Psychogenic cough in children. Nervous cough: causes, symptoms, treatment methods in children Fighting the disease without drugs

A cough is not always a sign of a cold or viral disease. Sometimes this reflex phenomenon is neurotic in nature. If a baby has coughing attacks in various stressful situations, but does not appear in a calm state, this type of cough is called neurological, psychogenic or neurogenic. How to cope with such a symptom and how dangerous is such a cough considered?

A cough is not always associated with a cold or allergic reactions ( allergic cough in a child: symptoms, treatment and rapid suppression)

What is the reason?

Cough is one of the most common symptoms, with which the baby’s parents contact the pediatrician. It happens that the problem is difficult to cope with, and the usual therapy does not produce results. If a child’s cough has been tormenting him for quite a long period, the doctor will look for alternative ways therapy. However, during the examination, listening, and also on the basis of other examinations, the pediatrician can conclude that there are no deviations in the work respiratory organs there is no small patient.

According to recent studies, coughing can be caused by rhythmic contractions of the vocal muscles, that is, it can be a type of tic. In this regard, the second name for neurological cough is vocal tic.

To date the reasons different types tics (including vocal ones) have not been thoroughly studied. Experts studying this phenomenon are divided into two camps. One group of scientists believes that tics are caused by genetic mutations, while another group believes that tics are caused by psychological disorders. The second option involves the influence of external traumatic factors on the patient, that is, stress may be the cause of the problem.

To confirm the assumption about the stressful nature of psychogenic cough in children, one can take into account its following manifestations. This theory is supported by a cough that begins:

before especially important event in the life of a child: an exam, a concert, a matinee in kindergarten;

A child may become nervous on the eve of an important exam, test, or other important day.

in a tense atmosphere at home, which is provoked by parents striving to achieve ideal behavior in their offspring;
at the time of stressful events: fright, watching an emotional movie, quarrel with a friend;
while communicating with a person whom the son or daughter is afraid of: strict teacher, doctor.

Experts note that if a child suffers from a neurotic type of cough, it is useless to look for and eliminate somatic causes. It is important to get to the root of the problem, to find all the diseases that could cause the cough. If the causes are eliminated, but the problem remains, it is psychological in nature.

Main features

Speaking about neurological cough, we can highlight several of its main symptoms. Typically, patients have two or more of the following symptoms:

the cough torments the child regularly, it is annoying and unproductive;
the attack begins without a reason, other symptoms of the disease of the upper respiratory tract not visible;
Coughing almost always accompanies a baby in moments of fear or stress;
the intensity of the attack decreases, or it goes away altogether when the child is passionate about something or interested;
the onset of the disease is almost always observed in children aged 3-4 years;
during sports or during active play, the cough does not become more intense, it may even decrease;

When the child is focused or active, the nervous cough usually goes away.

drug therapy does not bring results - antibiotics, mucolytic drugs, cough suppressants do not help;
the baby does not cough in his sleep - only when he is awake;
the cough does not change throughout the entire period of the disease - it does not become deeper or more irritating;
Almost all parents of child patients note that the intensity of attacks depends on the time of day and season, in most cases it increases in the mornings and evenings, in autumn and winter.

There is another feature of psychogenic cough. In almost all cases, it goes away on its own before the patient turns 18 years old. However, you shouldn’t wait that long; it’s better to try to help the baby and save him from suffering as early as possible.

Methods of therapy

Treatment of psychogenic cough is not an easy task. Most experts note the importance of creating a calm atmosphere in the child’s home, as well as conducting psychotherapy sessions. It is very important to try to protect your baby from stressful situations in a child care facility. The treatment regimen for this disease should involve outpatient procedures. Such patients are not admitted to the hospital, since a change in usual conditions can cause the problem to worsen.

Working with a psychologist should be part of the treatment of nervous coughTreatment with medications

To begin with, it is worth determining the advisability of treating the child with medications. Doctors try to avoid such prescriptions whenever possible. In particular, Dr. Komarovsky does not recommend coping with the problem with medications at all. Treat cough medicines indicated if it prevents the child from establishing communication with peers, finding friends and adapting socially in general.

