A child has a severe cough at night, what should parents do, how to soothe and relieve attacks. How to stop a strong dry cough in a child at home - how to relieve an attack at night? How to relieve a child's nighttime coughing attack

Dry cough in children, its attacks, occur with constant and severe irritation of local receptors located in the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial system.

Causes of dry cough attacks in children

Dry, unproductive paroxysmal cough can occur with the following diseases:

Bronchial asthma

This pathology is characterized by a strong paroxysmal, unproductive cough, which occurs most often at night. The cough can continue for half an hour, the attack ends with the discharge of viscous glassy sputum. During an attack, the muscles of the diaphragm constantly tense, and the patient may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness and malaise. Most often, bronchial asthma develops against the background of increased reactivity of the body, frequent viral infections, bacterial infections(chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, giardiasis).

Foreign body in the respiratory tract

Attacks of a dry irritating cough in a child can occur as a result of various foreign bodies (dust particles, crumbs, pieces of food, small beads, buttons, peas, legumes) entering the respiratory tract. The coughing attack ends only after these irritating agents are removed from the lungs and bronchi by bronchoscopy or other means.

Whooping cough and parawhooping cough

Childhood infections of whooping cough and parawhooping cough are accompanied by a severe dry, convulsive paroxysmal cough. Most often, these attacks occur at night and may be accompanied by gagging and difficulty breathing (relapses). At first, these diseases manifest themselves in the form of a common cold cough, but over time the symptoms increase and cannot be treated with conventional means (mustard plasters, inhalations). The illness usually lasts five to six weeks. Diagnosis of whooping cough and parapertussis is a rather complex process, and treatment in most cases, especially in children early age be carried out in a hospital.

Infectious viral respiratory diseases

Strong dry paroxysmal cough may be observed with respiratory diseases upper respiratory tract caused by parainfluenza virus, rhinosyncytial virus and adeno viral infection which are accompanied by damage to the larynx, nasal cavity, trachea and pharynx. Diseases are often characterized by “. With the right and timely treatment– relief and elimination of cough occurs after 3-5 days, and lack of treatment can lead to the development of bacterial complications in the form of bronchitis, pneumonia, alveolitis and pleurisy.

Inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract and pleura

Severe and frequent attacks of dry, unproductive cough often develop with obstructive bronchitis, pneumonia (pneumonia) and pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura), which are complications of viral infections. accompanied by pain in the chest and abdomen. Treatment lasts from 5 to 15 days, antibiotics, antihistamines and antispasmodics are often prescribed.

Attacks of dry cough in a child at night

Coughing attacks at night in a child cause concern for parents, especially in cases where the baby feels well during the day, and going to bed and falling asleep often causes heartbreaking coughing. The cause of this symptomatology is most often inflammation and swelling of the larynx, trachea and bronchi of various origins with laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis or irritation of the bronchopulmonary tree with viscous sputum in spastic (asthmatic bronchitis), pneumonia, cystic fibrosis. Nocturnal coughing attacks can occur during childhood infections, most often with whooping cough and parapertussis. If coughing attacks begin immediately after the baby goes to bed, he may have an allergic reaction to the mattress padding, feathers and textile dyes.

Therefore, to eliminate dry cough as a symptom of the disease, it is necessary to determine and eliminate the cause of the disease (infectious or inflammatory process). It is also important to remember that you should not self-medicate, but consult a specialist in a timely manner.

The primary task of parents is to alleviate the child’s condition, determine the cause of the cough and eliminate it as soon as possible.

How to help your child with dry cough attacks

To help the child if available frequent attacks dry cough, it is necessary, first of all, to determine the cause of its occurrence - allergies (use washing powder with a large number of fragrances or bioadditives in the composition, conditioner for bed linen, feather pillows, fish food, parrots or hamsters), respiratory infection or its complications in the form of obstructive bronchitis, pneumonia or pleurisy.

