The child coughs in the evening and at night. Severe night cough in a child: symptoms and treatment methods

Coughing is a natural reflex, thanks to which the body clears the respiratory system of irritants, such as dust, dirt or mucus in diseases of the nasopharynx. Coughing attacks at night in a child can occur due to pathologies of the lungs, bronchi, stomach, allergic or mental reactions. To eliminate the problem, you need to find out the cause of the condition using characteristic symptoms. Let's consider what the symptom is associated with, how to help the patient with medications or folk remedies, and in what cases a mandatory visit to the pediatrician is required.

There are 7 common diseases in which this symptom is observed.

Allergic reaction

A common cause of night cough is considered to be hypersensitivity to bedding - down pillows, wool. The baby inhales small particles of these materials, they penetrate into the lungs, and in response to this, a protective mechanism is activated - the cough reflex is activated.

It is easy to suspect such a condition. If there are no symptoms during the day and coughing appears only after going to bed, then the symptom is most likely of allergic origin.

Bacterial and viral infections

A cold may be the cause of a paroxysmal cough. These processes are accompanied by increased production of sputum in the lungs. During the day it accumulates in the bronchial tree. When the baby assumes a horizontal position, mucus moves up the respiratory tract and irritates the receptors. Against this background, severe night cough and runny nose occur.

ARVI is one of the causes of cough in children

Laryngitis

Inflammatory damage to the larynx leads to the child developing a strong dry cough, the so-called “barking”. The symptom is usually worse in the evening and at night. Other manifestations of laryngitis include sore throat, nasal congestion and hoarseness, up to complete loss of voice.

Bronchial asthma

In severe cases of the disease, nocturnal attacks occur. In addition to a strong suffocating cough, they are accompanied by periods of feeling a complete lack of air. The child begins to choke, breathe shallowly and quickly, and respiratory arrest develops. The condition requires emergency treatment (for example, administration of Pulmicort).

Whooping cough

This is a rare infection, since universal vaccination against the disease is carried out in Russia. However, if the baby has not been vaccinated, it is worth suspecting its presence. The main symptom of whooping cough is a paroxysm of painful dry cough, which intensifies at night.

Reflux of gastric contents

In the absence of symptoms of infection (fever, weakness, headache), gastroesophageal reflux disease should be suspected. This pathology occurs when the contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus. Gastric juice has an acidic environment, which aggressively affects the mucous membrane of the organ. The reflux of secretions leads to heartburn, sore throat and severe cough.

Tuberculosis

If your baby has been in contact with an infected patient and develops symptoms of the disease, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Why does my child cough at night?

The appearance of the symptom is explained by the physiological characteristics of the body. When sleep occurs, the regulatory activity of the nervous system decreases slightly. This leads to an increase in the severity of clinical manifestations.

At night, the child lies almost motionless, which leads to the accumulation of sputum. To prevent blockage of the bronchial tree with viscous secretions, the body triggers a protective cough reflex, which helps clear the airways. Therefore, if a symptom is present, it is not always worth using antitussives. It is much more effective to use mucolytic drugs, which dilute mucus and promote its rapid removal from the bronchi.

Types of cough

There are two main types of symptoms in children. Dry implies the absence of phlegm; it occurs due to irritation of the bronchi and a reflex reaction of the body. Another reason is the release of viscous sputum, which covers the walls of the bronchi and does not come out during coughing.

Dry cough is typical for the following diseases:

• initial stages of development of ARVI;
• pharyngitis;
• laryngitis;
• early stage of bronchitis.

A wet cough is characterized by active sputum production. Coughing is considered a more favorable prognostic sign for the patient, since during the discharge of mucus the bronchial tree is cleared and the child recovers. Therefore, usually the wet type of symptom is found in the later stages of pneumonia or bronchitis.

Dry cough: what to do for treatment?

The main method of therapy is the prescription of mucolytic agents. The most effective drugs from this group are Ambrobene, Bromhexine and Herbion. They thin mucus and help remove it from the lungs. Medicines transform a dry cough into a wet one, which is much easier to treat. Removing mucus from the bronchi helps cleanse the airways and restore normal condition.

