Treatment of snot and cough without fever according to Komarovsky
In the first years of life, the child’s body encounters many unfamiliar pathogenic bacteria and various viruses. The most standard and familiar reaction of the immune system to the invasion of a foreign irritant is catarrhal phenomena. However, coughing and snot are not always symptoms of a respiratory illness. Against the background of these signs, a tooth may erupt or an allergy may manifest itself in this way. If no pathology is detected, it is recommended to treat snot and cough without fever in a child according to Komarovsky.
Etiology of runny nose and cough without fever
Before starting treatment, you should understand the causes of nasal congestion and cough in a child. If a runny nose and cough does not go away for a long time, this indicates some kind of pathology . For the first two years of life, the baby is protected by maternal immunity, which protected him in the womb. For some time (up to about a year), he receives antibodies from mother's milk, which prevents infections from developing. Later, the child develops his own immunity.
Pathological
Cough from snot can be caused by the following pathological conditions:
- any respiratory infection and its complications (bronchitis, rhinosinusitis, pneumonia, adenoiditis, etc.);
- allergic reaction to various irritants (pet fur, dust, food);
- oncology - this terrible diagnosis can be heard after a long and unsuccessful treatment of lingering snot based on the results of a blood test and x-ray examination.
If the cause of a prolonged runny nose and cough without fever is ARVI, this indicates that the baby’s immune system does not respond to the invasion of pathogenic microflora, which is not very good. This may be evidence that the body is not fighting the infection, and parents should consider taking interferon and probiotics.
If the illness does not go away for weeks, you should undergo a thorough examination of the baby and find out the cause. Do not neglect taking blood and urine tests - these studies can reflect the general condition of the child’s body, and this is necessary so that his health can be improved in a timely manner, without waiting for complications.
Symptomatic
Small deviations from the norm in the baby’s condition do not always indicate illness. The famous pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that you should not “stuff” your baby with various chemicals without reason, because catarrhal phenomena are only a reaction, not a diagnosis. Among the natural causes of a runny nose and cough are the following:
- clearing the respiratory tract. A runny nose and cough without fever can be noticed in children of all ages. Moreover, adults also cough, getting rid of mucus. But infants can sometimes snore and cough for physiological reasons. The baby is in a horizontal position and it is more difficult for him to cough normally, so sometimes he may notice a slight nasal congestion;
- regurgitation. In a small child, the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach is not sufficiently developed, so mother’s milk and complementary foods often come out and can enter the respiratory tract, which is then cleared through coughing;
- cold and damp. Autumn damp weather and winter cold affect the condition of the mucous membranes. They begin to react to temperature changes and may turn slightly red, after which the child may develop snot and a slight cough;
- the appearance of a new tooth. During this period, the baby's gums become slightly inflamed, which causes irritation of the nearby mucous membranes of the nasal passages. This causes slight snot and cough in infants without fever or with a short-term increase in temperature.
If the cause of nasal congestion and coughing is any of the above, you should not run to the pharmacy for medications. It is enough to keep your nose dry, rinse it and clean it - with such care everything will go away by itself.
Dr. Komarovsky believes that modern means to enhance immunity do not have any effect. Drops, tablets and suspensions sold in pharmacies help at the level of the placebo effect. These drugs are not able to increase the body's resistance to infections.
Treatment of cough and runny nose in children according to Komarovsky
In 90% of cases, a child’s cough and runny nose occurs due to the development of an infection in the respiratory tract. Associated symptoms depend on where in the respiratory tract the inflammation occurs.
If the lesions are localized in the nasal mucosa, rhinitis is diagnosed, pharynx - pharyngitis, bronchi - bronchitis, pharynx and nose - nasopharyngitis, etc.
At Dr. E.O. Komarovsky is often asked whether it is possible to walk with a child if he has a cough or runny nose in winter.
What does the popular pediatrician think about this? The pediatrician is confident that walks have a beneficial effect on the little patient’s condition and only speed up the recovery process.
However, cold air can provoke local hypothermia in the nasopharynx and throat, so it is best to take walks only when the temperature outside is above zero. As an alternative to walking, it is recommended to ventilate the room at least 3 times a day and maintain the required level of air humidity in it - at least 60%.
Pediatrician's opinion
How can you cure a runny nose and cough in a small child? The pediatrician draws parents' attention to the fact that rhinitis and cough cannot be cured. These are only symptoms that signal the development of a respiratory disease. To eliminate them, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the appearance of pathological signs, i.e. causative agent of infection.
Before you run to the pharmacy for medications, you need to answer the question: what kind of inflammation caused the baby’s deterioration in well-being: viral, bacterial or allergic? Only a pediatrician can definitely determine the causative agent of the infection after examining a small patient. And only after this the doctor develops a suitable treatment regimen that not only helps eliminate the disease, but also prevents its re-development.
Is it possible to bathe a child with a cough?
According to Komarovsky, bathing cannot harm a child in any way, but hypothermia certainly does. If you decide to bathe your child with a cough and runny nose, then immediately after the procedure, take care of his insulation. In addition, the room should be free of drafts, which could cause hypothermia and a decrease in local immunity.
Important! It is recommended to refrain from water procedures if the child has a high temperature.
During bathing, body temperature may drop by several degrees, which can worsen inflammation in the respiratory tract.
The fact is that fever is a protective-adaptive reaction that stimulates the production of immunoglobulins in the child’s body. Increasing the concentration of interferon helps fight infectious agents.
That is why the pediatrician does not recommend washing children and using alcohol wipes to reduce the temperature if it does not exceed 38 °C.
General recommendations
According to E.O. Komarovsky, treatment of colds with medications, if not useless, then has a minimal positive effect on the child’s body.
In the absence of complications, it is best to avoid the use of medications, which in most cases cause adverse reactions in children and place excessive stress on the liver and kidneys.
To alleviate the condition of a small patient, it is enough to follow the following recommendations:
- maintain high humidity in the room (at least 60-70%), which will prevent dehydration and drying of the mucous membranes of the throat and nose;
- give the child a warm drink, which will help remove mucus from the bronchi and nasal cavity;
- regularly carry out inhalations with a nebulizer, with the help of which you can speed up the regeneration of affected tissues;
- at least 3-4 times a day, irrigate the nasal passages with saline solution, which helps to liquefy and remove mucus from the nose;
- lubricate the inner surface of the nasal canals with oil with vitamins A and C, which will prevent the formation of crusts in the nose.
Important! It is not recommended to put vasoconstrictor drops into the nose for children under 1 year of age.
The pediatrician draws the attention of parents to the fact that vasoconstrictor drugs bring only temporary relief. Abuse of drops is fraught with the development of allergic reactions and even greater swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Stagnation of mucus in the nasal cavity often leads to the development of bacterial inflammation and, as a result, sinusitis.
First aid for a runny nose
It is most difficult to treat ARVI in infants, since most antiviral and immunostimulating drugs are prohibited for use in pediatric practice.
Many medications contain substances that have a toxic effect on the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
In addition, young children are very susceptible to allergic reactions, which only worsen the course of the disease.