In the presence of paroxysmal frequent cough It is necessary to humidify the air in the room with a special humidifier or place an open container of water next to the crib. Lollipops with an antitussive effect or emollient cough syrup can help relieve an attack. If there is no high temperature, you can apply a warming compress, mustard plaster or warming ointment.

Significantly relieve cough:

• influx fresh air by airing the room before going to bed;
• humidification of the room with wet cleaning;
• plenty of warm drinks;
• clearing the nose of mucus accumulation by rinsing the nasal passages sea ​​water or decoctions of anti-inflammatory herbs;
• Inhalations and antitussive drugs are used with extreme caution due to the possible aggravation of swelling of the mucous membrane.

If the cough worsens or shortness of breath develops, you should urgently seek medical help.

What to do, if coughing does the child manifest as a seizure? Is it possible to get rid of attacks in the future? Many parents are concerned about coughing attacks in their children. Treatment of severe cough in children is a whole range of measures, they can improve immunity through vitamins, medicines, folk remedies. The disease can occur in case of inflammation of the trachea, with allergic reactions to something. Doctors recommend treatment with medications, traditional medicine, massage and rubbing procedures, and aromatic therapy.

What is a cough

The baby reacts to inflammation, allergies, and viruses by coughing: the body tries to remove harmful viruses and cleanse the main respiratory organs of mucous, purulent sputum and secretions. The cough reflex can appear as a result of inflammation of the throat mucosa; it can be short-term, acute, protracted, or chronic. Wet is treated with expectorants, and dry with drugs that suppress it. Dust, foreign microparticles entering the respiratory tract, inflammation processes, dry stale air can trigger coughing attacks.

Causes of cough in children

Your baby may be coughing due to:

• infection, virus;
• bacteria;
• allergies.

The baby's lungs fill with a mucous substance, and the body tries to free itself, provoking a cough reflex. It can be dry and moist, appearing only at night or during the day. One of the main causes of the disease may be a cold. When the body is infected with viruses, coughing can become prolonged and cause a gag reflex. To prevent vomiting, you can give your baby cough suppressants.

Child has severe cough at night

At night the child coughs when he sleeps and is in horizontal position. Mucus and phlegm quickly collect in the nose and throat, do not dissolve, making breathing difficult, provokes a cough reflex and requires long-term treatment. A change in the climate in the room where the baby sleeps can cause coughing. At night, the air cools down and becomes dry, which negatively affects the mucous membrane of the throat, irritating it. A warm drink at night, a well-ventilated room, and also humidification will help.

Accompanied by vomiting

To avoid the gag reflex, it is possible to alleviate the attack with the help of tablets, inhalation, applying a compress, massage, and manipulation by rubbing. Seizures contribute to the occurrence of vomiting, and also provoke vomiting severe irritation mucous membranes of the throat when:

• A dry cough reflex is observed, as a result the baby breaks into a painful cough. Vomiting reflex caused by tension in the throat and irritation of the vomiting centers.
• There is a wet cough reflex, respiratory organs The baby is so congested that mucus and phlegm provoke vomiting (symptoms of bronchitis).

Dry cough

Severe dry cough in a child ( nonproductive cough) can manifest itself as a sore throat when the air masses in the room are dry and cold. It is best to give the baby a warm drink with a spoonful of honey added to it and well ventilate the room where he is. The cause may be irritation of cough receptors in the trachea, bronchi, and laryngeal mucosa. Breathing becomes difficult, coughing becomes exhausting and intrusive. Observed with irritation of the respiratory tract, ARVI, allergic manifestations, colds, sore throat.

Diagnostics

As a rule, the doctor first listens to the bronchi and lungs. Specific tapping is also used to determine the disease, and in difficult cases it is used X-ray, bronchoscopy. When diagnosing a cough, many factors are taken into account:

• Acute coughing is typical in the presence of a virus in catarrh of the upper respiratory tract with bronchial asthma, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, sore throat.
• Signs of ARVI: a child has a hoarse, low voice, breathing is difficult, and the nasopharynx is stuffy.
• A lingering cough for more than 10-12 days is accompanied by acute bronchitis and the presence of a virus in the respiratory tract.
• Wet and strong night cough a child develops when purulent processes in the lungs and bronchi, accompanied by the release of sputum, mucus, and pus.