First aid for wet cough

In this case, expectorant drugs are prescribed. These medications accelerate the removal of mucus from the bronchi. Dr. Komarovsky recommends using the following products:

• – a derivative of medicinal marshmallow;
• Bronchicum and Pertussin are thyme-based forms;
• Bronchophyte is a preparation made from wild rosemary;
• – syrup containing plantain.

Medicines for children are of plant origin, so they rarely cause side effects.

How to relieve an allergic cough

Hypersensitivity reactions are dangerous conditions that require emergency treatment. They can manifest as swelling of the larynx, which will cause an attack of suffocation that is dangerous to health, so it is important to start therapy in a timely manner.
If the symptom is of allergic origin, the patient is prescribed treatment aimed at relieving the cause of the disease. It is necessary to establish the specific allergen to which the reaction developed. After this, treatment with special drugs is prescribed - antihistamines (Suprastin or Tavegil). Their use inhibits the development of allergies and eliminates severe clinical manifestations.

How to help with a neurological cough

With strong cough impulses that cannot be controlled with conventional medications, it is worth suspecting a neurogenic origin. If the symptom occurs due to a disorder of the brain, centrally acting antitussives (for example, Codeine,) are prescribed. They affect the area of ​​the brain that stimulates the cough reflex. The remedies quickly alleviate the patient's condition.

Drugs with a central effect have contraindications. They must be taken into account when carrying out treatment. Before starting therapy, you should consult your doctor.

For what symptoms should you call an ambulance?

Signs of anxiety that should promptly take your child to the doctor include:

1. Attack of suffocation.
2. Swelling of the larynx.
3. Severe rash over the entire surface of the skin.
4. A sharp increase in temperature.
5. Severe headache.
6. Incessant vomiting and constant nausea.

The listed symptoms indicate serious violations of vital organs, so if they appear, you need to call an ambulance. At night, parents should monitor the child's condition. The presence of episodes of suffocation is a reason to hospitalize the baby, since it is not always possible to quickly respond to an attack without the intervention of a doctor.

How to help at home

Self-treatment is only permissible for mild coughs. In more severe cases of pathology, you should definitely consult a doctor. Self-medication is dangerous because home methods usually only eliminate the symptoms of the disease. They blur the picture of the infection, the parents think that the child has gotten better. In fact, the pathology continues to progress. Prolonged course without specific therapy can lead to serious consequences.

A child with a night cough should definitely be seen by a doctor. After examination and diagnosis, the specialist prescribes specialized treatment. You can use additional folk remedies, but only together with therapy, and not instead of it.

Sufficient indoor humidity

Coughing may occur due to dry air in the bedroom. The bronchial tree is irritated by dust particles that enter the respiratory tract, which leads to the appearance of a symptom. Therefore, before going to bed, it is recommended to ventilate the room and do a little wet cleaning. At the moment of ventilation, you need to take the baby to another room so that he does not get blown out. You can use special air humidifiers that quickly saturate the bedroom with moisture.

Bathing

Immediately before bedtime, it is necessary to carry out water procedures. They have a beneficial effect on the body. The layer of dust and dirt that inevitably accumulates during the day is removed from the skin. Bathing also has a positive psychological effect. After water procedures, the child calms down, which reduces the likelihood of neurogenic coughing. To achieve this effect, you can add a few drops of essential oils to the water, which have a calming effect on the baby.

Inhalations

Inhalation of saline solutions moisturizes the mucous membrane of the bronchial tree, reducing the severity of dry cough. The procedure directly affects the respiratory tract, promoting the removal of mucus. Regular use of the technique calms the child, so he falls asleep faster.

Parents should understand that pneumonia or colds. For other pathologies they are ineffective. It is prohibited to carry out procedures for laryngitis and allergic reactions. A contraindication to inhalation is severe fever.

Folk remedies

Home treatment methods include:

• Warm. The solution warms the throat and stimulates local blood circulation.
• Drink plenty of water (compotes, tea with raspberries, fruit drinks). The intake of fluid into the body reduces the severity of intoxication.
• , which are applied to the chest. The product has a mild effect on the condition of the respiratory tract.
• Rubbing. The procedure warms up the skin and accelerates blood circulation in the lung area.

