Does your child suffer from a cough at bedtime? Did he lose his strength because of this cough? Parents are confused about this nocturnal cough because it affects the child’s rest at night. Therefore, in this article, we will mention the most important causes and find out the treatment of cough in children at bedtime .
Coughing is a natural reaction of the respiratory system to get rid of microbes and bacteria, but it disturbs children and affects their daily activities. Therefore, when treating a cough, some parents give medicines without being careful and knowing which medicines suit their child’s medical condition.
Respiratory system
The respiratory system consists of a respiratory tract that connects the lungs, which contains blood capillaries and bronchi, through which oxygen passes and carbon dioxide is eliminated when exhaled. When any microbe passes into the respiratory tract from the outside, or the child is afflicted with a cold or influenza, phlegm is formed, which is a mucus accumulated with bacteria. Its color varies depending on the type of bacteria, but it causes coughing to facilitate the removal of it from the outside.
Treatment of cough in children
Types of cough
Cough has several types, including:
- Barking cough
Diphtheria appears as a result of its causes, including exposure to allergens, temperature changes, or a viral infection of the upper respiratory system.
Croup occurs as a result of the child's airway being narrowed due to inflammation of the vocal cords, which makes the coughing sound loud and extremely annoying.
- Whooping cough
The child's ability to not breathe well usually appears after coughing several times per minute, and this leads to infection with whooping cough, and the possibility of infection increases if the child has not received his vaccination previously.
- Cough with a whistling sound
Hearing wheezing when coughing indicates the presence of chest allergies, and chest allergies are associated with other symptoms such as:
- Breathing difficulty
- Tightness in the chest
- Shallow and rapid breathing
- Symptoms worsen with the presence of allergens such as smoking and pollen
- Recurrence of colds
- Sudden cough
This cough appears as a result of swallowing an inanimate object, food, or liquid in the wrong way, causing it to deviate in the direction of the respiratory tract, and the respiratory system then creates a cough to get rid of this foreign body inside it to avoid suffocation.
It is also preferable to avoid trying to remove what has been swallowed from the child using the fingers, as this may increase pressure on them and facilitate blockage of the respiratory tract, so you must go immediately to the emergency room and do the necessary work.
- Night cough
The severity of the cough always increases when sleeping because the child's nasal congestion increases at night in addition to the sinus drainage into the throat, which disturbs the child's sleep at night. Chest allergies or asthma also cause increased coughing when sleeping because the airway often becomes irritated and becomes more susceptible to irritation.
Treating cough in children at bedtime
It is easy to treat a cough in children at bedtime, reduce its severity, and get rid of it by following some home instructions in addition to taking medications after consulting a doctor.
pharmaceutical
Medications for treating coughs in children at bedtime are divided into two parts:
- Medicines that require a prescription
The doctor will order some antibiotics if the cold turns into bronchitis, resulting in the appearance of phlegm.
- Medicines that do not require a prescription
The pharmacist can prescribe some medications that reduce the viscosity of phlegm and calm the severity of the cough when sleeping if the cough is phlegm, in addition to taking antihistamine medications to reduce the severity of chest allergies, and also taking syrups that contain guava leaves and thyme.
Home instructions
It is not possible to ignore some home instructions that facilitate the treatment of cough in children at bedtime, and they include the following:
Sleep guidelines
- Sleeping the child on a pillow higher than the body level at night.
- Ventilate the rooms daily during the day.
- Change bed covers regularly to keep away from dust that stimulates cough irritation when sleeping.
- Wear cotton sleepwear.
Treating cough in children at bedtime
Food guidelines
- Drink natural fluids continuously to dissolve phlegm and reduce cough. This includes natural herbs, chicken soup, and strained meat.
- Continue to drink warm water with a spoonful of white honey daily in the morning to boost the body’s immunity.
- Drink warm ginger ale every once in a while to boost your respiratory system's immunity.
- Drink boiled thyme tea to relieve coughing at night.
- Eat natural vegetables and fruits.
- Avoid eating sweets, candy, and canned foods because they affect the child’s immunity.
- Drink sufficient amounts of water and unsweetened natural juices.
Activities guidelines
- Wash hands regularly before bed to avoid any infection.
- Regularly shower at night with warm water and inhale steam to get a restful sleep.
- Avoid constantly running air conditioners and closing windows.
- Avoid smoking around the child.
Chest allergy guidelines
- Take chest allergy medication to avoid persistent coughing.
- Use nasal sprays to maintain hydration and avoid irritation of the nose due to flying dust.
- Rinse the nose with saline solution before bed to ease breathing and avoid coughing at night.
- Rinse the child's mouth with warm water and salt every once in a while to avoid getting microbes stuck to the throat and to moisturize the oral cavity.
- Place air regulators in the rooms to avoid dryness of the atmosphere surrounding the child.
When do we resort to medical advice?
There are some cases of cough in which a doctor should be consulted, and they are accompanied by other symptoms, including:
- Body temperature above 38
- Fever persists for 3 days or more
- The cough persists for more than two weeks
- Goosebumps
- Drought
- Body weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Choking
- Difficulty swallowing