#常德头条 ##常德市第四人民医院#
Ming Ming (pseudonym) is 5 years old this year, and due to the recent change in weather, he began to have symptoms of coughing. His mother was very worried and immediately gave him cough medicine and antibiotics.
However, the cough did not relieve. His mother took him to the doctor, who asked him about Xiao Ming's medical history and symptoms in detail, and conducted a careful examination. Tell Ming Ming's mother that Xiao Ming's cough was caused by a mild respiratory infection, and the cough was not accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever and difficulty breathing.
Therefore, doctors recommend that antibiotics and cough suppressants are not needed for the time being, but that Ming Ming drink plenty of water, keep indoor air circulation, and avoid irritating odors and smoke. The doctor also reminded Mingming's mother to closely observe the changes in Mingming's condition, and if the cough persists or worsens, or if other symptoms appear, she should seek medical attention in time.
Mingming's mother followed the doctor's advice and closely observed and cared for Xiao Ming after returning home. After a few days, Mingming's cough gradually subsided, and he finally made a full recovery.
Through this case, we can see that when a child has cough symptoms, parents should stay calm and not blindly use cough suppressants and antibiotics. Instead, you should seek guidance from your doctor to understand the causes and treatment of your cough, and take reasonable care and treatment according to your specific situation.
The pediatric team of the Fourth People's Hospital of Changde has rich experience and professional skills in dealing with children's cough, and they are able to formulate personalized treatment plans according to the specific conditions of the child to protect the child's health.
Popular science knowledge
1. What is a cough?
Cough is the body's protective physiological reflex to respiratory tract stimulation, when the airway is irritated or inflamed, the pharynx, trachea can be excreted through coughing, the pathogenic bacteria, irritants or sputum in the pharynx and trachea can be excreted from the body, preventing harmful substances and pathogens from remaining in the body, spreading and spreading, so that the respiratory tract remains clean and unobstructed.
Cough is also an external manifestation common to many diseases, and is one of the common symptoms and reasons for medical treatment in children.
Many parents immediately take medicine when they hear that their child is coughing, but the blind application of cough medicine may cover up the child's condition, delay diagnosis and treatment, and lead to the prolongation of the condition!
We need to recognize that cough is a symptom and not a disease, a "warning sign" when a child is sick, and a protective reflex for the respiratory tract!
2. What are the causes of cough?
1. Caused by respiratory viruses, special pathogens, bacteria and other infections, such as the recent epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, etc.;
2. Infants and young children need to be vigilant against foreign body inhalation, accidental ingestion, and choking experience Parents should pay special attention;
3. Cough variant asthma: cough mostly occurs at night, early in the morning or after exercise, and is often irritating dry cough;
4. Upper airway cough syndrome: various upper airway diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis, chronic pharyngitis, hypertrophy of palatine tonsils and/or proliferative bodies, nasal polyps may cause chronic cough;
5. Post-infection cough: a group of diseases secondary to respiratory tract infections caused by viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma and other pathogens;
6. School-age and adolescent children are more likely to have psychogenic cough or multi-etiological cough.
3. How to choose drugs?
1. If the cough is caused by a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics such as cephalosporin or amoxicillin.
2. If the cough is mycoplasma and chlamydia infection, macrolides such as azithromycin and other antibiotics can be used.
3. Infections caused by viruses (such as the common cold) cannot be treated with antibiotics.
4. Abuse of antibiotics increases the risk of intestinal flora imbalance, Clostridium difficile infection and allergies.
4. How to deal with my child's cough?
Do we do nothing when the child coughs? This is often the anxiety of the family, what should parents do?
Experts say that more than 50% of children with cough caused by acute respiratory infections naturally lasts longer than 10 days (but rarely more than 14 days), so it is important to watch and wait carefully.
Children's cough has a certain natural history, and most coughs caused by colds will last for more than 10 days, so parents need to wait patiently and observe carefully to avoid excessive anxiety and abuse of antibacterial drugs, cough suppressants, etc. If your child is aware of any of the following concerns, it may indicate otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis or pneumonia and should seek medical attention:
(1) Persistent cough;
(2) progressive worsening of cough;
(3) Other symptoms such as fever, earache, ear pus, nasal congestion, purulent discharge, wheezing, shortness of breath, purple lips, dyspnea, irritability or malaise, etc.
In particular, newborns, infants and young children who are weak and unable to express themselves should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they have high fever, poor mental appetite, worsening cough, and rapid breathing.
Recently, there has been a sharp increase in pediatric respiratory tract infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus, whooping cough, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus, etc.
If your child's cough recurs for more than 4 weeks, it is considered chronic. The causes of chronic cough are more complex, and they cannot be solved with antibiotics or cough suppressants, which need to be judged by professional doctors and then targeted treatment.
Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Yating, Department of Pediatrics, Fourth People's Hospital of Changde City
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(Edited YT.) Image source network, invaded and deleted)