If the doctor decides to prescribe any pharmacological preparations, it is better to stick to minimal doses of medications. Practice shows that antipsychotic drugs are the most effective; they cope well with the symptoms of vocal tics. At the same time, parents should be informed that antipsychotic drugs have a number of side effects. If you take them long time, possible headaches, anxiety states, attention disorder, sleep disorder, increased tone muscles.

Doctors also prescribe general health-improving drugs, nootropics, which enhance concentration, improve memory, and increase the brain’s resistance to negative factors. However, unlike antipsychotics, whose effectiveness in these circumstances is close to 80%, the benefit of nootropics for vocal tics has not been proven.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

Psychotherapy sessions have a powerful therapeutic effect in the treatment of neurogenic cough. Behavioral, family, and individual psychotherapy sessions are conducted with children. When treating young patients, specialists practice conducting distracting sessions - for example, they treat the problem with special techniques breathing.

Sometimes specially selected breathing exercises are used in treatment. How can parents help?

Parents' help in the treatment of psychogenic cough is invaluable. In addition to creating a benevolent and calm atmosphere at home, their actions should be coordinated and aimed at maintaining the general tone of the baby’s body and strengthening his nervous system:

You should try not to focus on your child's vocal tics. A mistake would be to pull back or punish the baby during an attack. It’s better to distract the baby, give him interesting task so that he forgets about the problem.
Experts recommend writing down the identified causes that led to the attack. For example, if a child coughed during a visit to relatives or heard a quarrel between mom and dad.
It is worth paying attention to the baby's routine. You need to put him to bed at the same time, and be sure to take him for a walk outside. The advantage will be physical exercise, but watching TV and doing computer work should be limited.
It is advisable to remove products that contain caffeine from the child’s diet. This is cocoa, tea, chocolate, some carbonated drinks. At the same time, make sure that the menu contains dishes containing magnesium - nuts, peas, greens.

Home treatments

Having decided to fight a vocal tic, you should not neglect traditional methods treatment. Most of them are aimed at relaxation and calming the nervous system. There are external and internal methods of influence. External ones include baths, which it is advisable to take 2-3 times a week, and internal ones include taking soothing decoctions and tinctures.

Relaxing baths help nervous children well.

Relaxing baths will allow the child to calm down, get positive emotions, play in the water. It is better to take a warm bath before bed - after this procedure, the process of falling asleep will be easy, and sleep will be calm and deep. To enhance the effect, you can add bath salts to the water, and also make herbal infusions:

a decoction of chamomile flowers has an antiseptic effect, soothes, and also relieves the symptoms of the problem;
valerian tincture also calms and relieves cramps;
Lavender infusion or oil will help strengthen the nervous system and improve blood circulation.

Soothing decoctions

Herbal infusions are sold at any pharmacy; you do not need a prescription to purchase them. Calming tea will help a child over 3 years old relax before bed, cope with stress, strengthen the nervous system, and relieve tension. In addition, herbal tea can be offered to your child in the middle of the day. General recommendations The instructions for brewing herbs are simple: pour 15 g of herbs into a glass of boiling water and leave in a water bath, covered, for about 40 minutes. Then cool, strain and dilute boiled water up to a volume of 200 ml. The following fees are suitable for a child:

to relieve a cough attack - valerian, heather, motherwort;

Herbal tea with the addition of valerian helps calm and relax

peony tincture calms, relieves anxiety, helps to sleep;
thyme also relieves tension and strengthens the nervous system.

Alcohol tinctures

Herbal tinctures in alcohol can also be given to children after 12 years of age, strictly observing the dosage. It is even better to consult a doctor before starting the course. The following drugs are suitable:

tincture of Eleutherococcus, which not only increases the overall tone of the body, but is also indicated for neurogenic diseases;
Hawthorn extract is recommended to be taken to improve blood circulation in the brain, as well as to reduce nervous excitability and treat neuroses;
angelica extract is indicated for the treatment of seizures, as well as hysterical conditions;
Motherwort tincture effectively restores the nervous system, relieves coughing attacks nervous soil;
sleep-herb is good at relieving hysteria and attacks of vocal tics;
nettle leaves improve blood formula, raise tone, give vigor;
tincture of peony roots is indicated for neurasthenia; it can be used to relieve convulsions and calm the child;
Aralia Manchurian tincture is indicated for depression and asthenia; taking it relieves signs of fatigue, treats neuroses, improves tone, and calms the nervous system.

