Cough is the most common symptom of colds in children of the first and second years of life. Despite the fact that the presence of a cough in the baby indicates the damage to the bronchi, larynx or trachea, its presence is useful, because during the cough the child cleanses the airways from harmful microbes and sputum, which accumulated for a long time.
Causes of wet and dry cough in a child in 1 year
Before treating a coughing child, it is necessary to establish the true cause of its appearance:
- the presence of an inflammatory process in the upper (nasopharynx and oropharynx, nose) and lower (lung, trachea, bronchus) airways;
- inflammation of the nasal sinuses, adenoids;
- Cough as a symptom of bronchial asthma can act as a choking hazard;
- excessively dry and warm air in the children's room;
- contact with allergens that cause coughing.
In some cases, cough can be psychogenic when it is manifested in a situation that is stressful for the child. Then it is necessary to consult a child psychologist and find out the exact cause of the fear, as a result of which the child begins a violent cough.
It is possible that the baby swallowed a foreign object and therefore began to actively and continuously cough. In such a situation, it is necessary to immediately provide the child with first aid and refer to medical personnel.
Cough in a child in 1 year: what to treat?
Treatment of coughing in a child, if he was 1 year old, necessarily requires close attention from the doctor and ENT specialist in order to exclude further complications of the development of the disease.
At home, parents need to ensure the child's compliance with sleep and wakefulness, and in addition provide peace and quiet for the period of illness.
Abundant drink and proper nutrition, rich in useful microelements and vitamins, can strengthen the immunity of the baby and speed up the healing process. As a child spends a lot of energy and energy to fight with his illness in the form of a cough, his food should be high in calories, so that the body can make up for energy losses. Abundant drink will facilitate faster sputum production from the bronchi.
If a child is 1 year old and has a strong cough, a dry and wet cough should be distinguished, since they require different treatments. For example, there is a herbion syrup, presented in two versions: from a wet cough and dry. Tablets from a cough can be given to a one-year-old baby in a crushed form, mixing previously with a liquid. However, the purpose of the syrup is preferable, since it starts its action faster and more efficiently.
As expectorants, the doctor can prescribe the following medicines: glaucine, butamate, prenoxyndiazine, ACC, ambroxol , bromhexine . The use of mucolytic drugs is not able to completely cure the child of cough, but they help to alleviate cough, as dilute the sputum formed in the bronchial tubes.
For cough treatment in a one-year-old child, one can turn to folk medicine, which suggests using the root of althea, licorice, leaves of plantain, mother-and-stepmother, thyme to dilute sputum in bronchi and its prompt removal from the child's body.
If a cough is caused by an allergy, the doctor may prescribe the use of antihistamines.
If a child coughs at 1 year for a long time and conservative treatment does not have the desired effect, the doctor can prescribe the use of potent drugs blocking the cough reflex at the level of the cerebral cortex:
It should be remembered that cough is not a disease in itself, but acts only as a symptom of a disease, which should be treated. And only complex therapy with the use of expectorants will help a little man to quickly recover.