Coughing can be a manifestation of various diseases, but not always it speaks of a disease, being sometimes a protective reaction of an organism from external influences harmful to it. For example, when it comes to allergies. This situation is often encountered by young parents and begins to feed the child with medicines. But before treating an allergic cough in a child, an urgent need to make a diagnosis and understand what caused it. Then eliminate the cause.
What is an allergy?
An allergy in medicine is called the reaction of the body's defense system to certain stimuli. We can say that it is beneficial, because if the immune system had not responded to the negative effects, the body could not have cope. And so measures are taken, the effect of the allergen is eliminated, and everything comes back to normal.
"How is an allergic cough treated in a child?" - One of the most popular questions that young mothers ask in pediatricians' offices. The modern generation of children is not distinguished by strong immunity, and allergies at a tender age, alas, are a frequent occurrence.
Who is at risk?
Someone never wonders about how an allergic cough is treated in a child. Signs of an allergy do not make themselves felt even once. And someone is tormented all his life.
Whether a person is allergic or not, as a rule, it becomes clear already in infancy. Children whose body reacts violently to certain foods or other substances with skin rashes are likely to continue to suffer from allergic reactions. Parents of such babies need to be alert all the time.
In addition, the cause of allergies in the future may be diseases transferred in infancy, when immunity is still practically at zero. It is difficult for the body to deal with a sore, and it fails.
Those children whose close relatives also suffer from allergies are at risk. The hereditary factor in this case is of great importance.
Allergy Prevention
One of the most disturbing conditions for parents is a dry allergic cough in a child. Than to treat it and to stuff children with drugs, of course, it is better to prevent an ailment.
And you should start preventive care during the gestation of the baby. From the first weeks of pregnancy, a woman should walk a lot away from gassed highways, refuse to eat obviously allergenic foods, and, of course, cross out all bad habits.
Both before and after the birth of the child, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the house - to do wet cleaning, and often air the room. It is better to save from contacts with animals of the newborn. At the slightest suspicion of diathesis, the baby should be urgently shown to the doctor.
Symptoms of an Allergic Cough
So, how is an allergic cough treated in a child whose symptoms are quite specific? Before giving any medications, it should be accurately established that the baby coughs precisely because of an allergy. The main signs of an allergic cough are:
- dryness (if sputum happens, it is not abundant and transparent);
- protracted, paroxysmal, debilitating;
- a cough begins suddenly, under certain conditions (after eating some food, after talking with animals, during the flowering of certain plants, etc.);
- a cough is like barking;
- attacks occur more often at night;
- often a cough is accompanied by sneezing, itching in the nasopharynx and runny nose;
- cough is not accompanied by fever;
- shortness of breath is often present;
- cough passes after taking anti-allergenic drugs.
Types of Allergic Cough
Experts distinguish several types of allergic cough. Among them are:
- Dry - most often occurs during cold or heat.
- Barking character - accompanied by a hoarse voice. Looks like a dog barking. Difficulty breathing.
- Night cough - lasts a long time (two to three hours). The eyes are watery, transparent mucus flows from the nasal passages.
How to distinguish an allergic cough from symptoms of bronchitis or whooping cough?
As noted above, coughing can be a manifestation of various diseases, including bronchitis or whooping cough. It is important for parents to correctly assess the condition of the baby in order to take the necessary measures in time. After all, in particular, whooping cough can be a direct threat to life, and you can not hesitate with medical help.
Of course, it is best to consult a doctor right away. Competent doctors before treating an allergic cough in a child, the symptoms are deeply analyzed. And make adequate decisions. And parents, being in an anxious state, are not always able to think soberly.
But still, what is the difference between a cough and an allergy from other diseases?
- Bronchitis cough is accompanied by the release of thick profuse sputum, and allergic, as a rule, is not.
- Whooping cough and bronchitis occur with an increase in temperature, and with allergies this indicator remains normal.
- Coughing attacks with whooping cough are accompanied by a wheezing breath, but this is not observed with allergic coughing.
- With whooping cough, sputum is thick and viscous. Removing it from the baby’s mouth is quite difficult.
- Antiallergenic drugs do not relieve coughing attacks with bronchitis or whooping cough.