It is difficult to cure an annoying and debilitating cough caused by stressful conditions, but if you approach the issue comprehensively, the result will certainly be achieved. You should not expect quick results from treating vocal tics; it is better to arm yourself with patience and act consistently and persistently.

A cough is not always a sign of a respiratory illness. Sometimes it is neurotic in nature and appears due to irritation of the cerebral cortex area. A nervous cough in a child is characterized by the fact that it does not occur in a calm state, but becomes more frequent during times of stress.

The causes of coughing are caused by nervous experiences in a child. Psychogenic bronchospasm occurs due to contractions of the vocal muscles and is a type of tic (vocal tic is the second name). One group of experts believes that it occurs due to genetic mutations, the other – due to psychological disorders.

The stressful nature of the cough is indicated by the fact that it begins during:

Communication with a strict teacher, doctor (a person who is afraid of);
An important event: a matinee at school, a concert, an exam;
Quarrels, fear, watching an exciting movie (moments of stressful events);
Intense communication with parents when they try to achieve ideal behavior for their son or daughter.

Provoke irritation of the cough center negative emotions, strong joyful feelings.

Sometimes a nervous cough develops “out of habit” after a severe lung disease. With its help, the patient evokes sympathy from those around him, and the conscious simulation is reflexively recorded in the brain.

Important: with a nervous cough in children, it is useless to eliminate somatic causes. Eliminate the causes that cause the painful phenomenon.

Symptoms

Coughing in children is a kind of defensive reaction to a certain event. Voluntary manifestation is an artificial symptom that helps the baby attract attention. Unconsciousness is a fixed reflex after suffering a pulmonary illness. Both types indicate mental experiences on a subconscious level.

Nervous cough in children is compared to the barking of a dog or the cry of a goose due to the specific sound. However, this is not the only response to stimuli: twitching of individual muscle groups occurs: shrugging, blinking.

The following symptoms indicate the psychogenic nature of the phenomenon:

A nervous cough in a child often begins at 3–4 years of age;
For a long time, the cough remains dry and does not change;
It occurs without a reason; there are no other signs of infectious diseases. Does not increase with physical activity;
When reading poetry, quick conversation, it disappears or decreases;
Pharmacological drugs do not help;
Sleep and appetite are not disturbed;
Frequent coughing appears in moments of excitement;
When nervous child interested (game moments, physical education), then the intensity of bronchospasm becomes less;
The disease appears seasonally: it becomes stronger in winter and autumn;
At night there is no nervous cough.

Important: a cough that appears due to nervousness in children goes away before the age of 18.

But it is necessary to start treatment and rid children of nervous cough as early as possible.

Diagnostics

Nervous cough in children is recognized based on complaints from parents, examination by a pediatrician, differential diagnosis. Only after excluding similar diseases ( bronchial asthma) diagnosis is made. Diagnosis is carried out by: allergist, pulmonologist, psychotherapist, neurologist, otolaryngologist.

In 10% of children suffering from cough, the neurogenic nature of the disease is revealed: in addition to bronchospasm, symptoms are present mental disorders: tics, loss of voice, tendency to hysteria.

This is interesting: a nervous cough occurs in smart children with many interests who are overly busy at school and after school. They are vulnerable, sensitive, and seem stubborn and proud to others.

Treatment

Bronchospasm, which arose due to psychogenic factors, drug treatment does not lend itself. The therapy is based on a set of procedures and measures that are aimed at finding the causes and eliminating stress factors. For the recovery of the nervous system, conditions must be created.

Treatment is carried out at home, since changes in habitual living conditions provoke a worsening of the problem.

There are several treatment methods:

Psychotherapy sessions

The psychotherapist plays the main role in getting rid of the problem. He establishes the cause of the irritant, teaches the patient to relax, and talks with the parents. Sometimes conducts sessions of individual behavioral psychotherapy. For young patients - distracting sessions that include special breathing techniques.

Homeopathy

Preparations made from natural ingredients are prescribed by a homeopathic doctor after diagnosis. It is recommended to take in accordance with the recommendations for specified period. The range of such medications allows the doctor to select an effective remedy in each specific case.

Pharmacological drugs

Treatment with pharmacological agents is allowed if it is difficult for a child to build interpersonal relationships due to a nervous cough. As sedatives apply pharmaceutical drugs in the minimum dosage prescribed only by a doctor:

Antidepressants;
Sedative tinctures.