To eliminate rhinitis in newborns and infants, E.O. Komarovsky recommends doing the following:
Mucus thinning
To help the baby, first of all, you need to reduce the viscosity of the mucus in the nasal cavity so that it can be easily removed later.
As a thinning agent, you can use isotonic solutions based on sea salt - “Physiomer”, “Aqua Maris”, “Sodium Chloride”. If there are no medications, you can prepare a saline solution yourself.
To do this, you need to dissolve 2 tsp in 1 liter of boiled water. sea salt. Instill 2-3 drops of a heated solution into each nostril using a pipette.
Do not pour drugs into the nose of a newborn using a syringe or syringe.
When saline solution is injected under pressure, some of the liquid may penetrate into the auditory tube and cause inflammation. As a result, this can lead to the development of eustachitis or otitis media.
Removing mucus
To remove loose mucus from the nasal canals, you can use an aspirator or a regular rubber bulb. To do this you need:
- lay the child on his side;
- insert the aspirator tube into the lower nostril;
- completely suck out the mucus accumulated in the nose;
- Similarly, you need to remove phlegm from the second nasal passage.
The most successful aspirator model is considered to be the one that runs on batteries or mains. Using an electric aspirator, you can create a sufficiently high negative pressure in the tube, so that the maximum amount of accumulated mucus can be sucked out of the nasal cavity.
Softening the mucous membrane
It is very important to prevent the nasal mucosa from drying out and crusts forming in it. To do this, the inner surface of the nasal passages must be softened with oil or nasal drops based on sea salt. The most suitable emollient oils that do not cause allergies include peach, sea buckthorn and olive oil.
Cough treatment
A debilitating cough in children occurs as a result of irritation of the cough receptors, which are located along the respiratory tract. To eliminate it, it is necessary to eliminate inflammation in the respiratory tract as quickly as possible. As an alternative to medications, you can use:
- foot baths: fill a basin with warm water and dissolve ½ tbsp. l. dry mustard; After steaming your feet, lubricate your feet with warming ointment and put on warm socks;
- antitussive decoction: pour 10 g of dried bearberry leaves into 500 ml of boiled water, then boil for 10 minutes; Give your child 1 tbsp. l. strained broth 3-4 times a day;
- solution for irrigating the throat: dissolve 1 tsp in ½ liter of warm boiled water. salt and soda; gargle your sore throat with the prepared solution at least 5 times a day for a week.
Adverse reactions are possible only if the child is allergic to the components of the prepared decoctions and infusions. Therefore, before using folk remedies for oral administration, it is advisable to consult a pediatrician.
How to treat a runny nose and cough according to Komarovsky
The television program “Doctor Komarovsky’s School” gave a lot of useful advice to new and even experienced parents. This includes the treatment of runny nose and cough without fever. The basic principles of therapeutic treatment for congestion are very simple. They are aimed at creating favorable conditions for the child’s recovery. Treatment of runny nose and cough without fever according to Komarovsky:
- nasal rinsing solution at least 2-3 times a day . If a runny nose has just begun, it is recommended to put drops in your nose once an hour throughout the day. This can help get rid of ARVI symptoms at an early stage;
- humidifying the air in the room and maintaining a comfortable temperature. The doctor emphasizes that the children's room should be cool, but the baby needs to be dressed warmly. It is advisable to maintain the air temperature within 20-21C. However, the pediatrician claims that 19 C is better than 23 C;
- drinking plenty of water. To prevent the mucus in the bronchi from drying out and stagnating, you need to drink more liquid. Water, tea, compotes, fruit drinks and any vitamin and healthy drinks will help get rid of stagnant mucus in the shortest possible time;
- frequent wet cleaning and fewer things on which dust accumulates. Carpets, sofas, curtains and other elements of the home interior are nothing more than dust collectors. Dust collects on these things, which irritates the mucous membranes and accumulates pathogenic microbes;
- Fresh air. The acute phase of the disease is, of course, a contraindication for prolonged stay on the street. However, if the child feels great, and apart from a cough and runny nose, nothing bothers him, then festivities are a must! House dust does not contribute to a quick recovery, so you should spend more time outside.
Moist air, frequent ventilation and plenty of drinking are the three main principles that help cure cough and snot without fever in a child according to Evgeniy Komarovsky.
It is worth noting that the clinical picture of the disease can only be determined by the treating pediatrician. If, after examination, he reveals wheezing or other complications that could harm the child, you need to follow his advice and follow the instructions. All of the above should be carried out as additional measures. When there is no cause for concern, it is enough to turn to the Komarovsky method.
Cough in a child without fever, Komarovsky
Snot and cough without fever in a child
Most often, a child experiences snot and cough without fever after a walk, even if it is warm outside. This is explained simply - dust collects in the nose, which provokes a slight cough.
Usually at home this all goes away quickly, and without additional measures taken by the parents. If the alarming symptom does not disappear after a few hours, there is a risk of catching a cold.
You should not wait until the alarming symptoms disappear on their own, this will not happen. It is also not recommended to start treatment without identifying the disease - a visit to the doctor should be mandatory. Sometimes simple folk remedies or short-term treatment at home with medications are enough for the first symptoms of the disease to completely disappear.
Barking cough in a child without fever - what is it?
What to do in such cases? The children's doctor is categorical in his recommendations - medications are completely excluded here. Fresh, cool air (walking during the day, ventilating the room in the evening) will help you quickly forget about your cough.
If you have a nebulizer, you can inhale several times a day using alkaline mineral water. In the absence of this useful device, you can simply drink the liquid in small portions throughout the day.
Komarovsky suggests treating a barking, prolonged cough in a child without fever with plenty of fluids. It doesn’t matter what exactly it will be, the main thing is to drink at least one and a half liters of drink per day. Perfect for these purposes:
- compote (with a minimum amount of sugar);
- tea (preferably green);
- juice (you can even store-bought);
- liquid jelly;
- fruit drink
The main rule is that drinks should be at room temperature; cold liquid can only intensify attacks.
A child has a wet cough without fever - what to do?
Additional symptoms that should alert you:
- attacks occur in the evening hours, worsening at night;
- wheezing is clearly audible between breaths;
- greenish discharge with blood clots is possible.
A mandatory stage of treatment is long walks in the fresh air. In the cold season, you should dress warmly, but not allow the body to overheat - the child should be comfortable.
Wet cough in a child without fever, how to treat it
Treatment should be carried out only after a medical examination and accurate diagnosis. If the cause of the cough is not allergic irritants, mucolytics or expectorants are usually used. Among medications, Ambroxol or Bromhexine syrups are recommended.
Proven folk remedies will also help you get rid of a wet, suffocating cough. Komarovsky advises using decoctions from the following plants:
Prolonged cough in a child without fever
If even after elimination the cough does not stop, Komarovsky does not recommend starting medical treatment; first you need to find out the cause of the symptom. There is a good chance that the cause of a prolonged cough is helminths, and without the necessary research they will not be detected.
Cough at night in a child without fever - what is the cause of such manifestations?
A cough at night in a child without fever can also be triggered by allergens (pollen, indoor dust, pet hair). Another reason for an unpleasant anxiety manifestation is a reaction to drug treatment (some drugs during the recovery period can cause a night cough).
