At the time of the change of seasons or transitions, many people have a cough. Not only for adults, coughing in children can also interfere with their daily activities.
What needs to be understood, coughing is a symptom that is protective for the body. Coughing is the body's natural attempt to expel mucus or foreign matter from the lungs and blocked airflow.
Efforts to remove mucus
As long as a cough in children does not cause eating, drinking, breathing problems, and there is no accompanying wheezing sound, there is really no need to worry. Although at first glance it seems annoying, coughing is actually useful in clearing phlegm or mucus from the chest or back of the throat. Some of the causes of cough in children, among others:
- The flu often triggers a coughing reaction as the body's natural attempt to expel mucus from the back of the throat.
- Bacterial or viral infections, such as ARI in children, can also trigger a cough accompanied by shortness of breath and fever.
- Asthma symptoms. Characterized by a cough that occurs over a long period of time, after the child has run or a cough that appears / gets worse at night. This type of cough is often accompanied by wheezing or shortness of breath.
- Air or environmental factors. Cigarette smoke or being around pets can make a child cough.
Home Care
Some coughs in children are caused by viruses. Infections caused by viruses can last up to two weeks. Avoid using antibiotics to treat this condition as they are not effective in eradicating the virus.
As long as the child's sleep is not disturbed, no medicine is needed to treat cough. For children under 6 years old, it is not recommended to take over-the-counter cough medicines without consulting a doctor.
When a child coughs, parents can help the child feel more comfortable, by:
- Keep the child's body gets enough fluids. Hot tea, warm lemon juice with honey can help prevent dehydration as well as treat a dry throat. But avoid honey in children who are less than one year old.
- If the cough is persistent, take advantage of hot steam. Try sitting with your child while the child inhales the steam from a bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes. Or you can take your child outside for a breath of fresh air for about 10-15 minutes.
- If available, use a humidifier in your child's room who is coughing. Turn it on before the child goes to sleep.
If your child's cough is caused by asthma, ask the doctor about an appropriate asthma management plan for your child. Always keep the necessary asthma medication within your reach. Never give left-over antibiotics or those that have been taken by other family members to your child who is coughing. If the doctor prescribes medicine for a child's cough, make sure you follow the instructions correctly.
Be alert if accompanied by other symptoms
If other symptoms occur that accompany coughing, immediately consult a doctor or take the child to the nearest health unit to get help as soon as possible. For example, if symptoms occur:
- Difficulty breathing or breathing faster than usual.
- The fever is getting worse.
- Pale or blue lips, tongue, or face.
- Fever and cough occur in infants aged less than three months.
- Breath sounds after coughing.
- The child looks limp, cranky, and uncomfortable.
- Dehydration characterized by dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, crying without tears, sunken eyes, and less urination.
- Cough with blood.
How to Prevent Cough and Treat Cough in Children
It is not easy to prevent coughing in children, but there are several ways that can be done to minimize transmission.
During flu season, you can encourage your child to wash their hands as often as possible to prevent the spread of the virus. Ask the adult at your child's activity to do the same. Then, don't let your children go near someone who has the flu cough.
Prohibit smokers from being around the house or children's activities. Being passive smokers for children can cause them to face various health risks besides coughs, including asthma, allergies, colds, and others.
Pay attention to the child's vaccination schedule. Make sure your little one gets the diphtheria, pertussis/whooping cough, and tetanus (DPT) vaccinations. If needed, ask your doctor to give you a special flu vaccination as well.
Coughing as the body's natural response to expel mucus or other foreign objects, must be addressed appropriately. Do treatment at home to help relieve the child's breathing, cough medicine for children according to the type of cough and age can also be used to help relieve symptoms, especially cough medicine with a variety of flavors that children like can make it easier to give medicine to children. However, if the cough does not go away and other dangerous symptoms arise, do not hesitate to immediately seek medical help.