Traditional methods

Most techniques are aimed at relaxing the nervous system, which is achieved internally (receiving sedative tinctures, decoctions) and by external means influences (baths, therapeutic massage).

Soothing decoctions

Pharmacies sell fees medicinal herbs(purchased without a prescription). Help relieve tension before bed and calm you down during the day. Accept Herb tea three times a day. General recommendations for brewing are as follows: 15 g (tablespoon) is poured with boiling water (1 glass) and infused in a water bath for 40 - 45 minutes. Afterwards it is diluted with water (boiled) to 200 ml.

To remove painful symptoms Suitable mixtures include heather, thyme, motherwort, and valerian.

Alcohol tinctures

Children over 12 years of age (after consulting a doctor) are recommended to give alcohol tinctures. The dosage must be observed. One dose should contain the number of drops appropriate for the age. The following drugs are suitable for treatment:

Hawthorn treats neuroses and circulatory disorders;
Sleep-herb relieves a nervous cough in a child;
Aralia Manchurian is indicated for overwork, asthenia, depression;
Nettle leaves give vigor and improve blood count;
Motherwort is calming;
Eleutherococcus increases tone;
Peony roots relieve cramps;
Angelica treats hysterical conditions.

Baths

Relaxing baths are good for colds with coughs and for the treatment of bronchospasm of a neurological nature. They allow the baby to play in the water, get positive emotions, and calm down. For greater effect, add to the bath sea salt or herbal infusions from:

Chamomile flowers (relaxes, relieves nervousness);
Valerian rhizome (prevents seizures);
Lavender (restores the functions of the nervous system).

The procedure is carried out before bed for a quarter of an hour (60 - 70 minutes after dinner, 3 times a week). After the bath, the baby will relax and fall asleep faster.

Parental help if the child has a nervous cough (neurological)

A cough that occurs due to nervousness in a child cannot be cured without the help of parents. In addition to creating a calm environment in the house, their actions should be aimed at strengthening the body and maintaining general tone.

To do this you need:

Walk with your son or daughter outside more often, put them to bed at the same time. Sleep should last at least 8 - 9 hours, and for children preschool age shown nap. But computer activities and TV watching will have to be limited;
Avoid products that contain caffeine: coffee, cocoa, tea, chocolate. Replace them with products that contain large quantities of magnesium: green vegetables, nuts;
Reduce the demands placed on your daughter (son) at home and at school. on his mental condition the high demands of parents and teachers are negatively affected;
Do relaxation exercises together, setting an example: jump, work your muscles, and then relax them;
Do not punish your daughter (son) when they start coughing, do not correct them, do not focus attention on the problem. You need to try to distract the baby. For example, take on an interesting task;
Doctors advise writing down the reasons that led to: whether the cough was due to nervousness due to a quarrel between parents, while visiting relatives or speaking in public;
Moderate physical activity is beneficial. It is advisable to visit the sports section;
Monitor your psychophysical condition. Is your daughter (son) embarrassed when he coughs in public? Surround them with love and care. Protect from unnecessary attention.

Important: the main task is not to stop attacks, but to create conditions for a comfortable existence for the patient (following the recommendations).

An annoying and debilitating nervous cough in children caused by stress is difficult to cure. But positive result It will certainly happen if you approach treatment comprehensively. Don’t expect quick results, arm yourself with patience, act persistently and consistently.

The basis of a nervous cough is psychological reasons. The disease only looks like inflammation of the respiratory tract, but has nothing in common with it. A neurological cough in a child, the symptoms and treatment of which is assessed and carried out by a neurologist, may first appear at the age of 3-8 years. A teenager will cough more intensely than a preschooler. By the age of 18, the disease can go away on its own, since nervous system The child will get stronger and learn to adapt to various external factors.

Why does neurogenic cough occur?

Stress, fear and anxiety in any form are the main causes of a nervous cough. The child may worry about studying, relationships with peers, going to the doctor, or communicating with unfamiliar people. Some children start coughing because they are afraid of being punished or upsetting their parents. Too strict upbringing, as well as poor family relationships between parents, also cause attacks of neurological cough.