Komarovsky does not recommend treating an incessant regular cough in a child without fever immediately - only an accurate definition of the disease will help to effectively deal with it. You should also not carry out experiments that are dangerous for the baby or use antitussives - most often they can only do harm. You can read more information on this topic on the forum, and if you have experience, share useful tips with readers.
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Tips for treating allergic rhinitis from Dr. Komarovsky
Allergy is an unknown niche of medicine. Contrary to the beliefs of experts that it manifests itself at a young age, its symptoms can appear at any stage of life and disappear just as suddenly. The human body accumulates antigens, and if there is no reaction to the irritant, it accepts it and does not recognize it as an allergen. If a child experiences snot and cough upon contact with any pathogen, this is an allergy. Allergic rhinitis is treated as follows:
- diagnosis and elimination of the allergen. This is the basic rule for treating allergic rhinitis and cough. To identify the irritant, you need to visit an allergist who will take samples and prescribe tests;
- compliance with all the rules set out in the previous section: maintaining humidity, drinking plenty of fluids, rinsing the nose, etc.;
- taking antihistamines, for example, Loratadine, Claritin, Fenistil. They will help eliminate swelling and reduce the risk of anaphylactic shock.
It is not at all difficult to guess that such symptoms in a baby are due to allergies. It is characterized by clear snot, pale mucous membranes and a dry cough that does not become productive.
Causes of the symptom
There are many reasons for dry or wet cough in children:
- A dry cough in a child without fever or snot may indicate an allergy. It is provoked by: pollen, dust, food, clothing material, etc. The cause of such a cough can also be too dry air in the room. Few parents know what humidity is in their apartment and do not care about maintaining it at an optimal level.
- With ARVI, a slight cough and snot are often observed in a child.
- Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract in the initial stage are accompanied by a dry cough and slight rhinitis without fever. This could be bronchitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, laryngitis.
- A dry cough without fever and runny nose can be caused by reflux disease of the esophagus: gastric juice is thrown into the organs of the respiratory system and has an irritating effect.
- The initial stage of tuberculosis.
Causes of fever in a baby without symptoms
Parents should understand that the younger your baby , the more often he may develop a fever without obvious symptoms of the disease. The main reason why the readings on a thermometer in infants can rise to 38.5 is for the following reasons:
- Babies' bodies are just developing and they are not able to independently maintain normal body temperature . If a “caring” mother wraps her child in a warm blanket in the summer, then it is quite possible that she will encounter a high mark on the baby’s thermometer, even up to 39 degrees.
- the baby’s immune system encounters viruses and infections unknown to it . This struggle provokes an increase in temperature and does not manifest itself in any way, since the body quickly coped with the danger.
- Asymptomatic high fever occurs during stress. Even a stranger can cause stress in infants.
- Parents simply not attentive and do not notice the symptoms .
Overheating is one of the reasons
overheating occurs very often in infants due to not fully developed thermoregulation. In children older than 3 years, overheating occurs due to prolonged exposure to the sun.
Make sure that your children are not exposed to the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Indirect symptoms of overheating can include
- lethargy
- and apathy of the child.
If you notice this in your baby, then immediately take measures to normalize it without medications. If you do everything correctly, then, as a rule, the baby’s temperature drops from 38.5 to a normal level. If this does not happen, then the reason is different.
Teething raises fever
A child’s teeth begin to erupt at about 5 months and become complete by the age of 3 years. The body reacts with an increase in temperature , but during eruption, as a rule, the value on the thermometer does not rise above 38.5 . The symptoms are not obvious, but they are there. Take a closer look at your baby. If he
- is capricious
- puts everything in his mouth
- his salivation increased
- or gums become red
then he is teething.
To help the baby, you can use special gels.
Rubbing them into the gums will help your baby. Drinking plenty of warm fluids is also recommended.
Infectious diseases
The main reason for the increase in the mark on the thermometer to 38.5 - 39 in a child is infectious diseases. But they are necessarily accompanied by other symptoms that appear within three days. If after three days there appeared, for example,
- vomit,
- loose stool
- or redness of the throat
then you should definitely consult a doctor.
If the readings on the thermometer quickly rise after churning, then this is a sure sign of a viral disease . But there are infectious diseases whose symptoms you cannot determine on your own , for example, a urinary tract infection .
Very often mothers write on the forum that their baby has an asymptomatic fever due to pneumonia.
Even doctors cannot always listen to wheezing in the lungs. Therefore, if after 3 days your baby has a fever without symptoms, you were able to determine the cause yourself, then be sure to seek medical help.
Serious organ diseases
Diseases such as
- renal failure
- or congenital heart defect
can cause 38.5 – 39 on a thermometer in a child without symptoms. As you yourself understand perfectly well, you cannot do without qualified medical care. But we hope that this will not happen.
First aid for severe cough
To relieve a child’s cough without fever, Komarovsky recommends the following:
- Check the condition of the blood by the nature of the mucous discharge from the nose: if it is liquid, then the blood is normal; if the snot is thick, then the consistency of the blood is thicker - then it is necessary to thin it. This can be ensured by drinking plenty of warm drinks: compotes, milk, fruit drinks, teas.
- Parents are interested in the question of whether it is possible to walk with their child when they have a cough. Dr. Komarovsky always says that if a child feels fine and does not have a temperature, there is no need to limit walks in the fresh air, because it is very beneficial for the body.
- The level of air humidity in the room should be controlled. In order to increase it, in winter you can place a basin of water near the heating radiators. In summer, you can hang wet towels and change them as they dry. Of course, it is best to get a special humidifier, which will quickly and without unnecessary manipulations increase the humidity to optimal levels of 45-70%.
- The air temperature in the house should not be too cold so that the baby does not freeze.
- Regularly carry out wet cleaning and wipe off dust from furniture.
- The baby should be protected from tobacco smoke or foreign chemical odors.
It is better not to give cough medications without a doctor’s prescription, otherwise the condition may worsen. Different types of cough require individual treatment. For example, you should never mix mucolytic and expectorant drugs, otherwise the bronchi will become clogged with mucus, which will not be able to clear. If you have a wet cough, it is not recommended to suppress it; sputum should come out of the respiratory tract freely.
Cough without fever in a child, what Dr. Komarovsky advises
The appearance of a cough in a child, of course, worries his parents. They are especially confused by the absence of any other symptoms - fever, redness in the throat, weakness, runny nose. What happens to the baby in this case? Komarovsky and a number of other pediatricians consider a cough in a child without fever to be a signal that some kind of illness is developing in the child’s body. All that remains is to find out what kind of disease we are dealing with.
How to treat correctly
As already mentioned, cough is not a separate disease, but one of the symptoms. Thus, it is necessary to treat not only him, but the entire disease.
So, to summarize, how to treat a cough that is not accompanied by fever? First of all, to soften it, secondly, to help the body get rid of snot.
- give the child plenty to drink;
- maintain normal temperature (about 18-20 degrees) and air humidity level in the room where the baby is;
- walk with the baby so that he can breathe fresh air;
- Give the child mucolytics to stimulate expectoration.
