have detrimental effects on the kid. Cough medicines also do not cure the cough, they simply relieve the child of the discomforts connected with coughing such as runny nose, sore throat, losing breath, fever and fatigue.
Bring the child to a doctor for the most trustworthy approach to cough management.