How to treat

In cases of damage to the bronchi by a viral infection, when the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are inflamed, in children's body violated normal operation lungs, bronchi. You can eliminate it using medicines and drugs that suppress the cough reflex. The pediatrician prescribes antitussive drugs, depending on the child’s age, his physical condition and the danger of the disease. Antibiotics are given when there is a wet cough to remove phlegm, when the throat is inflamed, and fluid collects in the lungs and bronchi.

Medicines

Coughing can be effectively treated with drugs that promote expectoration and remove phlegm and mucus from the body. For children, such medicines are available in the form of tasty syrups. Prospan syrup is a leader in the treatment of infants and is intended for babies under one year of age. Antibiotics are used for purulent sputum in the bronchi and nasopharynx. It will relieve pain, help you recover and will not cause allergies, a medicine from the penicillin group Ampiox: the drug helps reduce coughing and helps relieve bouts of barking.

Massage

If the cough starts to get worse, it means it's time to use chest massage. At inflammatory diseases The massage should be done for several days, before starting, give the child an expectorant, apply a protective baby cream to the skin, and then massage the baby’s chest, back, sides, shoulders, rubbing, pinching those parts of the body where phlegm and mucous secretions accumulate. Any adult can master the massage procedure, which is very helpful in combating wet cough.

Aromatherapy

When the baby is worried for a whole month barking cough, runny nose, pathological cough accompanied by mucus, aromatherapy works great. Do therapy with aromatic oils necessary for others too characteristic symptoms colds:

• At colds Essential oils of chamomile and calendula will help cure coughing in infants.
• For older children, orange, lemon, and mint oil can be an effective treatment.
• For signs of bronchitis, orange and eucalyptus oils work well on the mucous membranes of the throat.

Traditional medicine methods

Traditional medicine has many effective recipes in the treatment of cough in children:

• At acute bronchitis For signs of pneumonia, doctors prescribe treatment with warm milk and honey.
• Frequent urge Black radish with honey will help cure a cough and is a good suppressant, the juice of which is great if a child coughs a lot at night.
• In case of complications, decoctions work well on the mucous membranes of the larynx medicinal herbs– chamomile, calendula, linden flowers. They are able to suppress an attack and disinfect the mucous membrane.

Rubbing

At dangerous diseases the child is bothered by difficulty breathing, elevated body temperature, and sometimes the disease is accompanied by swelling of the larynx. You can cure your baby with generally accepted medications and by rubbing:

• Rubbing with bear and goose fat helps a lot, as it improves immunity and prevents dangerous complications. You need to rub your legs, feet, back, sides, chest (excluding the heart area).
• Honey or vodka are very effective and help the body warm up well. After rubbing the baby, you need to cover it with a warm blanket. The procedure is indicated for children from 6 months.

Water procedures

Warm or hot baths with the addition of medicinal herbs are indicated for any cold and will help relieve irritation. All herbs and flowers must first be brewed with boiling water and infused:

• Raspberry leaves, chamomile inflorescences, calendula, Linden blossom, mint are plants that have soothing bactericidal properties.
• Water treatments with lavender, valerian, mint relax nervous system baby, promote healthy sleep.

Features of the treatment of children's severe cough

Treatment before recovery has its own characteristics and should be carried out in combination:

• antibiotics to destroy viral infections and pathogenic microorganisms;
• expectorants;
• inhalation for colds, inflammatory processes mucous membrane of the throat, sore throat;
• compresses on the chest and back to warm the body;
• rubbing to improve blood circulation;
• massage;
• water treatments in the form of baths, foot baths with medicinal plants and herbs;
• aromatherapy;
• use of traditional medicine methods.

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Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on individual characteristics specific patient.