Very rarely, a neurogenic cough remains as a habit after serious illness with a real cough. Sometimes a neurological cough is an attempt to attract attention, a subconscious desire for sympathy or attention, as well as an attempt to avoid unpleasant responsibilities, affairs, and procedures.

A coughing attack is also provoked by its anticipation. Being in a stuffy room also contributes to an attack, which is accompanied by yawning and rapid breathing. It affects the appearance of a nervous cough and the behavior of parents who pay too much unreasonable attention to any manifestations of respiratory diseases. In this case, the cough becomes a powerful tool attracting attention.

Signs of a nervous cough

Despite the fact that cough accompanies many different diseases, establishing it the real reason still possible. A complex of symptoms has been identified that characterizes neurotic cough, which is also called a simple vocal tic:

other signs infectious disease absent;
the child’s illness manifests itself only during the day, and at night he does not cough;
cough appears at a time of stress or after it, and intensifies in the evening due to accumulated daytime stress;
symptoms do not progress or disappear;
antitussives do not have the desired effect;
the nature of the cough is dry and intrusive;
the child may complain of shortness of breath during an attack.

A psychogenic cough is sometimes demonstrative in nature and can be deliberately loud. In parallel with the attack, there may be complaints of heart pain, changes in heart rate, the appearance of panic or unreasonable fear. It is extremely rare that children even manage to secrete a sputum-like substance, but this happens only with serious hysteria.

Diagnosis of the disease

A nervous cough can be recognized based on parental complaints, examination by a doctor, and differential diagnosis. The diagnosis is made only after excluding similar diseases in children, especially bronchial asthma. At the diagnostic stage, an otolaryngologist, pulmonologist, neurologist, allergist, and psychotherapist work with the child.

For three months, the cough is considered chronic. Doctors consider a psychogenic cause after this period, and in 10% of children a neurotic component is actually detected.

Treatment and prevention of nervous cough

In children, the disease is treated only after diagnosis and all other ailments have been excluded. The main means for recovery is to identify and eliminate the cause of fear, stress or anxiety. At this stage, a consultation with a psychotherapist is required. Having identified the problem, the doctor gradually corrects the child’s behavior. Perhaps parents need behavior correction, for example, when they are overprotective.

Treatment is supplemented by taking mild sedatives plant origin. Purchased medications, home-prepared sedative teas, infusions, and herbal decoctions are used. The doctor may prescribe massage sessions. It is mandatory to adhere to a daily routine, reduce time spent at the computer or TV, regular walks, and exercise.

Medicines are prescribed when natural treatments are ineffective or when damage to certain areas of the brain is diagnosed.

Prevention of disease in a child includes creating a normal psychological environment at home, helping the child adapt among peers, instilling self-control skills, and setting up a positive attitude towards life. Reception vitamin complexes, proper nutrition and daily routine will help reduce stress levels.

Herbs and baths

Use in consultation with your doctor sedative fees, herbal teas, decoctions and infusions of herbs. Sedative effect mint, valerian, motherwort, peony, and thyme have. The tea is drunk several times a day, but it is mandatory to take it at night to relieve tension. A tablespoon of the collection or herb should be brewed with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain and give to the child.

It is useful to take a bath before going to bed. Sea salt, soothing herbs, and pine extract are added to the water. The temperature should not be too hot. The procedure takes 15 minutes. Baths are carried out 3-4 times a week, an hour after dinner, but not on an empty stomach.

Sometimes the cause of a cough is not viruses and bacteria, but the development of psychosomatic disorders in the body. Psychogenic cough is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary cough; it also causes many discomfort, but is completely untreatable. You can identify it if you take a good look at the symptoms and features of the manifestation.

Features of cough

People whose bodies are subject to excessive mental and physical stress are especially susceptible to the development of psychogenic cough. Emotionally sensitive adults and children also suffer from this disorder. Experts point to the following reasons for the development of this condition of the human body:

unfavorable environment - tense relationships at work or in the family;
stress resulting from unacceptable activities – public speaking, communication with unpleasant people;
stressful situations– exams, conflicts;
pregnancy and childbirth;
reflex to cough of a person from a close environment.

This cough is a type of vocal tic when obsessive muscle contractions occur.