Allergy Diagnosis
How and what is the treatment of an allergic cough for a child, the diagnosis will help to say for sure. Indeed, even if the fact of an allergy is not questioned, then what exactly causes it is difficult to determine on your own.
First of all, the pediatrician examines the baby, listens to it, assesses the nature of the cough, measures the temperature and conducts a conversation with parents, determining the type of disease. If there is an allergy, a special test is performed. On the skin in the area of the forearm, small incisions are made with a scarifier, which are filled with a certain reagent (allergen in small doses). If redness or blisters appear on the skin, itching begins, etc., then it is this allergen that causes a reaction in the form of a cough. The reason is found - treatment can be prescribed. (This type of diagnosis is not carried out in relation to children under three years of age).
Often, when diagnosed, a blood test is also prescribed for the level of immunoglobulin, which allows allergic reactions to be detected.
What can cause an attack?
Obviously, in determining the answer to the question of what treats an allergic cough in a child, determining the cause plays a very important role. The list of provoking factors is huge, but the main ones are:
- The reasons for everyday life are dust, fungus, harmful insects (cockroaches), etc.
- Foods - honey, milk, citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, nuts and strawberries are considered the most common allergens.
- Causes of an epidermal nature are animal hair or down, their saliva, bird feathers, waste products, substances released by insects during bites.
- The reasons for the physical nature are cold, warm.
- The reasons for the mechanical nature are mechanical damage to the skin.
- Chemical reasons - household chemicals, cosmetics, medicines.
So, what is the treatment for allergic cough in a child?
After making a diagnosis and identifying an allergen, the first thing to do is isolate the child from the irritant, or at least minimize contact.
If the incident still happened (the child grabbed the cat and coughed violently), the attack is removed with a special drug (Suprastin, Tavegil, Diazolin, Erius, etc.). But only after the allergen is removed to a safe distance, otherwise there will be no effect. Injections stop the attack within ten minutes. The tablets are somewhat slower - they begin to act in about twenty to thirty minutes.
In cases where the allergen cannot be removed, antiallergic drugs will not help - hormones are needed. An allergy inevitably causes intoxication of the body, to eliminate which they take white coal, Smecta and the like drugs.
What is the treatment for an allergic cough for a child yet? For children over three years old, they can recommend the “hardening” method, when an allergen is administered under the skin, each time increasing the dose, and as a result, the body develops immunity. A cough is well eliminated through inhalations that expand the bronchi.
When treating an allergic cough in a non-acute period, doctors often prescribe Herbion syrup based on plantain. This and some other plants are true friends of allergy sufferers, as is well known in folk medicine.
Alternative methods of dealing with allergic cough
"Whose children have an allergic cough, than treat?" - sometimes asked the other parents alarmed mom. And experienced parents share proven folk recipes:
- drip aloe juice into the nose (it removes sputum well);
- mix boiled and chopped bay leaf with several teaspoons of honey and a pinch of soda - give a remedy during an attack;
- as a drink during seizures, use water in which the onion was boiled (several onions per liter);
- gargle with water (you can add sea salt) after walking.
And what does the legendary Komarovsky advise?
The favorite of moms and dads, who has already become almost a legend, Dr. Komarovsky, answering the question of how to relieve an attack and how to treat an allergic cough in a child, calls not to panic and approaches the situation with humor. So, for example, he considers ... the dog’s institution to be the first cure for allergic cough. Which will “bring” parents to walk with their children. And fresh air for the allergic person is the best medicine.
The doctor also advises to moisten the room (during seizures, you can open the hot water tap in the bathroom to generate steam). And one more sure means - plentiful drink.
Komarovsky is categorically against total purity, which, in his opinion, just leads to allergic reactions of an unheated body. But, of course, it is necessary to monitor the order, because excess dust is harmful to a healthy person, and harmful to an allergic person.
The doctor agrees with his colleagues that the first step should be to exclude, if possible, the patient’s contact with the allergen (that is, completely eliminate the cause), and then treat the effect. Otherwise there will be no positive result.
Well, of course, physical activity, hardening, quality products, clothing made from natural fabrics and most importantly (as in any business) - a positive attitude!