What to do with a wet cough
Even if your child does not have a fever, under no circumstances should you take medications at your own discretion. It is necessary, first of all, to consult a pediatrician. The pediatrician will find out the real cause of the wet cough. But if you come to an appointment, and he immediately writes out a prescription for the purchase of antibiotics, change the doctor. A wet cough in a child that is not accompanied by a fever is not advisable to immediately treat with “heavy artillery” - taking antibiotics.
In order to remove accumulated sputum faster and much more effectively, narrowly targeted mucolytic drugs (for example, Bromhexine or Mucaltin) are usually prescribed.
Cough in infants
Sometimes a cough may appear in newborns after waking up. Komarovsky advises not to attach much importance to this symptom - this is how the lungs are freed from phlegm that has accumulated overnight.
You need to be wary if the cough is regular, severe or paroxysmal.
A barking cough in a child without fever is sometimes a sign of whooping cough. Put your ear to the baby's chest and listen to how he coughs; if a characteristic hum appears during an attack, this confirms the disease. But only a doctor should make a final diagnosis.
Komarovsky also says that a cough in a baby without fever often appears due to an allergic reaction. In this case, it is important to quickly identify the allergen and prevent the baby from coming into contact with it.
More often than older children, infants suffer from reflux disease of the esophagus, when gastric juice is thrown into the respiratory tract and provokes a symptom.
The cause of a dry cough without other symptoms can be dust, the filling of a pillow, a favorite soft toy or blanket.
Barking cough - what is it?
A barking cough in a child without fever is very similar to a dog barking; it can be rough or with characteristic wheezing and whistling. The child may experience significant difficulty breathing and find it difficult to speak, this is caused by swelling of the airways.
Important! This type of cough may indicate very serious problems that should be addressed immediately. After all, he can talk not only about a cold, but also about a viral or infectious disease.
Often, a barking cough in a child without fever worsens at night. This is due to the ineffective resorption of sputum when the child lies in bed, because the lungs in this position do not receive sufficient blood supply. This cough can be a sign of very serious illnesses, such as:
- whooping cough, asthma - if it is paroxysmal in nature,
- inflammation of the trachea and larynx - when a child has a barking cough without fever with a runny nose,
- bronchitis, pneumonia - if the cough is wet.
Having insufficiently developed bronchi, it is difficult for a child to expectorate sputum if it is too viscous. A dry cough may not necessarily indicate that there is no mucus in the trachea. In order to undergo effective treatment, you need to visit a qualified pediatrician and pass all the necessary tests.
A severe cough can be a sign of whooping cough and parawhooping cough. It is caused by a microbe that is in the child's respiratory tract and secretes a substance that irritates the surface of the mucous membrane. This microbe is airborne. The younger the child, the more severe this symptom manifests itself.
Treatment of dry cough
After diagnosis, the doctor prescribes medication. To get rid of a dry cough, expectorants and antitussives are prescribed. Expectorants transform a nonproductive cough into a wet one and promote the release of mucus from the bronchi. These include:
Antitussive medications should not be taken on your own without your doctor's permission. These drugs are prescribed only as a last resort for certain diagnoses, for example, with a severe barking cough caused by whooping cough, oncology or allergies. Diseases in which mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract are not treated with antitussives, as they will interfere with the natural release of secretions, and this will significantly worsen the child’s condition.
Komarovsky categorically does not recommend giving antitussives to children under 2 years of age, since at this age they can have a depressing effect on the respiratory center.
A well-known pediatrician does not recommend treating a coughing baby with homeopathic medicines, since their effectiveness has not been proven.
To cure an allergic cough in a child, doctors always prescribe antihistamines, for example:
- Suprastin,
- Eden,
- Loratadine.
Komarovsky recommends mitigating dry coughs in children using the following methods:
- warm milk with soda, honey or figs;
- weak tea with raspberries;
- inhalations with saline solution;
- warm compresses;
- warming rubbing of the chest and back (in the absence of fever).
With a runny nose and cough, the mucus that flows down the back wall of the throat in children is often an irritating factor. These manifestations occur especially strongly at night. When a child lies down, mucus accumulates in the nasopharynx and irritates the throat. As a result, the cough becomes more frequent and prevents the baby from sleeping. Therefore, it is important to clean your nose well before going to bed and drip it with the recommended drug.
Many parents are interested in whether it is possible to bathe a child with a runny nose. Dr. Komarovsky believes that if the baby feels well, then it is possible. The main thing is that the water temperature is comfortable – 30-33ºC.
Treatment of wet cough
The following diseases can cause a wet cough without fever:
- cold;
- bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis;
- tuberculosis.
According to Komarovsky, a wet cough in a child without fever generally does not require drug treatment. If the cause is a common cold and the baby is not tormented by other symptoms, then all therapy can be reduced to drinking plenty of fluids and ensuring optimal air humidity.
A well-known pediatrician categorically does not recommend treating a wet cough in a child with expectorants and antitussives. The former will only increase the volume of expectorated sputum and lead to increased coughing. The latter will ensure that the mucus, which is a mass of dead and weakened bacteria, will not come out and will lead to complications.
What does Dr. Komarovsky advise?
There are situations when a child only has a cough. However, there are no other symptoms of colds, such as runny nose or fever. Naturally, parents who are accustomed to the “full set” begin to worry. In this case, such feelings are quite justified, since in such a situation it is really very important to determine as soon as possible the reason why the child began to cough.
Evgeny Komarovsky devoted a lot of time to studying such cases, so his opinion on this issue is, at a minimum, worth listening to. A well-known pediatrician claims that a wet cough in the absence of an elevated body temperature of a child is a very dangerous phenomenon.
To be more precise, the symptoms themselves are not scary. At the same time, the cause of the cough may also well be associated with serious negative changes that have occurred in the child’s body - this is a much more serious point. Given this circumstance, parents are recommended to conduct a comprehensive examination of the child, including a Mantoux test, to ensure the absence of tuberculosis.
Komarovsky, as an experienced doctor, immediately warns that there is no need to try to make a diagnosis on your own, especially in situations where several other very alarming symptoms are observed. These include, in particular:
- in the intervals between coughs, wheezing is clearly audible in breathing;
- closer to night, attacks begin that cannot be stopped;
- the appearance of discharge of a greenish tint, or with blood impurities.
The presence of these symptoms in any case should be a reason to immediately consult a doctor, regardless of whether the child’s temperature is normal or elevated.
If we talk about the reasons, then it is worth noting that it is almost impossible to describe everything, so let's look at the most typical and common cases. In particular, the cause of cough may be tuberculosis. Fortunately, this is not the most common option. Nevertheless, the reason is still typical, and in this regard, Komarovsky strongly recommends undergoing a full professional examination.
In addition, a cough without fever may well appear with acute respiratory diseases. One point needs to be clarified here. In most cases, acute respiratory infections are accompanied by fever. However, there are situations when it remains normal, although other characteristic symptoms - redness of the throat or runny nose - are still observed.
Chronic diseases of the respiratory tract are almost never accompanied by an increase in temperature, and the cough here will not be constant, but periodic. A roughly similar picture is observed with problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Diseases here are also not accompanied by high fever, while the child begins to cough. This is due to the fact that the contents of the stomach first flow back into the esophagus, and from there into the respiratory tract, causing a natural reaction of the body.