Pharmacy drugs

To treat coughing, medications are used that have an expectorant and mucolytic effect. You can buy lozenges or baby syrups at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. The most effective drugs are Mucaltin, Ambrobene, Travisil. Regular use of these drugs stops the progression of the symptom and helps cleanse the bronchial tree by liquefying sputum and releasing it through coughing.

What to do when you cough for no apparent reason?

In some cases, the occurrence of coughing is not associated with infectious diseases - colds or flu. The appearance of a symptom for no apparent reason confuses parents and forces them to use cough medications uncontrollably. This cannot be done, since symptomatic treatment does not affect the factor that caused the clinical manifestations.

If coughing occurs that is not associated with obvious reasons, it is necessary to take the child to the pediatrician. The doctor will ask the parents in detail about their complaints, conduct an examination and prescribe an examination. Based on the test results, it will be possible to determine why the pathological cough appeared. This will allow you to begin specialized treatment and eliminate the unpleasant symptom.

Eliminate the possibility of allergies

The appearance of a symptom for no apparent reason is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to a substance. This is especially true for bedding, for example, coughing often occurs due to down pillows.

The situation when a child coughs at night but not during the day causes concern for parents. This may be a symptom of a specific disease of the lungs or throat, or a reflex spasm of the bronchi during a cold. This condition is harmful and signals health problems when coughing attacks become more frequent.

Coughing is an unconditioned reflex, the rapid expulsion of air from the lungs. Even healthy children need this cleaning of their respiratory tract from dust and germs throughout the day and night. If your child coughs at night much more often than usual, but during the day the symptoms are mild? Diagnosing the disease in this case is problematic. Most often, the main causes of night cough lie in respiratory problems.. Seasonal flu, sore throat, and bronchitis are accompanied by irritation of the respiratory tract with foreign particles and thick mucus that forms plugs.

An acute cough begins suddenly and is most often caused by a cold, flu, or sinus infection (goes away in about 3-4 weeks). Subacute or “post-infectious” - lasts from 3 to 8 weeks, chronic - lasts more than 8 weeks. A dry cough without mucus is considered unproductive, while a wet cough with sputum is considered productive.

If a child experiences chest pain, a temperature above 38.3°C, or serious breathing problems, seek medical help immediately.

Diseases in which a child coughs during sleep:

• acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI);
• pleurisy - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the lungs;
• upper respiratory tract infections;
• acute or chronic bronchitis;
• bacterial sinusitis,
• pneumonia;
• tracheitis.

Seasonal colds are often accompanied by sore throat, muscle pain, and fever. After these symptoms disappear, coughing at night and in the morning after sleep persists for several weeks. Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses as a result of a bacterial or viral infection. When the sinuses are blocked for various reasons, mucus flows down the back of the throat at night, causing itching and coughing.

Coughing only at night with respiratory diseases often manifests itself along with other symptoms:

• runny or stuffy nose, mucus discharge;
• difficulty breathing; wheezing;
• headaches, muscle pain, fever;
• burning sensation, pain in the throat, chest;
• clear or gray-green sputum;
• hoarseness.

Some diseases, for example, chronic tonsillitis, tonsillitis, can occur without fever, the child looks almost healthy. Why does cough occur? During the day, the baby swallows the mucus that accumulates in the throat, and when he sleeps, the phlegm flows down the back wall of the throat. Irritation of the mucous membrane causes a reflex cough.

In acute bronchitis, the child also coughs very much at night due to the accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract. In chronic bronchitis, cough with sputum lasts for at least 3 months. Night cough after whooping cough lasts up to six months, during which time it is necessary to use means that alleviate the child’s condition.

Treatment methods for night cough in children

Nasal breathing is made difficult by snot, especially during sleep, so the child breathes through the mouth. In this case, poorly purified and insufficiently warmed air comes in, which increases the load on the lungs. Drops will help relieve swelling of the mucous membrane that occurs with a runny nose. "Nazivin", "Vibrocil", "Otrivin", "Tizin Xylo". Vasoconstrictors and nasal sprays should be used for no longer than 7 days, so as not to cause drying out of the mucous membrane.

