I. What you should know about cough
1. Cough is part of the “cold”.
2. The phlegm that accompanies a cough is important, as this process protects the lungs and reduces the probability of pneumonia.
3. Coughing is a good thing, it is a “defensive” action of the body. As a doctor, you don’t want your child to not cough at all.
Home cough medicine
Goal: To reduce irritation of the throat, which leads to a dry cough.
Age: For infants from 3 months to 1 year, warm juices are given to treat coughs symptomatically. For example: apple juice with lemon juice. It can be given 5-15 ml at a time and can be given 4 times a day.
Note: Honey and honey water are forbidden for babies under 1 year old. 2-5 ml of honey can be used as a home cough suppressant for babies over 1 year old. Honey can reduce sputum production & relieve the frequency of cough. If honey is not available, corn syrup can be used instead. for children over 6 years of age, oral cough suppressants to relieve the throat.
III. Over-the-counter cough suppressants
Over-the-counter cough suppressants are not recommended.
Reason: There is no evidence that cough suppressants are beneficial for children with cough, while there are still no studies in children under 4 years of age. (US FDA 2008) Honey has been shown to be more beneficial than cough suppressants. (Note: Honey is contraindicated in infants under the age of 1 year.) For children over the age of 4 years, if you decide to choose a cough suppressant, choose a single-ingredient “dextromethorphan” and when to use a cough suppressant in the pharmaceutical form of drops (i.e., dextromethorphan oral or dextromethorphan drops).
IV. Cough attack and persistent cough
Breathing a warm water mist (e.g., from a hot water shower head in a closed bathroom). Give warm fruit juices, e.g. apple and lemon juice, not for babies under 3 months of age; for babies 3-12 months, give 30 ml of juice at a time, up to 4 times a day; for babies over 1 year, give juice whenever needed.
Reason: It relaxes the airway and dilutes the phlegm.
V. Vomiting due to cough
For vomiting caused by severe coughing, reduce the amount of each feeding but increase the frequency of feeding. For infants, do not exceed 60ml of milk per feeding.
Reason: Most of the vomiting caused by coughing is due to excessive stomach contents.
VI. Encourage drinking water
Try to encourage your child to drink more juice or boiled water.
Goal: Ensure the child has enough water.
Reason: To dilute the phlegm and make it easier to cough it up and also make the nasal discharge easier.
VII. Air humidifier
If the air in your home is dry, consider using a humidifier.
Reason: Dry air causes coughing to worsen.
VIII. Fever-reducing drugs
For body temperatures above 39.0°C, use acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol). (Parents please note if their child has a history of convulsions, otherwise this article does not apply!!!) Or use ibuprofen (e.g. Merlin).
Note: A body temperature below 39.0°C is an important response of the body to fight infection.
IX. Avoid second-hand smoke
Second-hand smoke aggravates cough.
X. Return to school
Once the fever is completely gone, the child is able to return to school. If the child feels well, he/she can participate in ordinary activities. In fact, coughs and colds cannot be prevented.
Additional advice
Anti-allergy medication for allergic cough Allergy medication can control allergic cough within 1 hour, and similarly, it can significantly improve allergic rhinitis. Short-acting anti-allergy medications are helpful, such as Benadryl. It is given every 6 hours to 8 hours until the cough disappears.
XII. Healing
Viral bronchitis will cause cough symptoms for 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes, the child may cough up a lot of sputum. Usually the sputum is gray, yellow or green. Antibiotics will not help the cough!
XIII. Seeking medical attention
Difficulty breathing, significantly faster breathing. Asthma attacks. Cough for more than 3 weeks.