Pertussis belongs to infectious diseases, which are found mainly in young children. This disease is caused by a pertussis, which enters the body by airborne droplets from a sick person and causes damage to the nervous system and respiratory tract. Pertussis is accompanied by a paroxysmal cough characteristic of him, according to which an experienced doctor easily distinguishes him from other diseases of the respiratory system.
Pertussis occurs mainly in children under 5 years of age, and it is more common in ungiven people and is more severe than those who underwent DTP vaccination.
Symptoms of whooping cough in children
At the very beginning of the disease manifestations of whooping cough are similar to the symptoms of an ordinary SARS:
- temperature up to 39 ° C;
- slight rhinitis;
- chills;
- cough.
But unlike a cold a week later the symptom of a cough does not go away, but it becomes stronger and more pronounced, manifesting as bouts of up to 4-5 minutes. This happens because the pertussis wand affects the laryngeal mucosa, trachea, bronchi, alveoli and irritates it, provoking a cough. Pauses between coughing movements can be reduced to a minimum, which in a number of cases leads to vomiting, and also causes hypoxia of the brain, which can be manifested by loss of consciousness and seizures. One of the main signs of whooping cough in children is a night cough, which does not allow the child to sleep.
Often the manifestations of whooping cough are confused with the symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia, it is possible to clarify the picture thanks to the specific nature of the cough and analysis from the larynx mucosa that reveals the presence of pertussis.
What is the danger of whooping cough in children?
Pertussis is dangerous for complications that occur against a background of reduced immunity, and also due to severe irritation of the respiratory tract with pertussis, which can lead to the death of the child. Among the common aggravating phenomena are:
- pneumonia;
- edema of the brain;
- emphysema of the lungs;
- arterial hypertension.
Pertussis in infants up to 1 year of age is more severe than in cases with older children. This is due to the still insufficient immunity of the child and the inability to obtain antibodies to this disease through breast milk. It was also found that whooping cough can occur in vaccinated children, but it is much more easily tolerated than in children who are not vaccinated with DPT.
How to treat whooping cough in children?
How to treat whooping cough in children depends on the stage of the disease and the presence of complications. If it is possible to recognize the disease in the early stages of development, then the treatment is carried out with injections of pertussis gamma globulin. However, such cases are rare, and mainly treatment is carried out at later stages. Usually appoint:
- Antibiotics (to combat pertussis and associated infections, if any).
- Means expectorating and expectorant.
- Drugs that block excessive activity of the nervous system and cough center (such treatment of pertussis in children can ease the symptom of cough, reducing the frequency of seizures).
- Vitamins (A, C, K).
- Warming compresses on the chest.
- Fizprotsedury.
- Fresh air.
- Full-calorie nutrition.
Treatment of whooping cough in children with folk remedies
Recipes from traditional medicine will speed up the solution of the question: "How to cure whooping cough in a child?":
- With a strong cough, you can use to grate the breast of pork fat, mixed with garlic. For this, it is necessary to take 2 parts of pork fat for 1 part of the crushed garlic and mix. The resulting mass of rubbing the baby's chest at night.
- Help in diluting viscous sputum can infusion on the basis of three herbs: nettle, moth-and-stepmother, great plantain. Take the leaves of these herbs in equal parts and mix. Then 1 tablespoon of this dry mixture pour a glass of cold water and leave for 2 hours, then once to bring to a boil, allow to cool and strain. Infusion to drink in 4 divided doses during the day.