May cause cough without fever and allergies. One of its consequences is, for example, bronchial asthma - Komarovsky has repeatedly noted such cases.
Many of the reasons listed above are indeed fraught with quite dangerous consequences for the child’s health. However, parents do not need to panic, since this will not help the situation in any way. In addition, quite often a cough without fever and runny nose does not appear due to serious illnesses, but for much more banal reasons - such as, for example, dry air in the apartment.
Parents are not recommended to take any independent actions here - except in extreme cases, and very carefully. Evgeniy Komarovsky has repeatedly said that treatment should not be started until the causes of the cough are precisely identified. Accordingly, treatment options will vary. Therefore, it probably makes no sense now to describe all the possible drugs that are prescribed for therapy - we will give only a few of them. A more precise prescription should be made by the doctor after diagnosis.
However, there are a number of general recommendations that can be recommended to everyone. For example, children should not be given cough suppressants. It is best to use medications that have expectorant properties, such as Lazolvan, Doctor MOM, Bromhexine, and so on.
For any infectious diseases, the patient should be provided with plenty of fluids, as it helps remove toxins that accumulate in the body. To support a small patient with a cough, but without fever or runny nose, teas are perfect - with lemon and honey or raspberries. Inhalations also help a lot.
Pay also attention to the air in the room in which the patient is located. The room must be regularly ventilated, and if the air is still dry, humidify it. The optimal temperature for the room where the patient lies is from 18 to 20 degrees. If weather conditions permit, walking will only benefit the patient. However, before going outside, be sure to double-check that you have no fever.
Cough, runny nose, fever in a child Komarovsky
Many parents think that if a baby starts coughing, he simply caught a cold.
Note that a cough in an infant without fever in Komarovsky is just a symptom that signals the development of a number of diseases. A well-known children's doctor claims that bronchospasm is a kind of protection for the body. It gives the bronchi or trachea the opportunity to free themselves from harmful microorganisms. At the same time, cough is a marker of other problems.
However, if this symptom is not accompanied by fever, diagnosing the disease becomes much more difficult.
There are several reasons for the appearance of bronchospasms without fever. In order not to guess them, wasting precious time, you need to consult a doctor in a timely manner. Dr. Komarovsky is convinced that in this case it is impossible to do without consulting a pediatrician. So, let's try to figure out what triggers a non-fever cough in a baby.
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When a cough occurs without fever
If a cough in an infant is accompanied by an increase in temperature, we are dealing with the development of an inflammatory process. But when the temperature is within normal limits, several reasons for the occurrence of such a symptom can be named. Let's list the most common ones.
- Various types of air pollution or too low humidity levels in the newborn’s room. The baby’s respiratory organs instantly react to the presence of various impurities in the air, a burning smell or excessive dryness. Komarovsky emphasizes that these reasons hold the palm. Hence the conclusion: it is extremely important to ensure normal conditions in the room where the child is.
- Allergy. The doctor notes that the appearance of cough in infants can also be caused by diathesis or an allergy to something. Despite the absence of fever, you need to immediately contact a specialist and find out what’s wrong.
- Acute respiratory viral infection, inflammation of the middle ear or respiratory tract. Their characteristic signs, in addition to coughing, are a red throat and streams of nasal discharge. True, in most cases all these symptoms are accompanied by fever. However, a cold can occur in a non-standard way - with a completely normal body temperature. And again, Komarovsky refers to the doctor, since delay is absolutely inappropriate here. After all, we are talking about the health of the baby.
- Entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. Of course, such a cough will not be accompanied by an increase in body temperature. However, this does not mean that there is no danger. Moreover, removing a foreign body on your own can greatly harm the child.
How to properly treat bronchospasm
Treatment of cough in a child must be carried out under strict medical supervision. Regardless of what disease this symptom accompanies. You should not wait until the disease clearly manifests itself. It should be treated when the first signs appear - as soon as a slight cough begins. What do we have to do?
- Mode. For a sick baby, it needs to be made as gentle as possible. At the same time, there is no need to radically limit the child’s physical activity. Movement helps the bronchi clear of mucus accumulations, which means it brings recovery closer. If the baby wants to play, take part in this game. Of course, overly active entertainment should be excluded and quieter games should be preferred. It is very useful to hold the baby in your arms, gently patting him on the back. This should be done as often as possible. Special massage for newborns is no less useful.
- Nutrition. It is necessary to transfer the child to a light diet during illness. If your baby completely refuses to eat, you shouldn’t force him. Instead, prepare a light meal that contains enough calories for the patient. Surely the baby will not refuse fruit puree, jelly, a delicious milk cocktail or jelly. There is no need to panic if your child eats less than usual for 2 or 3 days. But the little patient will have to drink a lot. And this is a prerequisite for a quick recovery. After all, drinking liquid accelerates the removal of harmful microorganisms from the body, and also helps to dilute and remove phlegm. Make your baby his favorite drinks (natural juices are very healthy). Give your child something to drink while playing. Use a funny mug or colorful straws for this.
- Microclimate. In order for the baby to start coughing well, you need to increase the humidity level in the room where he is most often found. If it is late autumn or winter, you can throw a towel moistened with water over the radiator. This method of air humidification is used in emergency situations. It is better to use an electric humidifier - it is faster and more efficient.
- Drugs. Today, the pharmaceutical arsenal of antitussives is truly enormous. You will need medications that help reduce the viscosity (mucolytics) and improve coughing (expectorants) of mucus. If a child’s cough is the result of an acute respiratory viral infection, it is advisable to use natural expectorants. The baby can be given decoctions of elecampane, wild rosemary or coltsfoot (they must be prepared only in a water bath, strictly following the instructions), as well as plantain juice, radish juice (black) with the addition of honey, extracts of spicy thyme and anise fruits. In addition, it would be a good idea to stock up on thermopsis preparations, dried marshmallows, licorice and essential oils. They also make good medicinal decoctions. Medicines made from ivy leaves (for example, Gedelix and Prospan) are highly effective. The main active ingredients of herbal preparations are saponins and alkaloids. They dilute the mucus accumulated in the bronchi, increase its volume, enhance the contractile activity of the bronchi and help cough up mucus. Despite the obvious benefits of herbal preparations, they should not be considered a panacea. Unfortunately, their effect on the body is short-term. Therefore, there is a need to take them often and little by little. If you exceed a single dosage, you can provoke attacks of nausea and vomiting. It should also be remembered that such medications significantly increase the amount of sputum produced. Very young children are often not able to cough it up properly on their own. Because of this, the drainage function of the bronchi is seriously impaired.
- Inhalations. During this treatment procedure, the medicine directly affects the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs, their muscles and even the endings of the nerves. This method effectively dilutes secreted mucus, relieves bronchospasms and helps eliminate cough. Steam inhalation is considered the simplest and at the same time effective way to treat cough in the comfort of your home. Note that this method only works if the disease affects the upper respiratory tract. For example, inhalations from a soda solution (4 teaspoons of baking soda per liter of boiled water) or alkaline mineral water (Borjomi) help cure dry cough in children. When using this method of treatment, you should strictly follow all precautions and under no circumstances leave the baby alone with the inhaler.
