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|Quick reference medical handouts used
by Pediatric offices
How to Tell the Different Kinds of Coughs in Children
Coughs and What They Mean
|These coughs are
usually caused by croup, an inflammation of the
larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) brought on
by allergies, change in temperature at night, or
most commonly a viral upper respiratory infection.
When a young child’s airway becomes inflamed, it
swells up, making it harder to breathe. Children
under 3 years of age have croup most often because
their windpipes are narrow - some children have it
practically every time they have a respiratory
Croup can occur
suddenly in the middle of the night, which can be
frightening for both you and your child. Although
most cases can be managed at home, if you suspect
your child has croup, call your child's doctor to
determine whether your child needs to visit him or
"whooping" sound actually occurs after the
cough, when the child tries to take in a deep
If your child makes
a "whooping" noise (which actually sounds
like "hoop") after severe bouts of rapid
coughing, it is most likely a symptom of pertussis
(whooping cough) - particularly if your child has
not received her diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP)
pertussis usually do not "whoop" after the
prolonged episodes of coughing, but they may not get
enough oxygen or they may even stop breathing with
this disease. In infants and very young children,
pertussis can be deadly, so call your child's doctor
||When coughing is
accompanied by a wheezing sound as your child
exhales (breathes out), it is a sign that something
may be partially blocking the lower airway. This
might be caused by swelling from a respiratory
infection (such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia), asthma,
or an object stuck in her airway. Call your child's
doctor unless your child has this problem often and
you have medicine, such as an inhaler or nebulizer,
with instructions on how to use the medicine for
home treatment of your child's asthma. If the cough
and wheezing do not improve with medication, call
your child's doctor.
usually during exhalation, stridor (pronunced: stry-door)
is noisy, harsh breathing (some doctors describe it
as a coarse, musical sound) that's heard when a
child inhales (breathes in). Most often, it's caused
by swelling of the upper airway, usually from viral
croup. However, it's sometimes caused by a more
serious infection called epiglottitis or a foreign
object stuck in the child's airway. If your child
has stridor, call your child's doctor immediately.
||When a child
suddenly starts coughing, it may mean she has
swallowed some food or liquid "the wrong
way" (into the airway) or something (a bit of
food, vomit, or perhaps even a small toy or coin) is
caught in her throat or airway. Coughing helps clear
the airway and may even continue for a minute or so
simply because the throat or airway is irritated.
But if the coughing does not seem to improve or your
child has trouble breathing, call your child's
doctor. Do not try to clear the throat with your
finger because you might push the obstruction even
farther down the windpipe.
||Lots of coughs get
worse at night because the congestion in a child's
nose and sinuses drains down the throat and causes
irritation while the child lies in bed. This is only
a problem if your child is unable to sleep. Asthma
can also trigger nighttime coughs because the
airways tend to be more sensitive and become more
irritable at night.
||Allergies, asthma, colds,
and other respiratory infections are the usual
culprits. Cold air or activity can make these coughs
worse, and they often subside at night or when the
child is resting. You should make sure that nothing
in your house, like air freshener, pets, or smoke,
is making your child cough.
With a Cold
|Because most colds
are accompanied by a cough, it's perfectly normal
for your child to develop either a wet or dry cough
when she has a cold. The cough usually lasts about a
week, often after all other symptoms of the cold
With a Fever
||If your child has a
cough, mild fever, and runny nose, chances are she
has a simple cold. But coughs with a fever of 102
degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) or higher
can mean pneumonia, particularly if your child is
listless and breathing fast. In this case, call your
child's doctor immediately.
||Children often cough
so much that it triggers their gag reflex, making
them throw up. Usually, this is not cause for alarm
unless the vomiting persists. Also, if your child
has a cough with a cold or an asthma flare-up, she
may throw up if lots of mucus drains into her
stomach and causes nausea.
||Coughs caused by
colds can last weeks, even up to 3 weeks, especially
if your child has one cold right after another.
Asthma, allergies, or a chronic infection in the
sinuses or breathing passages might also be
responsible for long-term coughs. If your child’s
cough lasts for more than a month, you should
schedule a visit with your child's doctor.
in Young Infants
||Coughing can wear
out babies younger than 6 months, so keep a close
eye on any cough your infant develops. These infants
are also the population that is most at risk for
complications from respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV), which is most common
in the winter. RSV causes colds and ear infections
in older children and adults, but in young babies,
it can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia and lead to
severe respiratory problems. The disease starts out
like a normal cold but becomes worse until the child
has wheezing, a cough, and difficulty breathing.
Some children may have to be admitted to the
hospital to receive oxygen and fluids.
courtesy of EnergizeLife.com
Posted 12-10-02 on Kidsgrowth.com
As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as
medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your childs pediatrician.
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