Manifestations of the disease

If we talk about psychogenic cough in children, then it appears in them starting from 3 years of age; this process is more often observed at 4-8 years of age. In this case, the cough is characterized as dry, constant, and intrusive. It does not change for a long time, disturbing the child again and again. Home distinctive feature psychogenic cough, which can be distinguished from other types of this reflex, is that it is observed only during the day and does not occur at night. As a rule, it intensifies in the evening, its aggravation occurs in the autumn and winter time of the year.

A psychogenic cough is never accompanied by other symptoms that could indicate the development of respiratory diseases. A decrease in cough is observed when a person talks quickly, reads poetry, or sings. It is important to know that with this process sputum is never formed; this feature is also important characteristic psychogenic cough. In addition, the manifestation of the reflex never increases during physical activity, which is unusual for respiratory diseases.

For many children, this process occurs every year, after which it goes away for a while. Usually, by the age of 18, children outgrow it and the psychogenic cough does not bother them.

How to carry out treatment

Determining that a person is developing a cough associated with psychosomatic disorders is not easy. Specialists are able to make such a diagnosis after a thorough examination of the whole body, during which no pathologies are detected.

To return the child to normal functioning, it is important to create favorable conditions for recovery. This refers to the child’s comfortable psychological stay in the family, kindergarten or school. For a while, parents are advised to forget that their child is constantly coughing; there is no need to focus attention on this, and especially not to scold and punish children for this. If a child is scolded for coughing, its manifestations can only intensify. The main thing is to carefully observe his behavior in order to understand and find the cause of this condition.

Of no small importance in eliminating this problem is the rationalization of the daily routine: the child should sleep both day and night, walk more on the street, spend a little time at the computer or TV, or completely eliminate such useless pastime. Moderate physical activity will be beneficial: physiotherapy or visiting sports clubs.

It is important to review the diet of a child or an adult, you need to exclude products containing caffeine - tea, coffee, cocoa, eat more food, rich in magnesium– green vegetables, nuts.

Almost all people are subject to the stereotype that cough is a symptom colds. Accordingly, its treatment begins with various tablets and syrups, which affect the reflex act itself. And when several weeks, or even months, pass and the symptom does not disappear, the “heavy artillery” comes into play in the form of antibiotics and hormonal drugs. But it happens that there is no improvement because the treatment for the disease was chosen incorrectly. Such prolonged erroneous therapy can lead to numerous complications at work. respiratory system and disorders gastrointestinal tract. Eventually clinical picture is highly complicated and makes it difficult to make a correct diagnosis.

Cough may have various etiologies, therefore, before treating it, you need to consult a doctor to make a correct diagnosis. Only a doctor can determine what disease the reflex act is a symptom of. One of the most difficult symptoms to diagnose is psychogenic cough. It is quite difficult to determine without the intervention of a specialist.

Signs of a psychogenic cough:

Treatment of psychogenic cough - contact a specialist

Do not try to determine your cough type on your own. Best to pass full examination to exclude somatic causes of cough. If possible, go to a clinic with high professional level specialists. After receiving a doctor's opinion that your reflex act is not a consequence of colds or problems with internal organs, you need to contact psychosomatic specialists. These are doctors such as a neurologist, neurologist, psychologist. They must determine what the problem is. After diagnosis, only specialists in this field should prescribe treatment for psychogenic cough. They can also give recommendations on behavior in Everyday life. This is necessary to carry out complex therapy and, subsequently, complete deliverance from psychological problem, interfering with a full life.

Treatment methods for cough with psychosomatics

Psychogenic cough is intractable drug therapy. It can only be used as aid. These are mainly sedatives. You can also use various fees medicinal herbs, the same spectrum of action. When taken regularly, they together help relieve excessive stimulation of the nervous system, which accordingly relieves the psychogenic symptom.

Most effective way Treatment of psychogenic cough is getting rid of irritating factors. It's best to change the situation. Perhaps go to a sanatorium or resort.

You need to spend as much time as possible good rest. Relaxation in nature has a beneficial effect. Horseback riding, or simply communicating with these wonderful animals, relieves tension in the nervous system very well.

Psychological correctional therapy is very important in the treatment of psychogenic cough. It can be both individual and family. Especially if the cause of the patient’s discomfort is an unfavorable family situation. The key to this therapy is the person's understanding of the causes of the problem.