- Massage. To ensure that the treatment of cough in an infant is truly comprehensive, it is recommended to give the baby a massage. This procedure can also be carried out at home. You should gently and gently massage the chest, as well as reflexogenic areas (for example, the soles of your feet) to improve coughing. It is advisable to use tapping and patting movements.
If you want to increase the effectiveness of the massage, use plant-based balms (for example, Bronchicum or Doctor MOM).
Prevention
To reduce the frequency of colds accompanied by non-temperature cough to a minimum, it is necessary to harden the child literally from the first days of his life. Although, if you have not yet practiced hardening, it is never too late to start doing it.
Regular air baths and water treatments are extremely beneficial. Regardless of the season, it is recommended to spend as much time as possible outdoors. You should not overheat your baby by trying to dress him like a cabbage.
If you doubt whether your baby will freeze, check her hands and feet. Warm and dry? Then you have chosen the right clothes. To strengthen the immune system, it is very good to pour cool water over your baby’s feet every day. In the warm season, it is useful to run barefoot on the grass.
True, first you will have to make sure that there are no bad surprises among the vegetation. In winter, you can harden yourself differently.
Wet a large towel with salted water (there should be a full tablespoon of table salt per liter of clean water at room temperature). Then squeeze it out thoroughly and spread it on the floor. First, ask your child to walk on the towel, and then rub his feet well with the towel.
In winter, when outbreaks of viral diseases usually occur, try to visit crowded places as little as possible. If one of your family members is sick, isolate him. Do not forget to provide separate dishes for the patient. If contact between a sick person and a child is unavoidable, be sure to use a gauze bandage (it should completely cover both the mouth and nose).
Final advice from Dr. Komarovsky
- You cannot self-medicate! It is not the cough that needs to be treated, but the disease of which bronchospasm is a symptom. You should not consult pharmacists and pharmacists about purchasing antitussive medications. Competent recommendations can only be obtained from a pediatrician.
- Even the newest and most effective medicine will not be able to remove mucus from the respiratory tract if you do not regularly ventilate the room, do not control the humidity level, and if the child drinks very little.
- Never give cough suppressants to children. Their use is possible only under strict indications. They are prescribed only by a doctor after a thorough examination of the child, listening to the lungs and making a diagnosis. You won’t be able to get rid of a cough on your own with their help, but you will cause significant harm to your baby’s health.
- The effectiveness of herbal medications can be increased by combining their use with new mucolytics.
Be sure to consult your doctor about medications, dosage and duration of treatment.
Yulia Zablotskaya
Sources: medscape.com, health.harvard.edu, medicalnewstoday.com.
Source: fishing-tackle.ru
Source: https://prostuda.feedjc.org/kashel-nasmork-temperatura-u-rebenka-komarovskij/
Folk remedies
I would like to talk about another method of treatment in a situation where a child has a cough in the absence of fever and runny nose.
We are, of course, talking about traditional medicine. There are many recipes here that are truly effective, but they are best used as an adjuvant in the presence of primary drug therapy, and after prior consultation with a doctor. Radish juice is considered one of the most effective remedies. It should be given to the patient 1 teaspoon every 3 hours. To get juice, you can use a proven method. Take a radish and cut it in half. Next, pour honey over the resulting halves, and sprinkle sugar on top. After which you need to put the “blank” in a deep plate - always at an angle. The medicine will be ready within an hour. It should be emphasized that it can be given to children only after they turn 1 year old.
Komarovsky about dry cough
A children's pediatrician, well known to all parents, Mr. Komarovsky notes that most parents make a grave mistake by showing excessive care to their child. For example, as soon as the air temperature drops, parents immediately begin to wrap up the child, putting on several shirts and socks. Unfortunately, practice shows that there is no need to do this, because a child cannot be cold with a slight decrease in ambient temperature due to his activity. After all, children do not stand in one place. They are always running, playing, frolicking, etc.
And as soon as a child coughs, mustard plasters, mixtures, and pills are immediately used. But the cough doesn’t go away. Dr. Komarovsky is sure that in this situation the cough does not disappear for only one reason. Its independent manifestation most likely only signals that pathological changes are occurring in the body. Which ones exactly? This needs to be understood correctly.
The child has a cough and a temperature of 39, what to do Komarovsky
An increase in body temperature is the most typical manifestation of not only ARVI, but also any infectious disease. The body thus stimulates itself, producing substances that will fight the pathogen.
The main one of these substances is interferon. Many people have heard about it, if only because it is quite often prescribed by doctors in the form of nasal drops. Interferon is a special protein that has the ability to neutralize viruses, and its amount has a direct relationship with body temperature - that is, the higher the temperature, the more interferon. The amount of interferon reaches its maximum on the second or third day after the temperature rises, and that is why most ARVIs end safely on the third day of illness. If there is not enough interferon - the child is weak (cannot respond to an infection with a high temperature), or the parents are “very smart”: they quickly “brought down the temperature” - then there is almost no chance of ending the illness in three days. In this case, all hope lies in antibodies, which will definitely put an end to the viruses, but the duration of the illness will be completely different - about seven days. By the way, the information provided largely explains two facts: it answers the question why “unloved” children get sick for three days, and “favorite” children get sick for a week, and on a scientific level explains the folk wisdom regarding the fact that treated flu goes away in 7 days, and untreated - during the week.
Each child is individual and tolerates fever differently. There are children who calmly continue to play at 39 degrees, but sometimes it is only 37.5 °C, and he almost loses consciousness. Therefore, there cannot be universal recommendations regarding how long you should wait and after what number on the thermometer scale you should start saving.
The main thing for us is the following.
When body temperature rises, everything must be done to ensure that the body has the opportunity to lose heat. Heat is lost in two ways - by evaporation of sweat and by warming the inhaled air.
Two required actions:
1. Drink plenty of fluids - so that you have something to sweat.
2. Cool air in the room (optimally 16-18 degrees).
If these conditions are met, the likelihood that the body itself will not cope with the temperature is very small.
Main causes of cough
A child's cough may occur due to an allergic reaction or infection. But if the body temperature remains normal and there is no runny nose, then there is no reason to talk about an infectious disease. Allergy remains. If parents have not previously noticed an allergic reaction in their child, they therefore rule it out. At the same time, few people monitor the level of humidity in their living space. Air conditioners, radiators, etc. increase air dryness. And if you examine the room more closely, you can even see dust, which often provokes coughing.
But what should parents do if they have removed all the irritants, but the cough does not go away for a long time? Only a pediatrician will help them cope with this matter.
Key Causes of Cough
In most cases, a child’s dry cough is accompanied by fever, because it appears in the very first hours of the illness. In medicine, there are several key reasons that stimulate dry cough.
1. Colds and sore throat. In this case, a dry cough is caused by a sore throat. 2. Flu. The disease immediately begins with a rise in temperature to 38°C and a dry cough, which then turns into a wet one. 3. Reflux disease - the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus. 4. Entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. 5. Whooping cough.
It is necessary to start treatment only after the exact cause that provoked the cough has been established, especially if it is accompanied by fever. It is also worth considering the fact that fever can cause seizures in some children, so it is necessary to take adequate measures not only to reduce the temperature, but also to eliminate seizures.