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A cough is the body’s reaction to an irritant: phlegm, mucus, dust, allergen or foreign body. Sputum is a sign of an inflammatory process or allergy. To humidify the air, the mucous membrane secretes a secretion into small quantity. An increase in mucus indicates germs or viruses in the respiratory tract.

By coughing, the child clears the lungs. Seizures occur day and night, preventing the child from sleeping and being actively awake. The main task of parents is to alleviate coughing attacks, reduce their frequency and duration. To completely get rid of attacks, it is necessary to find out the cause of their occurrence and treat the disease that causes the cough.

Cough is a symptom of many diseases, so for it effective treatment it is important to correctly determine the cause

How to recognize a coughing attack on your own?

A physiological cough is provoked by particles of dust, food or strong odors (for example, cigarette smoke). This cough appears sporadically and is short-lived. If the cough becomes paroxysmal, occurs at night, after waking up or during quiet games, and other symptoms of the disease appear (for example, high fever), you should contact your pediatrician and conduct the necessary examination. Timely, competent treatment reduces the risk of complications.

Types and causes of children's cough

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Types of cough in children and their characteristics:

• Dry. It mainly occurs due to the onset of inflammatory processes in the throat. Due to infectious disease severe and prolonged attacks appear that disturb you at night. Other symptoms of the disease appear - high body temperature, general malaise, discomfort in the throat, vomiting. No sputum is produced with a dry cough.
• Wet. Characterized by the production of sputum. The frequency and duration of attacks depends on the thickness of the mucus. If the discharge is thick, the child coughs for a long time, since effort is required to cleanse the respiratory system. At liquid mucus Coughing occurs faster, so attacks are short-lived. With the accumulation of sputum, a new attack begins.

The time of day when severe coughing attacks occur is directly related to the disease that caused the cough. Kinds:

• morning - appears during inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract;
• evening – occurs with pneumonia, bronchitis;
• nocturnal - occurs with bronchial asthma, laryngitis, whooping cough.

Spasmodic cough in children appears due to respiratory viral diseases. Then there is a fever, redness of the throat and weakness. A severe cough is a symptom of:

• Laryngitis is a disease in which the larynx becomes inflamed. There is a rough barking cough.
• Tracheitis – inflammation of the trachea. Before the cough, symptoms of acute respiratory infections are observed.
• Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi. It starts with a dry cough, then turns into a wet cough, producing a large amount of sputum.
• Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs. Children often get sick because they the immune system hasn't gotten stronger. With pneumonia, an increase in body temperature above 38 degrees is observed. The disease begins abruptly, immediately after hypothermia. The sputum is yellow or green. For pneumonia it is required hospital treatment, it is very difficult to cope with the disease at home - there is a high risk of complications.
• Whooping cough is a childhood disease that causes a barking cough. It is accompanied by other symptoms: blueness skin and bloating of veins. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
• Diphtheria is a dangerous infectious disease that causes plaque to appear on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and trachea. Coughing with diphtheria can provoke an attack of suffocation and asphyxia. If symptoms are detected, you must call ambulance.

A cough combined with a runny nose may be allergic in nature.

Allergies can also be the cause of a cough. Seizures during allergic cough sudden. You need to pay attention when they occur: during contact with pets, in a dusty room, or outdoors when plants are flowering. These are the most common allergens.

If the cough begins while eating food, particles may enter the respiratory tract. It is necessary to help the child get rid of the foreign object. In children under one year of age, a cough may begin due to teething, as a large number of saliva.

Treatment of cough in a child

Depending on the type of cough and the reasons causing the attacks, the pediatrician will prescribe appropriate treatment. Strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations contributes to a quick recovery.

Exist General requirements when relieving a severe cough spasm, used for any type: plenty of warm drinks, regular ventilation and high humidity in the room.