Colds, allergies or other illnesses can affect the normal functioning of the body. In search of how to help if a child coughs a lot at night, parents visit pharmacies. In some cases, to get rid of a cough, a sick child will only need to take an over-the-counter syrup recommended by a pediatrician. During the examination, the doctor listens to the bronchi and lungs. If a cough at night appears due to an acute respiratory infection, a specialist will prescribe treatment.

It is necessary to contact an ambulance if there is difficulty breathing or swelling of the face or neck.

The structure of the respiratory system of children under 1 year of age is characterized by poor development of the bronchi, so it is more difficult for them to get rid of phlegm. How can I help my baby? To thin sputum and remove mucus from the respiratory tract, cough syrups “Flavomed” based on ambroxol and “Prospan” with ivy extract are given.

What to do if your child coughs at night:

• Syrups with expectorant action "Gedelix", "Doctor Mom", "Breast Elixir" will help with bronchitis, tracheitis.
• Antitussive lozenges, throat soothing lozenges, prescribed to children over four years of age with sore throat.
• When going to bed, give drops for dry cough “Sinekod”, “Gerbion. Plantain syrup".

Parents need to pay attention that some cough syrups are prescribed to a child who is already 2 years old; such drugs are taken for no more than two weeks. Antitussives “Codelac neo” and “Broncholitin” are given to a child if he is 3 years old or older. When the treatment prescribed by the pediatrician does not improve the baby’s condition, the doctor refers him for a medical examination to identify the true cause of the ailment.

Cough in children occurs due to various diseases. Medical attention is required if the child has a fever, when a cough occurs at night in an infant less than 3 months old. Parents should monitor the condition of their children so as not to miss a deterioration in their health.

Asthma and allergies are the culprits of night cough

A child with a hidden allergy to dairy products constantly coughs at night due to drinking a glass of milk before bed. Exposure to an allergen at night causes mucus to accumulate in the respiratory tract. With asthma, breathing becomes difficult and a dry cough appears. This condition is also characteristic of airway inflammation in children predisposed to asthma. Even if the disease is mild, you can hear whistling sounds when coughing.

Dry air in the room where the baby sleeps also significantly affects larynx irritation.

Cough at night occurs with allergic rhinitis caused by dust, pollen, fluff, and animal hair (hay fever). A reflex spasm of the bronchi accompanies allergies to washing powder, pillow fillings, and mattresses. Parents using humidifiers need to be careful not to recirculate pathogens and/or allergens.

Only a doctor prescribes tests and anthelmintic therapy.

The cause of night cough is gastrointestinal dysfunction

Reflux esophagitis is accompanied by irritation of the esophagus as a result of the upward movement of acid from the stomach. There is a burning sensation in the chest and throat, a dry or wet cough. Diet, sleeping on a high pillow, and antacid medications relieve reflux symptoms. You should put your child to bed 2-3 hours after eating to avoid coughing at night.

A cough may appear after feeding, when children are teething and the production of saliva increases, irritating the throat. Parents should pay attention to the baby's diet. Lack of iron in the diet can cause irritation or inflammation of the throat, and then the child begins to cough at night. In this case, micronutrient supplements will help.

7 Home Remedies to Relieve Night Coughs

1. Warm tea with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon(contraindications: under one year of age, individual intolerance to bee products and citrus fruits).
2. Warming compress before bedtime (boil and mash the potatoes, place them on the baby’s chest on a cloth napkin).
3. Salt water for gargling and nasal rinsing before bed (1/2 tsp salt per 150–200 ml of water).
4. Buckwheat honey for dissolving in the mouth before bed (1 tsp).
5. Vitamin teas, fruit drinks, facilitating the removal of sputum.
6. Compresses made from liquid honey and apple cider vinegar for the night.
7. Steam inhalation with soda solution in evening time.

To get rid of a night cough, you should take care of humidifying the air using a special device. Almost the same effect is obtained when placing an open, wide bowl of water over a heating radiator. You need to change bed linen more often; change old feather and down pillows that contain strong allergens. To make breathing easier, the baby is placed on his side in the crib, and at night they are helped to change position so that less mucus enters the trachea.