How to relieve coughing attacks
The first thing Dr. Komarovsky recommends is to check for a runny nose, examine the mucus, the thickness of which indicates the consistency of the blood. So, sputum is liquid, which means the consistency of blood is also liquid. With thicker, more viscous blood, viscous sputum will be produced. Accordingly, parents should provide the child with plenty of fluids, which helps thin the blood.
Second rule: monitor the humidity level in the room. If a child has a dry cough, then it is extremely necessary for him to be in a room where the air is humid. For this purpose, you can use special humidifiers.
And if the child feels fine, it is advisable for him to spend more time in the fresh air. The doctor reminds that there are two types of cough medicines: drugs that doctors recommend for whooping cough, and mucolytics, which increase sputum. The latter can sometimes increase the intensity of the cough.
If an infant has a cough, then giving mucolytics to the baby is dangerous. In general, it is highly undesirable for children under 2 years of age to take mucolytics. Without any risk to his health, it is possible and necessary to provide treatment, which involves drinking plenty of fluids, rinsing the nose and humidifying the room.
Summing up the conversation about cough without fever, Komarovsky once again focuses the attention of parents on how to treat the child:
• moist and cool air in the room, • drinking plenty of fluids, • finding out the cause that provoked the symptom, • visiting a doctor.
We advise you to watch the video at the end of this article, where Dr. Komarovsky explains the treatment of dry or wet cough, what to do if there is no fever or runny nose, and how to independently determine the cause that caused this reflex. And there are many reasons that cause coughing: from the most harmless to the dangerous.
The child has a temperature of 38 and a Komarovsky cough
› Cough
A child’s cough worries not only the baby, but also his parents, who strive to help their son or daughter in every possible way. Some begin to use folk recipes on the advice of relatives, others go to the pharmacy for syrup, and some do inhalations. Let's figure out whose actions are correct in the opinion of a specialist, and how the popular pediatrician Komarovsky advises treating a cough.
Symptomatic treatment
First of all, when a child of any age coughs, Komarovsky focuses the attention of parents on the fact that this is only a symptom of some disease affecting the respiratory tract. In addition, this symptom is protective, so in most cases it is not worth suppressing.
A popular doctor calls ARVI the main cause of cough in childhood. And therefore, in the overwhelming majority of cases of cough in a child, eliminating its cause, according to Komarovsky, is impossible. But there is no need to leave the child without help, so a well-known pediatrician advises symptomatic treatment.
At the same time, he calls the main principle of such cough treatment not the elimination of the symptom itself, but the increase in the effectiveness of the cough. This can be achieved by influencing the quantity and quality of sputum using:
- Humid and cool air.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
For more information about this, see Dr. Komarovsky’s program.
Humidify and purify the air
Komarovsky calls providing the child with moist and cool air one of the most important tasks of parents. This will reduce the load on the baby's respiratory tract and also prevent drying out of the mucous membranes .
If you optimize the conditions in which the child is located, his body will not waste effort on processing the air (heating, cleaning and humidifying it), but will focus on developing antiviral immunity.
In addition to temperature and humidity, the popular doctor draws attention to the need for clean air in the room where the coughing child is.
When dust enters the respiratory tract, it leads to poor ventilation and additional mucus production.
Komarovsky advises:
- Reduce the number of possible dust accumulations in the room , for example, hide books behind glass, put toys in boxes, take out carpets.
- Avoid child contact with foreign odors and substances , for example, do not use deodorants and perfumes indoors, do not wash the floor with chlorine, and do not spray insect repellent spray.
- Avoid exposing your child to tobacco smoke.
- Carry out frequent wet cleaning . A well-known pediatrician does not recommend vacuuming a room with a sick child, and if a vacuum cleaner is used for cleaning, the child should be sent to another room while the room is being cleaned.
- Maintain the room temperature at +18 degrees.
- Maintain indoor humidity at 60-70%. The best choice would be to use a humidifier, but if the family does not have such a device, Komarovsky recommends using containers of water and wet sheets.
Give your child more to drink
According to Komarovsky, drinking plenty of fluids is irreplaceable for a child with a cough.
It will maintain and restore the properties of sputum, affecting the rheology of the blood, that is, first drinking will make the blood more liquid, which will increase blood circulation in the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and improve their ability to form normal mucus. In addition, the child's body spends a lot of fluid with increased temperature and rapid breathing, which also necessitates frequent drinking.
To ensure that the liquid you drink is absorbed faster, Komarovsky advises giving any drink heated to approximately body temperature . In this case, the liquid will be immediately absorbed in the stomach and enter the blood.
As for the drinks themselves, you can give your child:
- Rehydration solutions.
- Not a strong tea, maybe with sugar and safe fruit.
- Dried fruits compote.
- Raisin infusion (infuse a tablespoon of raisins with 200 ml of water for 30-40 minutes).
- Compote of berries and fruits that the child tried before illness.
- Fruit drink or juice.
- Non-carbonated mineral water with a neutral taste.
- Watermelon.
Komarovsky calls rehydration solutions the best choice of drink, however, with a body temperature of up to +38°C, sufficient air humidification and no breathing problems, you can be guided by the child’s wishes.
A popular doctor advises that infants with a cough should be given something to drink in addition to breastfeeding, since human milk does not cover pathological fluid losses. At an early age, the baby can be given a rehydration solution, baby tea, still mineral water and raisin decoction.
You need to give your baby more water if:
- The air in the room is dry and warm.
- The child's body temperature is high.
- Urination is rare, and the urine itself is darker than usual.
- There is severe shortness of breath and a dry cough.
- The skin and mucous membranes are dry.
With a slight deterioration in the condition, low temperature, as well as access to cool and moist air, Komarovsky calls the child’s thirst the main criterion for the frequency of drinking. At the same time, you need to offer a drink very often and whenever possible. Supporting the drinking regime is also important in cases where the child has a prolonged and residual cough.
Drug treatment
Komarovsky calls the prescribing of any medications for children with cough the prerogative of the doctor. This is especially true for coughs in infants.
Antitussives
Since coughing is a necessary protective reflex, in most cases such medications are not needed.
Komarovsky calls their use justified for whooping cough, when the child is tormented by coughing until he vomits.
Also, medications that inhibit the cough reflex are needed for pleurisy, cancer in the respiratory tract, and for irritating coughs caused by factors affecting nerve endings.
Komarovsky is categorically against parents independently prescribing antitussive medications to their children. He recalls that some drugs in this group are narcotic and can cause addiction.
In addition, many antitussives can also depress the respiratory center, which is especially dangerous in children under 2 years of age.
So these drugs can be used in children over 2 years of age only when indicated and after being prescribed by a pediatrician.
Expectorants
The main purpose of using such medications is called by a popular pediatrician to cleanse the respiratory tract of phlegm. It is very dangerous, according to Komarovsky, to combine such medications with antitussives, because in such cases the sputum accumulated in the lungs will not be coughed up.
A well-known doctor divides all expectorants according to their mode of action into resorptive (they are absorbed in the stomach and released in the bronchi, affecting mucus) and reflex (they activate nerve endings in the stomach and affect the muscles of the bronchi and mucus production).