First aid during an attack

How to stop a child’s cough (more details in the article:)? You need to act depending on the type of cough. First steps for dry cough:

• Calm the child. If he coughs at night, sit him on the bed or pick him up. Speak in a calm voice so that your anxiety is not passed on to your baby.
• To moisturize the mucous membranes, you need to give a warm drink. Water, juice, compote or fruit drink will do. You can prepare a decoction of chamomile with sage, which also relieves coughing. warm milk with a spoon of honey.
• It is necessary to moisturize the nasal passages. Use a saline solution from a pharmacy or prepare it at home using saline drops in your nose.
• Increase the air humidity in the room, ventilate the room more often.
• To achieve better results, you can turn on the water in the bath and sit in the room with the child so that he can breathe well-humidified air.
• If the baby stops crying, inhale with saline solution.

At wet cough you need to enhance the removal of sputum (we recommend reading:). To do this you need:

• Give the child a back massage (more details in the article:). Place the baby on his stomach, lightly tap him on the back, and rub him. Massage is given to both older children and babies up to one year old.
• If the attack catches the child in his sleep, you need to sit him up, since lying down the sputum is more difficult to clear (we recommend reading:).
• Clear your nose of mucus.
• A warm decoction or breast milk prescribed by a doctor will help stop the cough.
• Humidify the air in the room and ventilate it regularly.

At complex treatment wet cough massage treatments are very effective

For allergic cough:

• call an ambulance;
• remove all allergens from the room, ventilate the room;
• if an allergy is caused by any product, you must give Activated carbon or another drug with a similar effect;
• An attack can be relieved with the help of an antiallergic drug prescribed by a doctor.

Medications

All medications are used after consultation with a pediatrician. If a child coughs, use cough syrups. They have a pleasant taste, so children drink them with pleasure. Tablets are used when the child can swallow them without the risk of choking.

To reduce spasms in dry coughs, the following are most often used:

• Sinekod. It has an antitussive, bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory effect.
• Gedelix - drug plant origin. Improves breathing, thins mucus.
• Bronholitin. Stops coughing, dilates bronchi.

For a wet cough, they dilute the mucus well and remove it from the lungs:

• Mukaltin;
• Linkas;
• Ambrobene;
• Ascoril.

If a coughing attack is caused by an allergy, use:

• Suprastin;
• Zodak;
• Tavegil.

Folk remedies

Many traditional medicines stop severe coughs. However, before using them, it is better to consult a doctor, especially if you need to treat a baby up to a year old - a small body may unexpectedly react to traditional medicine. The main thing is not to harm your health or aggravate the situation.

Verified effective means against cough is tea with coltsfoot leaves

Herbal treatment:

• Coltsfoot. Helps well in the treatment of dry cough. Substances contained in the leaves of the plant thin out thick mucus. Expectoration occurs much easier, the duration of attacks decreases. Brewed coltsfoot leaves are drunk in the morning; a little honey is added to improve the taste.
• Liquorice root. It has an anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect, thins mucus. Used to strengthen the immune system and to restore lost strength after illness.
• Marshmallow root. Contains a large amount essential oils, due to which it removes mucus from the lungs well.
• Oregano, mint. They also have a good expectorant effect, effectively thinning thick mucus.

When coughing, if the body temperature does not rise and there is no allergy, mustard plasters will relieve the attack. Providing a warming effect, they promote a rush of blood and deepening of breathing.

Inhalations can stop severe coughing, including at night. They are carried out using:

• saline solution;
• mineral water;
• soda solutions;
• essential oils (mint, lavender, cedar);
• infusions of medicinal herbs (chamomile, eucalyptus, coltsfoot, St. John's wort).

What is forbidden to do when a child has coughing attacks?

When a cough occurs, parents try to cure the child with everything by known methods and often only make the situation worse. Typical mistakes:

• the use of expectorants together with antitussives;
• usage medicines not according to instructions;
• use of antibiotics without consultation with a pediatrician;
• treatment of cough in a child under one year of age using inhalations and rubbing with alcohol-containing solutions.

Attacks of night cough are a condition that not only prevents a child from sleeping, but also almost completely deprives him of his strength, and it also causes justified anxiety and panic in parents. Most mothers try to eliminate this painful reflex, aimed at restoring airway patency, with the help of various antitussives or antibiotics, often only making the situation worse. Only after finding out the real reason development of night coughing attacks, you can properly help your baby, avoiding many unforgivable mistakes.

