Winters are drier, so children are more likely to cough. When a child coughs, under which circumstances should he be taken to the hospital for examination, and in which case can he be observed at home?
Parents should first distinguish whether it is a dry cough or a wet cough.
In simple terms, a dry cough is a cough without sputum, and a wet cough is a cough with sputum.
Many dry cough symptoms do not need to go to the hospital, and daily attention can be paid at home.
Dry cough caused by air pollution
We adults suddenly smell a pungent smell and cough a few times, not to mention more vulnerable children. And the child's breathing rate is faster than that of adults, so the same environment they will absorb more air pollutants than adults, and the stimulation of the child's respiratory tract will be greater.
Common air pollution such as oil smoke irritation, second-hand smoke, smog, and dry air can also affect the child's respiratory tract, causing coughing.
This type of dry cough, the most important thing is to do as far away from pollutants as possible, such as parents do not smoke in front of the child, when cooking at home, do not let the child in front of the child, be sure to open the range hood, smog days to reduce the child's outdoor activities and so on.
In addition, strong smelling household cleaners or paints, air fresheners and perfumes, will also produce irritation, it is best to open the window frequently to ventilate, keep the air in the child's room fresh.
Respiratory infections or colds
If the child coughs with a runny nose at the same time, the difficulty of breathing should be considered whether it is a respiratory infection, dry cough for a long time, the respiratory system will produce secretions because of stimulation, and at this time the dry cough will be converted into a wet cough.
If it is a cough caused by a cold, this situation is actually the baby using its own resistance to expel respiratory mucus, if this time dry cough, but the baby eats well, plays well, sleeps well, do not worry, wait until the cold is good, the cough will naturally disappear, do not be too nervous.
However, if there is a fever at the same time, the fever reaches more than 38 ° C, and you must seek medical treatment in time.
asthma
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small airways and is an allergic inflammation. The most typical symptoms of asthma are an exacerbated cough at night, wheezing, or coughing after exposure to irritation.
At present, there is no cure for asthma, what can be done is to effectively prevent attacks, in addition to drug treatment, there are several ways to prevent it:
Looking for allergens: asthma is a respiratory problem, allergen inhalation will cause irritation to the respiratory tract, as long as the factors that can cause asthma are allergens, daily parents should pay attention to observation, and eliminate allergens as much as possible in the child's living environment;
Stay away from tobacco smoke: exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of viral infection, and people who smoke in the family must keep their children away from second-hand smoke;
Beware of viral infections: For children with asthma, the common cold can cause asthma symptoms, it is important to prevent colds, and the best way to take your child to get a flu shot in the winter is to take your child to get a flu shot.