Attacks of severe night cough deprive the sick child and his parents of strength, leaving none of them any chance of full, uninterrupted, deep sleep. When the baby wakes up and starts coughing incessantly, to the point of vomiting, it is very difficult for moms and dads to remain indifferent. Most often, wanting to help the baby, they use folk remedies, syrups and antitussive tablets, forgetting that cough is, first of all, a normal protective reaction of the body to inflammatory damage to the respiratory tract and bronchi: thanks to it, the body gets rid of pathogens bacteria. Meanwhile, knowing the reasons that cause a child’s night cough, parents can avoid many mistakes and provide their child with timely and comprehensive assistance.

Causes of night cough in children

Many parents are probably interested in the question, why does a child’s cough worsen at night? The answer to this is quite simple: sputum that accumulates in the nasopharynx and in the lungs of a lying baby resolves extremely slowly, clogs the airways and, thereby, provokes a reflex cough. In addition, an attack of night cough in a child can be provoked by drier and colder air, compared to daytime air, which irritates the mucous membranes of the baby’s larynx.

A persistent worsening cough at night may be the first sign of the following diseases:

• chronic sinusitis, or pharyngitis (in this case, the cough develops against the background of continuous tingling and sore throat);
• asthma, including mild forms (a cough caused by this cause is accompanied by a characteristic whistle when exhaling);
• whooping cough (such a cough is accompanied by redness of the face, the appearance of tears and, often, ends with vomiting);
• gastroesophageal reflux;
• adenoiditis.

If a cough, coupled with an elevated body temperature, does not go away within a week, and, at the same time, the child’s general condition noticeably worsens, then parents are advised to immediately show the child to a pediatrician to avoid the development of possible complications.

Traditional treatment of night cough in children

A child who coughs at night for a long time must be examined by a pediatrician. If he suspects that the baby has a serious illness, the patient will be assigned special examinations to make an accurate diagnosis. If the doctor determines that a night cough is a symptom of an acute respiratory viral infection, then parents can correct the situation on their own. In particular, mothers and fathers of a sick child are recommended to:

• thoroughly ventilate the room in which the child sleeps before going to bed and do a wet cleaning;
• produce additional air humidification in the nursery;
• Give your child more to drink during the day, and it is better to opt for fortified fruit drinks, warm rosehip decoction, and regular tea;
• shortly before sending the baby to bed, rinse his nasal cavity with a weak saline solution.

Under no circumstances should a child's night cough be treated with antibiotics or antihistamines. Among the medications, doctors recommend:

1. For dry cough:

• non-narcotic antitussives that act on the cough center in the brain stem (glaucine (Glauvent), butamirate (Sinekod), oxeladin (Tusuprex), pentoxyverine (Sedotussin);
• agents acting on cough receptors located in the respiratory tract (levodropropizine (Levopront), prenoxdiazine (Libexin);
• antitussives of general (combined) action (stoptussin, tussin plus, broncholitin).

2. For a wet cough:

• Doctor Mom syrup;
• marshmallow syrup;
• bronchicum elixir;
• glycers;
• pectusin;
• solutan;
• tharmopsis;
• terpinhydrate;
• tussin.

The use of expectorant medications in the treatment of night cough in children is indicated only in cases where it is accompanied by the release of hard-to-separate, viscous sputum (for example, with, or cystic fibrosis).

Alternative treatment for night cough in children

When treating incessant night cough in children, not only synthetic drugs, but also folk remedies are used. In particular, in order to help a child get rid of a dry cough, it is necessary:

• invite him to suck on half a teaspoon of natural buckwheat honey;
• give him slightly alkalized warm milk (1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per glass of milk);
• offer him warm tea with raspberry jam several times a day.

A wet night cough in a child can be dealt with using herbal expectorants. These include:

• breast collection No. 1 (oregano, coltsfoot, licorice);
• breast collection No. 2 (licorice, coltsfoot, plantain);
• breast collection No. 3 (pine buds, licorice, marshmallow, anise, sage and fennel).