What is a cough?

Cough is a reflex reaction of the body that occurs due to irritation of respiratory receptors, caused by contraction of striated muscles that perform rhythmic acts of inhalation and exhalation. Almost all receptors, including respiratory ones, are divided into fast and slow. Fast receptors provoke the development of cough caused by various mechanical and chemical stimuli, while slow receptors are able to respond only to inflammatory mediators. The joint work of both groups of these complex formations triggers the cough mechanism.

Normally, a child can cough 10-15 times during the day, and this condition should not be regarded as a sign of illness. The fact is that with the help of such coughing movements, mucus that accumulates in the upper respiratory tract is removed.

Causes of night cough

There are many reasons that provoke the development of attacks of night cough in a child:

• Colds of a viral and bacterial nature (ARVI, whooping cough, tracheitis, pleurisy, bronchitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, measles, etc.);
• The presence of certain types of helminths in the child’s body (ascaris, hookworms, etc.);
• Gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus);
• Bronchial asthma;
• Various allergic reactions;
• Heart pathologies;
• Inflammation of the adenoids;
• Powerful emotions;
• The presence in the inhaled air of various harmful substances;
• Overheated and dry, or vice versa, dry and cold air;
• Penetration of a foreign object into the respiratory tract;
• Teething (in this situation, coughing attacks occur due to increased secretion saliva);
• Chlamydia (a disease that is usually transmitted through sexual contact, but children sometimes become infected through household contact from sick parents). In such a situation, attacks of night cough can develop against the background of conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyes).

As for the occurrence of attacks specifically at night, this condition is explained by the fact that in a horizontal position of the body, the blood supply to all tissues and organs slows down, and the sputum that accumulates in the lungs and upper respiratory tract resolves very slowly, and therefore a cough develops . It often happens that when attacks of night cough occur, the child, upon waking up, is forced to rise in order to cough up the mucus accumulated on the mucous membrane of the larynx.

When trying to alleviate the child’s condition, parents must understand that cough is not a disease, but only a symptom. Therefore, in order to carry out adequate therapy, you must first find out what actually caused its development.

Types of cough

In the practice of pediatricians, it is customary to consider several types of cough, each of which is a sign of a particular disease.

In the case when a child suddenly develops an obsessive dry cough of a barking nature with an almost complete absence (or slight separation) of sputum at night, this may signal the development of acute viral inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

If the cough turns from dry to wet, the development of bronchitis is suspected. At the same time, when a wet cough appears (and complete absence“dry” stage), it is necessary to take an x-ray in order to exclude pneumonia.

With bronchial asthma, a child has a spasmodic cough. It should be noted that this condition in children of the first life may be a symptom of obstructive bronchitis.

Children who have had bronchitis may develop a lingering cough at night associated with hypersecretion of sputum. It can also occur due to mucus flowing from the nasopharynx or due to inflammation of the palatine tonsil.

A paroxysmal cough, accompanied by the release of lumps of hard mucus, lasting more than six weeks, is characteristic of tracheitis and tracheobronchitis of viral etiology, and it can also be observed after whooping cough, which occurs in an atypical form.

When is urgent medical attention needed?

If a child experiences attacks of night cough that develop suddenly and last a long time, consulting a doctor is essential.

A cough with green sputum mixed with blood and wheezing is very dangerous.

The presence of shortness of breath and high temperature during attacks of night cough also requires urgent medical attention.

How to help your child independently and make his sleep restful?

1. First of all, it is necessary to determine the true cause of night cough attacks. Most often, in this situation, the help of a specialist is required, who, after conducting all the necessary diagnostic studies, will recommend the necessary treatment.

2. During the heating season, when dry hot air is concentrated in the room, irritating the upper respiratory tract and increasing coughing, the temperature in the room where the child sleeps should be reduced. It also wouldn’t hurt to add additional air humidification using special devices or regular damp towels placed on the radiator.

