What should I do if my baby coughs and sounds hoarse?

It is difficult to prevent childhood diseases. Even if parents pay attention to the hygiene of their babies and take good care of them, it is inevitable that the babies will suffer from illness. So what should we do if the baby has a hoarse cough? In fact, there are many reasons for the baby's hoarse cough, and it is not necessarily caused by a cold or other diseases. Therefore, it is important to find the cause, so that the problem of the baby's hoarse cough can be solved fundamentally.

Children's cough is usually one of the most troubling diseases for parents. It comes unexpectedly and goes away unexpectedly! When the baby coughs, the parents' heartbeats speed up. Is the baby sick again? In fact, children's coughs are divided into different types. Parents can make judgments based on the different types and have a preliminary understanding of when to worry and when to not worry.

Winter is the peak season for respiratory diseases in children, and cough is the most common symptom of respiratory diseases. Many unprofessional parents often fall into misunderstandings and give their children cough medicine when they hear bursts of coughing.

In fact, this practice of parents is very unscientific. According to Long Zhen, chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics at Hubei Provincial Maternity and Child Health Hospital, coughing is very easy to occur due to the anatomical and immune characteristics of the children's respiratory system. However, there are many types of coughs in children. Before finding out whether the baby's cough is caused by a cold, pneumonia or allergies, parents should not rush to give their children cough medicines or antibiotics. Otherwise, it will not only be unfavorable for treatment, but sometimes it will be counterproductive and have some adverse consequences.

Several types of cough in children

1. Cough caused by upper respiratory tract infection

Symptoms: Mostly an irritating cough, like an itchy throat, without phlegm; occurring at any time of day or night, not accompanied by wheezing or shortness of breath. The baby is sleepy and has a runny nose, sometimes accompanied by fever, with the body temperature not exceeding 38℃; poor spirits and loss of appetite. After sweating and fever subside, the symptoms disappear, but the cough may continue for 3-5 days.

Cough relief: When children have upper respiratory tract infection, their nasal mucosa is already inflamed. If they inhale dry air, their nasal cavity will become more uncomfortable and their cough will be aggravated. Therefore, to keep the air in the room moist, you can use a humidifier, hang a wet towel, mop the floor with water, or place a basin of clean water in the room to increase the air humidity. If your child's cough and nasal congestion symptoms persist for a week and do not improve, you should take your child to see a doctor as soon as possible.

2. Cough caused by bronchitis

Symptoms: Bronchitis usually follows a cold and is caused by a bacterial infection. The cough is accompanied by phlegm and is sometimes severe. The coughing frequency is usually more at night and there is a wheezing sound. The coughing is most severe two hours after the child falls asleep, or around 6 a.m.

Cough relief: Go to the hospital for treatment and take pediatric cough suppressants prescribed by the doctor. Children should not eat foods that are too sweet or too salty, otherwise it will aggravate night coughs.

3. Cough caused by pharyngitis

Symptoms: Hoarseness, purulent sputum, little is coughed up and most is swallowed. Older babies will complain of sore throats, while babies who cannot express themselves often become irritable, refuse to feed, and make "hollow, hollow" sounds when coughing.

Cough relief: In this case, parents should not solve the problem by themselves at home. They should seek medical attention in time and ask the doctor to make a clear diagnosis and provide symptomatic treatment.

The above introduces the reasons why babies cough and have hoarse voices due to diseases, and also puts forward corresponding suggestions. As long as careful mothers observe the baby's health status, they will definitely find out what to do if the baby coughs and has hoarse voices, and find treatment methods in time. However, mothers cannot blindly judge the condition based on experience, but should also seek medical attention in time, which is also responsible for the baby's health.