In addition, you can fight a child’s night cough with a compress prepared from mashed boiled potatoes, mustard, alcohol, vegetable fat and honey. The listed ingredients are mixed, the resulting mass is applied to the baby’s back, covered with plastic wrap or wax paper and a piece of cotton wool 3 cm thick. The duration of the procedure is at least an hour.

Anti-cough diet for a child

Doctors say that diet therapy has an excellent effect in treating night cough in children. It is recommended to include in the diet of a sick child:

• salad of grated radish, seasoned with sour cream;
• rolled oats porridge seasoned with vegetable oil;
• fruits, vegetables and berries rich in vitamin C (cranberries, rose hips, citrus fruits, persimmons);
• any fresh juices;
• grapes or grape juice with honey;
• mashed potatoes with milk.

The listed dishes help to quickly relieve bronchospasm, have an expectorant effect and actively help increase the body's defenses.

06 09.2016

The child coughs heavily at night. What to do?

06. 09.2016

Catherine's blog
Bogdanova

Greetings, dear and permanent readers of my blog! This time I would like to talk about what worries all parents. Namely, about children's health. Now it’s autumn outside, and that means it’s time for acute respiratory viral infections. So, at this time my child coughs a lot at night. The coughing attack comes to the point of vomiting - and I don’t know how to help him and what to do to ease his suffering.

What causes night cough?

Undoubtedly, the most common causes lie in respiratory problems. However, you should not think that coughing occurs only due to acute respiratory infections; there are many other, no less serious problems that can cause coughing at night.

The most important reasons can be listed as follows:

Complications of a cold - inflammatory processes in the paranasal sinuses;
adenoids;
bronchial asthma;
whooping cough;
leakage of contents from the esophagus;
helminthiasis

The reasons are very diverse, in each case there are clinical features of the cough.

What are the features of night cough in various diseases?

Most often, coughing attacks occur due to colds. The secretion accumulates in the accessory cavities and flows into the lumen of the bronchial tree at night. Adenoids, especially with inflammation, do not allow the child to breathe through the nose, which leads to breathing through the mouth with drying of the secretion in the pharynx and larynx.

Pathological discharge, especially dried and crusty discharge, irritates the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi at night. This causes attacks of wet cough when there is a large accumulation of secretions. But it can also exist if there are only dried crusts in the lumen.

Clinical features for colds are as follows:

Clear connection with infection;
does not last long;
usually accompanied by a runny nose and manifestations of intoxication;
goes away quickly after expectoration.

The cold process is favorable, and with appropriate therapy it goes away quickly.

The prognosis is worse if the child develops asthma. In this version there is a cord that is difficult to move away during an attack. Single or multiple nocturnal attacks of suffocation are typical, in which the child has severe difficulty in breathing.

After the sputum is discharged, the attack passes and the baby falls asleep. Such manifestations often occur in the morning, and the force of the cough leads to vomiting. The disease lasts a long time, coughing tremors with suffocation are repeated at night, urgent bronchodilator specific treatment is necessary.

Severe attacks at night are typical of whooping cough. Despite the fact that the disease is acute, with inadequate treatment the process can drag on for several months.

The most characteristic features of the disease are as follows:

Sudden night attack of suffocation;
the child coughs and turns blue;
exhalation is severely difficult;
the child is wet and sweats a lot;
wheezing is typical;
wet cough, after sputum is discharged, the blueness stops;
perhaps several episodes in one night.

Extremely dangerous condition! For small children this can result in death! Independent thinking about how to help a child is unacceptable. You need to call a specialist immediately.

Not only pulmonary diseases can cause coughing. This problem occurs with stomach pathology. Why is this happening? The fact is that due to insufficient work of the esophagogastric opening, the contents flow back into the esophagus.

And at night during sleep it can enter the respiratory tract. This causes sharp coughing, and a burning sensation may be felt in the throat due to the acidic gastric contents. The situation repeats itself regularly over a long period.

Another common problem is helminths, especially roundworms. Their life cycle is associated with entry into the bronchopulmonary system with the blood. This causes local allergic processes, which is accompanied by a severe dry cough. In this case, attacks occur against the background of complete health, unexpectedly, without any cold symptoms.