3. Very young children, in order to avoid the accumulation of a significant amount of phlegm in the larynx, need to change position more often during sleep.

4. If there is a bacterial or viral infection, the child should be given plenty of fluids (plenty of warm drinks softens a dry cough and helps thin and remove mucus).

5. In the case when coughing attacks resume as soon as the child goes to bed, especially if this condition is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes and lacrimation, this may signal the development of allergic reaction. Then the reason should be sought precisely in the bedding (especially if the blanket or pillow is made of feathers or sheepskin). It is imperative to pay attention to the quality of the powder used to wash the child’s bed and pajamas, as well as the presence of strong-smelling substances in the immediate vicinity of the child’s bed.

7. During the day, wet cleaning is necessary.

8. Before going to bed, to ensure normal passage of air through the nose, you need to offer (help) the child to blow his nose and rinse the nasal passages with saline solution.

9. If pathologies of the respiratory tract are detected, before bedtime the baby must take an antitussive drug recommended by the pediatrician.

10 If the cause of a night cough is the child’s teething, the head of the crib should be raised to prevent saliva from accumulating in the throat.

What should you not do if you experience night coughing attacks?

1. First of all, children under six months are not allowed to do rubbing and inhalation.

3. If you have a dry and debilitating cough, you should not use expectorants without special recommendations from a specialist.

4. If you have a wet cough, do not suppress the cough reflex by giving your child antitussive medications.

5. Taking antiallergic antihistamines is strictly contraindicated without medical consultation.

Every mother should understand that prolonged cough- this is a symptom of a particular disease that requires mandatory timely and adequate treatment, and only a doctor can prescribe it. Therefore, if for some reason you do not trust your pediatrician and consider his recommendations ineffective, you should not self-medicate, but rather seek help from a more competent specialist.

Surely, if you came across this article, then you are interested in learning how to relieve a child’s coughing attack at night. For every responsible parent, a child’s illness becomes a whole ordeal.

The fact is that a baby, especially a very small one, due to his age, cannot really say what hurts and bothers him. These days, the child especially needs care and attention, and the mother and father spend most of the time at their pet’s crib.

Coughing is a reflex reaction aimed at removing mucus from the respiratory tract. Normally, a child should only cough for an obvious reason: during active games (for example, improper swallowing of saliva), when hastily eating food, being in a dusty room, etc.

If reflex shocks become unreasonable, then parents need to think about whether the child is sick?

To understand in more detail the reasons that can cause a coughing attack in a child at night, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the table in more detail.

Cause	Explanation
Influenza, acute respiratory viral infection, laryngitis, and especially tracheitis and bronchitis and pneumonia	These diseases very often lead to cough, which is especially worse in dark time days. Pathogenic microorganisms amaze epithelial tissue lining the respiratory tract, as well as cough receptors. As a rule, the child’s body temperature rises and complaints of headache, as well as a sore throat.
Serious allergic reaction to dust, medications, animal dander, or pollen	An allergic cough can cause dangerous complication– stenosis of the larynx. It is important to recognize it in time in order to provide first aid.
Inhalation of foreign bodies and dust	The cough occurs suddenly and is paroxysmal in nature. This is also a dangerous cough, but it practically never occurs in children at night.

As we see, nocturnal attack A cough in a child is an unfavorable signal that indicates to parents that they need to act immediately.

Attention! Often a paroxysmal cough leads to disturbances in heartbeat and breathing. Also, against the background of reflex shocks, a child may vomit, which is also dangerous. The fact is that vomit can accidentally enter the respiratory tract and in some cases this leads to asphyxia.

To effectively stop a severe cough, you need to find its cause and eliminate it. In a serious situation (we are talking about copious sputum mixed with pus or blood streaks, difficulty breathing, acute disorder well-being, high temperature) it is necessary to call an ambulance, because in some situations the baby’s life may really be in danger.

What parents need to do

How quickly the baby’s well-being will recover completely depends on the actions of the mother and father. A child’s paroxysmal cough at night is aggravated by the time of day, because at this time it is much more difficult for sleepy parents to help their child.