Good result in complex treatment the psychogenic act is achieved by relaxation and the technique of slow calming breathing. Electric shocks may be applied to the forearm area as a distraction.

In especially severe cases, the doctor may prescribe tranquilizers and antidepressants in the treatment of psychogenic reflex action. They must be used with great caution and only in the prescribed dosages.

In children, chest pain can occur for a variety of reasons, not always related to problems with the heart. Of course, self-medication for chest pain is unacceptable, because pain is only a symptom of a disease that is skillfully disguised.

Psychogenic cough occurs due to irritation of the area of the cerebral cortex responsible for the cough reflex. A child’s psychogenic cough appears during a stressful situation; in a calm state, the child does not have a cough!

As a rule, children suffering from this neurological disorder are smart, responsible, and they react emotionally to comments and criticism. People around them and close to them call them stubborn and proud.

The debut of psychogenic cough occurs at the age of 3-7 years.

Causes contributing to cough:

1.Unfavorable family environment. Often the parents of such children are very demanding. In case of failure, instead of support and encouragement, the child is criticized and condemned by the parents. Abuse is not uncommon in such families.

2. Stressful situations: conflict with peers, watching horror films, performing at a matinee, sports competition.

3.Presence of an authoritative person: a teacher, a teacher, or before a doctor’s examination. As a rule, children begin to actively cough before being examined by a doctor, and then the cough disappears on its own when the child understands that nothing terrible will be done to him.

4.To attract the attention of parents or relatives.

This could be copying a coughing relative from chronic disease lungs, which is cared for and given a lot of attention.

Or the second option, when during a serious illness the baby was surrounded by excessive care of worried parents who focused on his special condition. Remembering attention and care at the time of illness, the child develops a cough reflex, which can persist for a long time and worsen during subsequent illnesses.

How to recognize a psychogenic cough?

1. Cough first appears at 3-4 years of age, without any apparent infectious cause.

2. Psychogenic cough is always dry, obsessive, and constant. The child never coughs up mucus. The nature of the cough does not change for a long time.

3.The child coughs only when daytime, no cough during sleep.

4. The cough gets worse in the evening. Calms down in the summer.

5. The cough disappears or subsides when talking quickly or reading poetry.

6.Physical activity does not affect the intensity of cough in any way, unlike coughs due to respiratory diseases.

7.Cough does not change or disappear when taken medicines, traditionally prescribed to treat cough.

8. The cough worsens in a stressful environment, with excitement.

The diagnosis is a psychogenic cough; your child can only be diagnosed by a neurologist, after the pediatrician has ruled out the rest. possible reasons occurrence of cough.

Treatment of this cough should include a set of measures:

1. Normalization of the daily routine. The child must get enough sleep. Goes to bed no later than 21.00 – 21.30. Sleep at least 10 hours a day.

2. Limit TV viewing, computer games. Avoid watching horror films.

3. Create a psychologically comfortable environment at home. Give sufficient attention and care to the child from parents and relatives.

4. Don't focus on your cough. Do not scold or punish your child for coughing. Pay attention to what exactly triggers coughing and try to avoid repeated situations.

5. Spend enough time with your child in the fresh air as a family. Depending on the baby’s temperament, you can limit yourself to ordinary walking, or you can organize bike rides, jogging, outdoor games, scooter riding, in winter, ice skating, skiing or fun downhill rides on a cheesecake or sled.

6. Follow a diet. Eliminate carbonated drinks, chocolate, coffee and strong tea from your child’s diet. Include magnesium-rich foods (greens, nuts, peas) in your child's menu.

7. In some cases, the help of a child psychologist may be needed.

Typically, the appearance of a cough is characterized by the presence of a certain disease. As soon as we start coughing, suspicions of a cold or some other disease immediately drop. But sometimes a person may develop a psychogenic cough. This is a type that occurs due to mental, emotional or even physical overload. Many people think that it is possible to keep themselves in shape or even overload their body. But sometimes you need to think about the consequences, because regular overloads have a rather detrimental effect on the human body.

A cough caused by psychological disorders is not much different from a cold. It also causes inconvenience and discomfort in adults and children. That is why sometimes you might think that it is a cold cough. It cannot be said that such a cough is exposed certain group of people. A psychogenic cough is possible for anyone who is exposed to frequent stress or overwork.