How to treat night cough

It should be noted right away that it is not enough to just treat the symptom; it is necessary to eliminate the disease together with a specialist. This may require antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and sometimes specific medications.

The symptom itself can be affected by three groups of drugs:

Expectorants;
mucolytics;
antitussives.

Of course, you shouldn’t take medications just before bed. They need to be used several times a day. However, for a severe dry cough that is accompanied by pain and does not allow the child to sleep, you can use antitussives at night or before going to bed.

These drugs act on the cough centers of the brain and block reflex impulses. The symptom will be completely suppressed. Long-term use of such drugs is unacceptable, since accumulating mucus can clog the bronchial passages. Examples of these drugs are glaucine, codeine, butamirate.

Expectorants are usually herbal and safe. They can be used in children from a very early age. They help mucus come out of the bronchi. There is no point in using them for wet coughs, since the secretions come out well anyway.

Expectorant drugs include: syrup from licorice roots, marshmallow herb in the form of decoctions or syrup, breast elixir and many others.

Mucolytics are often used in combination with expectorants. They help thin mucus so that it moves more easily through the respiratory tract. These are also safe medications, they are used from infancy. Examples are ambroxol, lazolvan, bromhexine. It is better to use liquid forms, since many children do not like tablets.

To successfully combat cough in asthma, these medications are not enough. It is necessary to constantly use bronchodilators, as well as special inhalers to relieve inflammation.

If helminths are present, they must be radically removed using modern anthelmintics. To treat stomach pathology, various prokinetics are used, for example, motilium, which prevent contents from entering the esophagus and flowing into the respiratory tract at night.

Night cough is a sign of serious illness

Night cough in children occurs in many diseases and significantly worsens the child’s condition: he does not get enough sleep, the body does not get proper rest, and recovery is delayed. If a child coughs at night, parents should be wary and consult a doctor to find out the causes of the pathological symptom and prescribe appropriate treatment. It is not recommended to self-medicate, as this may worsen the condition.

Meaning of cough

Cough is a reflex reaction that develops when the respiratory tract receptors are irritated. This symptom allows you to suspect diseases of the respiratory system and take measures for their treatment. During a coughing attack, mucous secretion is released, which is formed as the inflammatory process progresses.

Causes of night coughing attacks

The cough often worsens at night, since lying down makes it difficult to absorb the mucus in the nasopharynx. Accumulations of mucous secretion can impede the normal respiratory process, which provokes a coughing attack.

Also, in a lying position, sputum in the lungs and bronchi is absorbed more slowly, which is caused by a slowdown in blood supply. This may stimulate the cough reflex. In severe cases, the child grinds his teeth and coughs at night.

A night attack can be triggered by colder air than during the day. It can irritate the receptors of the mucous lining of the respiratory tract, which provokes an attack of the cough reflex.

The fact that a child coughs at night, but not during the day, suggests that in the lying position a mucous secretion accumulates, which the body can only remove by coughing. During the day, the cough may not be expressed at all, but at night its intensity increases significantly.

If a child coughs only at night, it is important to determine the cause of the symptom and begin treatment promptly. The situation when a child coughs during the day but not at night is much less common, but also needs correction.

Diseases that can cause night cough

If a child chokes from coughing at night, this may be caused by the following pathological processes:

• viral infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, which provoke a dry hacking cough;
• chronic pharyngitis causes a night cough due to constant symptoms of tingling and sore throat (see);
• bronchial asthma may provoke coughing attacks accompanied by whistling sounds;
• whooping cough quite often it is the cause of prolonged attacks of dry cough, with symptoms of facial redness, lacrimation, periodic deep breaths, and it is possible that the child coughs at night until vomiting (see);
• gastroesophageal reflux can also become a provoking factor; an additional symptom is heartburn.

If a child coughs all night, this may indicate the above diseases. Parents should immediately contact their pediatrician to find out the provoking factor and prescribe the correct effective treatment. The doctor knows what to do if a child coughs at night and will prescribe a course of therapeutic correction that will help in a specific clinical case.