Most modern drugs are drugs with a reflex effect. Komarovsky emphasizes that they are safe for children, but their effectiveness has not been proven, and the nature of the cough is more influenced by the conditions in which the child is located than by any expectorant medications.
Mucolytics
Such drugs affect the sputum itself, changing its rheology. Komarovsky names ambroxol, bromhexine, carbocysteine, acetylcysteine and guaifenesin among the drugs in this group.
A well-known doctor notes that it is advisable to use such drugs in the presence of viscous, thick sputum. If a child has a mild version of ARVI and has a wet cough, according to Komarovsky, mucolytics are not needed and may even worsen the cough.
In addition, the effect of such drugs will be ineffective if the rheology of the blood is not additionally influenced by drinking plenty of fluids.
Dr. Komarovsky: How to treat ARVI in a child?
The viruses that cause SARS infect so-called epithelial cells—the cells that line the airways from the nose and throat to the lungs. There are a great many of these viruses, the most famous is influenza, but there are others - less famous, but no less nasty (parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus).
Particularly sad is the fact that each of these viruses has a certain number of variants, so a person has a theoretical, and often real, practical opportunity to get ARVI very often.
In the external environment, viruses die quite quickly, but they are transmitted from person to person very easily - by airborne droplets. From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease, it takes very little time - sometimes a few hours, but in most cases - no more than 4 days.
The influenza virus can survive in the air for a maximum of 4 hours. It lives in droplets of mucus that settle during a cough and dry on bed linen for 10-14 days, and in room dust for up to 5 weeks.
The symptoms of ARVI are well known to everyone, if only because a person who has never had ARVI simply does not exist. At first you feel unwell, but an increase in body temperature, runny nose and cough do not take long to appear.
Methods of prevention and principles of treatment of ARVI do not depend on exactly what the virus is called. This, by the way, largely determines the fact that practicing pediatricians prefer not to fool their patients and rarely call diseases by their exact names. By and large, both parents and doctors are happy with the word “ARVI” and they use it.
The exception is influenza, which is perhaps the most well-known disease of all acute respiratory viral infections. What are the characteristics of the flu?
of which is the ability to change. That is, the virus can change its antigenic composition in the most fundamental way. And this leads to the fact that a very large number of people have completely no immunity to this new, previously unknown variant of the influenza virus.
The symptoms of influenza are largely similar to the symptoms of other acute respiratory viral infections. But the fundamental feature of the flu can be expressed by the phrase “bad in general.” That is, what worries you most is not something specific - a runny nose, cough, sore throat, but rather general symptoms: very high fever, severe chills, very pronounced drowsiness and general weakness.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the body of a normal child, who is brought up normally (naturally), is quite capable of coping with an acute respiratory viral infection without any outside help. And the main task is not to disturb him!
Almost all manifestations of the disease - fever, runny nose, cough, refusal to eat - are ways the body fights the infectious agent.
And modern medicines can work wonders - instantly lower the temperature, “turn off” a runny nose and cough. Unfortunately, you have many such medicines in your home medicine cabinet, so you will try to make life easier for your baby and yourself.
And as a result, instead of three days of a runny nose, you will get three weeks in the hospital with pneumonia. I say this to mean that when reading the recommendations written below, pay special attention to those actions of yours that under no circumstances should be carried out.
Source: https://doctormitrakov.ru/kashel/u-rebenka-temperatura-38-i-kashel-komarovskij
Cough in infants
Cough can often be observed in infants. Moreover, it appears after waking up, after which the urge disappears and breathing returns to normal. Komarovsky assures that this is a normal phenomenon and the child does not need treatment. Coughing after waking up is a signal from the lungs, which thus get rid of the phlegm that has accumulated while the child sleeps.
You only need to be wary if the child has a hysterical and barking dry cough, which is accompanied by a fever.
Treatment is also necessary if a child’s dry cough lasts for some time and relief does not occur.
A dry, barking cough may indicate that your child has whooping cough. Listen to exactly how the child coughs. If a characteristic strong rumble appears in the chest, then most likely the child has whooping cough. But to make sure of your diagnosis, be sure to show it to your doctor.
And the last point that Komarovsky calls if a child has a cough without fever and there is no runny nose is reflux disease of the esophagus. Stomach acid enters the respiratory system, causing a dry cough.
The cause of a cough can be ordinary household dust, which tends to accumulate in soft toys and pillows. In this situation, it is necessary to remove all irritants and regularly carry out wet cleaning. Treatment consists of limiting the baby from contact with chemical dyes and maintaining a gentle diet.
How to treat a cough without snot and fever
Medical tactics depend, of course, on the cause of the cough. To find it, it is necessary to carry out diagnostic measures, laboratory or instrumental studies. Typically the patient undergoes:
- X-ray examination of the lungs and paranasal sinuses;
- clinical and biochemical blood test;
- cytological examination of sputum;
- allergy examination;
- examination by an ENT doctor.
If the nature of the cough and the examination results indicate aspiration, then urgent assistance is necessary. In other cases, conservative therapy is indicated, which is aimed at treating the very cause of the disease, and not at suppressing cough alone. According to indications, antiviral and antibacterial agents, antitussives, and specific therapy are prescribed (for example, for cystic fibrosis). Additionally, the child must follow a gentle regimen, take vitamins and immunomodulating agents.
Each case of cough should be considered by a doctor individually and carefully. Only under such conditions will it be possible to correctly diagnose the pathology and prescribe competent therapy.
How to treat a cough without fever
Cough in children should be treated only after the diagnosis has been correctly determined. To get rid of a cough, you first need to get rid of the cause that caused it in the child.
The general rule when treating any type of cough is to drink plenty of fluids at room temperature. The most effective are decoctions based on honey, raspberries, blueberries and lingonberries.
However, the doctor once again emphasizes that there is no need to treat children for cough using the Internet. On the Internet you can only find out the main symptoms of the disease you suspect. And only a healthcare specialist can prescribe treatment, especially for children.
To become more familiar with Dr. Komarovsky’s recommendations, we advise you to listen to the video lesson, from which each of you can take a lot of useful information for yourself. Firstly, you will find out whether the child’s systematic coughing can cause a complication, while no cold symptoms are observed: there is no high fever, runny nose or headache. In this case, the cough does not stop for more than a week. Is treatment necessary in this situation?
A video consultation with Dr. Komarovsky will allow you to learn a lot of new and useful information about maintaining the health of children.
Causes of night cough in a child Komarovsky
Health problems in children are a reason for parents to be wary and concentrate all their efforts on a solution. Night cough is a particularly frightening phenomenon and requires immediate intervention. He was examined, among others, by Dr. Komarovsky. The doctor explained in detail in his broadcast the causes of the disease and methods of elimination.
Night cough is just one of the symptoms. Effective treatment requires finding out the true cause. In most cases, coughing is the body's mechanism for ridding the body of accumulated mucus, and it is caused by various processes. Taking antiviral drugs, inhalations and traditional methods are not always effective. And most importantly, you can’t just give cough suppressants. You must first consult a doctor. After all, the symptoms will be suppressed, and in the future making a diagnosis will be difficult.