The first thing to do is to wake up the child. Then you need to sit your child down (or put him in a semi-sitting position) and ask him to cough up phlegm.

It is also recommended to give the baby warm water to drink and try to calm him down (this time can be used usefully - measure body temperature). At high rates(above 38 degrees) give antipyretic drugs.

Remember! A coughing baby may have difficulty swallowing, so medicinal substances, which lower the temperature, are best used in the form of candles.

How to help a coughing baby with a viral infection

Coughing due to ARVI or influenza is a common phenomenon that occurs in 75% of sick children. As a rule, it is accompanied elevated temperature and runny nose.

At the beginning of the disease, a dry cough is observed, which is also called unproductive. It is easy to recognize: the child cannot cough up viscous mucus, which irritates the respiratory tract. The fact is that during illness (especially with the addition of fever), the blood liquefies, and, consequently, the sputum becomes thicker.

If a child has a coughing attack, the following recommendations will tell you how to help him:

• Give your child expectorants and sputum thinners throughout the day. prescribed by the pediatrician; A coughing attack at night may not occur if you strictly adhere to the recommendations;
• also for this purpose it is necessary to offer the baby drinking plenty of fluids (warm water, including mineral water, and also make your own decoction of dried fruits, tea from rose hips, raspberries, linden and chamomile);
• Perhaps the night cough due to ARVI was aggravated by an unfavorable environment? Before going to bed, you need to ventilate the room; the temperature should be within 20-22 degrees, and the humidity should be at least 40-60%.

A cough during ARVI should not cause a storm of anxiety for parents, especially since we have just looked at how to relieve a child’s cough at night. Of course, the baby experiences severe inconvenience, so the mother and father during illness need to take especially tender and careful care of their child.

Laryngitis: what to do

With laryngitis, the child experiences annoying barking tremors that bring painful sensations in the throat. A paroxysmal cough at night in a child can lead to laryngeal stenosis, also known by another name - false croup. Treatment of this condition must be carried out only in a hospital!

Adverse symptoms due to cough, in the presence of which it is necessary to call an ambulance:

• blue lips;
• noisy and wheezing breathing, short stop;
• weak pulse
• the voice becomes hoarse or disappears altogether;
• the child becomes lethargic, cries, and also shows anxiety;
• pallor of the skin.

Before the doctors arrive, you need to calm the child and make sure there is enough oxygen (open the window). To drain blood from upper section It is necessary to provide warmth to the feet (take a warm bath for 5-7 minutes).

Besides, in mandatory inhale with saline solution or mineral water; if there is very little time, then you can at least open the tap with hot water and ask the child to breathe in the warm steam. Pay attention to the photo of the baby having a seizure false croup.

Cough due to an allergic reaction or foreign body entering the respiratory tract

Allergic cough can be eliminated with antihistamines. Surely they are available in every first aid kit, but before giving them to your child, you need to make sure the dosage is correct (the instructions will come to the rescue).

Naturally, such a cough should not go unattended, so a consultation with a pediatrician is necessary the next day. Sometimes this condition can cause laryngeal stenosis - first aid is exactly the same as described above.

A foreign body can enter the respiratory tract if a child, for example, falls asleep with chewing gum in his mouth or a piece of a small construction set. Parents need to be extremely careful to prevent such a situation (the cost in some cases is the baby’s life).

And yet, if such a situation occurs, then try to remove it with your fingers. foreign object. This should only be done when he is very close, otherwise there is a risk of pushing him even deeper.

If the result is not positive, then place the baby in your hand with the head down. Lightly tap between the shoulder blades, then turn the baby over and apply pressure chest several times with two fingers. Be sure to call an ambulance.

There is no need to panic if your child has a coughing attack at night - we have already described in detail how to help him. We also recommend watching the visual video in this article.

Our little tips will help you not to get confused in difficult moments. By remaining calm, you will be able to provide first aid to your child very quickly and effectively.