Correction of nighttime coughing attacks

The specialist will determine what to give your child for a cough at night, prescribe a course of treatment and give useful recommendations. Parents should know how to help their child cough at night in order to alleviate his condition and speed up the healing process (see).

Cough syrup - a convenient dosage form

If the pediatrician determines that the cause of night cough attacks is a viral infection, then the following recommendations should be followed:

1. It is necessary to give the child more fluids. Drinking should be plentiful and warm. It helps in thinning and removing mucus from the respiratory tract. Drinks may include milk, mineral water, broth, children's herbal tea. If the child’s age is from six months to four years, then you need to give him herbal decoctions in the amount of one teaspoon three times a day. If the child is from four to nine years old, the dosage is one dessert spoon. If the child is over ten years old, you need to give him a tablespoon of decoction three times a day.
2. It is necessary to maintain optimal temperature conditions and acceptable humidity in the child’s room.. The air should not be dry and hot.
3. Medicines should be given to children strictly according to the instructions and according to the doctor’s recommendations.. However, the range of medications for the treatment of dry and wet cough may differ. Some of the drugs are shown in the photo.

In case of dry cough, medications that affect respiratory tract receptors (Levopront, Libexin) are prescribed. Non-narcotic antitussive drugs of central action, that is, affecting the cough center of the brain (Pentoxyverine, Butamirate, Glaucine), can also be prescribed.

General antitussive medications, which include Stoptussin and Bronholitin, also help. In the case of a wet cough, medications such as marshmallow syrup, Glyceram, Tussin, Bronchicum elixir and some others can help.

The price of the listed medicines may vary, which is determined by the form of release and the place of production of the medicines.

Also, when therapeutically correcting cough, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. For allergic pathologies that provoke attacks of night cough, you need to give your child antihistamines before bed.
2. It is important to know that some procedures and therapies are contraindicated in early childhood. Thus, until six months of age, you should not rub your baby’s chest, give him antihistamines, or do steam inhalations. In order to prevent the accumulation of sputum, it is necessary to sometimes change the position of the baby’s body during sleep.
3. If there is no positive dynamics in the treatment of diseases that provoke cough, you need to contact a pulmonologist. He will prescribe additional studies and adjust the therapeutic course.

It is necessary to contact a pediatrician in a timely manner in order to cure the underlying disease in a short time. If a child coughs and snores at night, the pediatrician will conduct all the necessary diagnostic tests and prescribe the correct treatment.

The video in this article will help you understand the basic recommendations for treating attacks of night cough in children of different ages.

Traditional methods of correcting night cough

Traditional methods of treating cough attacks are often used and are quite effective. But before using them, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Not all traditional methods may be suitable for treating cough in childhood.

Compresses have a good effect. They can be cold, hot, warming. They can be applied to the area of ​​the throat, trachea, lungs and bronchi. You should be careful and avoid getting the compress on the heart area.

The compress can be made with essential oils, including lavender, eucalyptus, fir and pine. At the same time, the compress has not only a local effect. Vapors from essential oils make breathing easier at night, which prevents coughing attacks.

Ginger is considered an excellent traditional medicine. It can be added to tea and made into various infusions. An infusion of ginger and lemon is effective. To prepare it, two tablespoons of ginger, which are crushed using a grater, are mixed with several slices of lemon and poured with hot water. Leave it for two hours, after which the child is given a drink before bedtime.

To correct attacks of night cough, various herbal decoctions and infusions are used. One of the medicinal plants that is highly effective in treating cough is sage. Based on it, you can prepare a decoction, which is diluted with warm milk. This drink can be given to your child before bedtime.

Herbal decoctions are an effective cough treatment

Preventive measures

In order to improve the child's health, it is necessary to follow preventive measures. It is important to strengthen the immune system - the pediatrician can prescribe immunomodulating drugs and vitamins that strengthen the body's natural defenses. This will help the child resist diseases.

Also important points are adherence to sleep and activity patterns, hardening, and moderate physical activity. It is necessary to regularly ventilate the children's room and monitor the humidity level. If a child is predisposed to allergies, it is necessary to limit his contact with possible allergens.

Preventive measures will reduce the child’s exposure to various diseases. Children at any age will get sick less and delight their parents with good health and good mood.