My child keeps coughing at night

Many children are prone to catching colds and coughing in spring and autumn, which makes many parents worried. Especially at night, the cough is very severe and makes it difficult for children to breathe normally. If you want to avoid frequent coughing in children, you must first pay attention to care for them, take more cough and phlegm-relieving medicines, and take corresponding preventive measures.

Why do children often cough in spring?

Children's coughs can be divided into exogenous coughs and endogenous coughs. Exogenous coughs are caused by external evil and the lungs' failure to clear and purify themselves; endogenous coughs are caused by the child's weak constitution and damage to the lungs and spleen. Many parents do not know the real reason and think their children have a heaty fever when they see them having a dry cough.

In clinical practice, although coughs caused by exogenous factors are more common than coughs caused by internal injuries, exogenous coughs can be divided into wind-cold and wind-heat. Therefore, the cause and pathology should be distinguished in treatment. For those with wind-cold, it is advisable to dispel wind and cold, promote lung function and relieve cough; for those with wind-heat, it is advisable to dispel wind and heat, resolve phlegm and relieve cough. If the pathogenic factors are on the surface, they should be cleared first. Using heat-clearing drugs prematurely or inappropriately will cause the pathogenic factors on the surface to enter the interior.

How to prevent children from coughing frequently

When it comes to children's colds and coughs, prevention is better than cure. Parents can strengthen their children's physical fitness by establishing healthy eating and living habits. To prevent colds and coughs in spring, you can eat more of the following foods:

Drink plenty of water to replenish sufficient water: Let children drink more water when going to crowded places, the children's room should be kept warm and the humidity in the room should be increased. Children should change their clothes in time when they sweat during exercise, which can also significantly reduce the risk of respiratory diseases in children.

Eat more foods rich in vitamin A: Vitamin A deficiency is a contributing factor to respiratory infections during the peak cold season. Studies have shown that vitamin A can enhance the body's immunity and fight respiratory infections. If infants and young children are given foods rich in vitamin A, such as carrots, spinach, pumpkin, red and yellow fruits, animal liver, milk, etc., the occurrence of colds can be effectively reduced.

Eat more foods rich in vitamin C: Fresh green leafy vegetables and various fruits are rich in vitamin C, which can promote the synthesis of antibodies in the human immune group and enhance immunity, thereby preventing colds.

Eat more foods rich in zinc: Zinc-rich foods help the body resist cold viruses, can directly inhibit virus enhancement, enhance cellular immune function, especially the antiviral effect of phagocytes. Zinc is most abundant in meat, seafood and poultry.

Eat more foods rich in iron: Iron-rich foods can promote the recovery of immune cell function. Milk, eggs, spinach, meat, etc. are all foods rich in iron. It should be noted that iron supplementation should be appropriate. Excessive iron supplementation, especially iron-fortified foods, can be harmful rather than beneficial.