In children, for example, this can happen even against the background of stress of any kind. Even exams at school or college can cause psychological disorders in the body and, accordingly, a cough will appear.

Reasons for appearance

As mentioned above, a psychogenic symptom occurs only for reasons emotional state or others mental disorders. This can best be achieved different reasons, which sometimes you don’t even have to think about:

unfavorable living conditions in the family or at work for adults;
unfavorable living conditions in the family or in kindergarten for children;
serious stress suffered once or several times;
constant physical or emotional fatigue;
against the background of unwanted or unusual actions, for example, before a performance where there will be a large number of of people;
out of concern for loved one and many other reasons.

It would take a very long time to list various reasons, which cause psychological disorders in the form of cough. But the only thing that can be said for sure is that nothing just happens, especially in children. Everything has its reasons, and before starting treatment, you need to accurately determine what kind of cough it is and why it occurred.

Symptoms

The most important symptoms of psychogenic cough are very similar to other types in both adults and children. That is why it can be easily confused. It is almost always a dry and loud cough that occurs either periodically or constantly. In some people, and in particular in children, it occurs during times of excitement or fear of something.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify such symptoms with accuracy, because not everyone is able to assess the situation in time. In children, for example, the psychosomatics of cough can manifest themselves in an unpleasant society for them, when their parents are not around. Therefore, it is quite difficult to identify such problems in a timely manner. As the person calms down or the environment changes, the cough symptoms completely disappear. This can also be confused with allergic reaction, which also occurs at a certain time. Treatment in this case can be complex, since eliminating the symptom itself is useless.

Treatment

Psychogenic cough in children and adults, unfortunately, cannot be treated. In this case, we will only talk about how to correctly approach the solution to eliminating common mental disorders of a person. It will be much easier for children to do this, because for a small organism, sometimes it is enough to eliminate the problem itself and it forgets about the past.

As for adults, treatment here will most likely consist of regular intake sedatives. Treatment may also include regular rest. Sometimes it is enough for a person to change his usual environment for a while and everything goes away by itself. It's kind of spa treatment which can be combined with relaxation.

The psychosomatics of such treatment is quite simple, although it requires long period rehabilitation. For some people, the cough lasts for a long time - from several months to several years. Therefore, treatment may include taking some soothing herbs, infusions or medications. If you use them regularly, the nervous system will react a little easier to certain stressful situations. The psychosomatics of a person’s subconscious improves, which in some way constitutes treatment.

Possible consequences

There are some opinions that a psychogenic cough on a constant basis can lead to various complications. For example, some people think that such a strong, periodic or constant cough can cause pneumonia. But this is absolutely not true. The fact is, psychosomatics similar condition has slightly different specifics. Pneumonia occurs due to an untreated cold or other type respiratory disease. There are no infectious lesions, so there is no need to worry about this type of complication.

Children, for example, may even go through everything on their own without various treatments. If after a long time nothing happens and no improvement is observed, it is still recommended to consult a doctor. In any case, it will be possible to somehow help the person, because there are no hopeless situations.

What to do?

If you have been diagnosed with a cough due to mental disorders and it has already for a long time If you are constantly tormented, then you definitely need to take some action. The first thing you need to do is, if possible, change your permanent location. If you are sitting at home and there are provoking factors in your family, then try to get a job. Thus, your attention will be diverted from your usual mode.

If the opposite is the case and you nervous work– try to change it or go on a long vacation. This way, you can calm down and relax and turn your attention to other more positive aspects of life.

In addition, you can take sedatives, but this should only be done as prescribed by a doctor. Not worth purchasing medicines at your own discretion. Quite often there are cases when such a cough occurs against the background of constant stress during school in children. In this case, the child should pay more attention to rest.

You can enroll your child in some entertainment groups, where he will be distracted from the irritable environment. If the problem is something else, then you can even visit a psychologist. He will determine exactly what the child’s problem is and what needs to be done.

Most often it happens that everything emotional disorders provoke the development of a particular disease. Cough in this case is no exception. And, most importantly, you should understand that not all diseases, pathologies, or even the first symptoms can be cured with pills. It is necessary to approach the problem with a comprehensive examination and treat it correctly. So don’t be lazy to go to the hospital and get examined. Of course, if possible, it is better to choose clinics of a high professional level for this.