Persistent Cough In Children

Common colds are very common in children. They are usually the result of a viral infection. Common colds cause coughing in children which goes away on its own after the infection has died down. It takes a maximum of two weeks for the viral infection symptoms to go away in children. However if a child has persistent cough and fever more than 102 degree or if the cough does not go away even after three weeks, the reason could be something else.

Causes

Asthma
Asthma is one of the major causes of persistent cough in children. Asthma is typically characterized by a wheezing sound. This is due to the fact that asthma causes swelling in the air passages which inturn produces this sound. However, even in the absence of this sound, a child might be suffering from asthma if he has associated symptoms like rapid breathing or difficulty in breathing. Persistent cough at night could be due to asthma too.

Infection
A sinus infection can lead to a persistent cough. Bronchitis and pneumonia infection can cause chronic coughing too. If the coughing is accompanied by other symptoms like rapid breathing and general weakness, it could be a sign of pneumonia. Allergic rhinitis is another culprit for the cough. It is accompanied by symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and itching in the eyes, nose and mouth. Bacterial infection in the air passages could also be a reason.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
If along with persistent coughing, the child has developed symptoms like a hoarse voice and choking, the reason could be acid reflux i.e. the stomach fluid going back to the esophagus again. Acid reflux disease is one of the causes of chronic cough in children and may result in damaging the lung tissue too.

Viral Infection
Although cough as a result of a viral infection does not last beyond 2 weeks, sometimes, the cough may last even after the infection has subsided. A child may also develop 'habit cough' after a viral infection. Dry cough is usually due to 'habit cough'. A peculiarity of habit cough is that it never occurs in sleep and only presents itself by way of symptoms such as itchy throat and cough.

External Factors
It could be due to certain external factors such as passive smoking and air pollution. Sometimes a child might inhale a food or some other material, and this too could lead to persistent cough. Allergy to dust, pollens, pets can also cause this. Certain medication produce coughing as a side effect too.

Treatment

The treatment will depend on what causes the cough. In case of asthma, inhalers with bronchodilators and steroids are usually given to lessen the swelling of the airways. Coughing related to GERD is treated by taking certain medicines which reduce the stomach acidity. Sinus, bronchitis and pneumonia are treated by taking antibiotics. Certain home remedies include taking steam, consuming foods such as honey, turmeric in warm milk, wearing warm clothes and drinking lots of water.

Since persistent cough can be a consequence of some underlying disease, proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment by a doctor is recommended. Although cough is not something serious in itself, it might be a symptom of some serious disease, and as everybody knows, the earlier a disease is caught, the more effective will be its treatment.