When coughing in children, the temperature often rises. In order to speed up your recovery, you must act according to the doctor's recommendations. You can not take medicines without prescriptions and rely on traditional methods of treatment.
Baby coughs
Types of baby cough
When mucus has accumulated in the child's respiratory tract, a foreign body appears, or harmful microorganisms appear, a cough begins. This is a defensive reaction that occurs reflexively. If there is no phlegm, the cough is considered unproductive and is called dry. The task of the parents is to help him become wet. When the phlegm starts to drain, it means that the child is on the mend.
A dry cough, like a wet cough, can be of a different nature:
- Never stop, day or night. Then it is considered permanent;
- Attacks occur at specific times of the day, such as in the morning after sleep. In this case, they talk about a periodic cough. It is also called episodic or light, and is divided into daytime and nighttime.
Cough is distinguished by its duration:
- Chronic, or lingering, worries the baby for more than 21 days;
- Acute disappears within 3 weeks. It usually takes 10-14 days to get rid of an unpleasant symptom.
Important! The danger is a barking cough. If not taken in time, it can lead to swelling of the larynx or false croup.
Why does a cough appear and a temperature rises
Fever and a severe dry cough in a child occurs for several reasons:
- Viral diseases, accompanied by the appearance of a cold. After mucous discharge, the baby begins to have sore throat, irritation worries, and as a result - a dry cough;
- Flu. The disease begins with a sharp rise in temperature, the values can reach 40 degrees. Weakness develops, headache. Next comes a cough;
- Laryngitis. A distinctive feature is a hoarse voice. The temperature is kept around 38 degrees;
- Whooping cough. An infectious disease accompanied by a lingering cough. Medicines do not work on him, he goes away on his own, but after a long time. It manifests itself in seizures that exhaust the child, can provoke vomiting;
- Pharyngitis. The virus acts on the lining of the throat, causing inflammation. At the same time, the temperature rises, but only slightly, usually stops at around 37.5;
- Measles. A barking cough appears, a red rash is visible on the body. This is a dangerous disease, it requires immediate hospitalization;
- Bronchitis. It can be suspected when the baby does not sleep well at night, he has shortness of breath. The presence of a temperature in this case is a dangerous sign, inflammation can progress and lead to pneumonia. It is not worth delaying treatment, the doctor should control it.
Parents will not be able to immediately determine what caused a severe cough in a child with a fever. Self-administered treatment will at best fail. Only a pediatrician can make a diagnosis after examining the baby, listening to his breathing and seeing the throat.
Medical examination
Urgent call of a specialist
You need to call a doctor if symptoms are observed:
- The child wheezes and whistles when coughing;
- The kid suffers from seizures that are difficult to cope with, he suffocates;
- With a wet cough, the sputum has a green tint;
- In the crumbs, the skin turns blue, primarily the nasolabial triangle;
- The body temperature exceeds 38 degrees and lasts for three days;
- The cough lasts from 3 weeks, while chest pains appear.
Recommendations for eliminating symptoms
Before the doctor arrives or visits him, you need to help the child to feel better. For example, a temperature that has jumped over the threshold of 39 degrees can be dangerous; it is necessary to bring it down without waiting for a specialist.
Do I need to bring down the temperature to 38 ° C
It is advised to give drugs that relieve fever when the body temperature is above 38.5. If the child is suffering and at lower values there is no need to wait. It is necessary to evaluate the well-being of the baby, his behavior, complaints.
A cough in a baby with a temperature of 38 degrees requires immediate action. The smaller the crumb, the more rapidly the inflammation develops.
Note! If the child is under 3 months old, then the temperature must be brought down already within 38. You cannot wait if the baby has heart disease. Even low-grade fever is dangerous for him.
What to do if the temperature rises
When the body temperature rises and antipyretic drugs do not work, you need to call an ambulance. To help your baby, you can wipe it off with a towel dampened in water. It should be one degree cooler than the baby's body temperature.
Remember! Antipyretics can be given at intervals of 8 hours. If necessary, if it is necessary to give the medicine earlier, the drugs with different active ingredients are alternated.
Baby's temperature
How to relieve a coughing fit
Moist air will help get rid of a coughing attack. You need to take the child into the bathroom, turn on the warm water and close the door. A nebulizer can cope with this task, which can be filled with saline. The vapors of the liquid will settle on the mucous membrane of the throat, and the cough will subside. While manipulations are being carried out, it is necessary to call an ambulance. This is especially necessary if the child waking up from seizures is not yet a year old.
Warm drink
It will relieve perspiration and make the cough productive with a warm drink. It will not be able to cure by relieving the unpleasant symptom, but it will ease the manifestation. It is not necessary to give the child water, you can offer milk, fruit drink, tea. It depends on what the kid has already tried and what he prefers.
Important! After two years, children can add a little soda or mineral water to milk.
Supporting procedures
If a child coughs, he needs moist air. You need to make sure that his room is comfortable and not stuffy:
- ventilate the room;
- carry out wet cleaning.
It is recommended to instill saline solutions into the nose. This can be done both during the period of illness and for prevention purposes.
During a coughing attack, the child should not be left alone. He should feel that his parents are there and ready to help. Anxiety will intensify the cough and worsen the baby's well-being.
What not to do
If the child has a severe dry cough and fever, you cannot treat yourself. Moreover, you should not take antibiotics without an appointment. They fight bacteria, they are useless against viruses. Only the pediatrician will tell when he makes a diagnosis, how to treat a cough with a fever in a child.
Children under two years of age are not recommended to give mucolytic agents that promote sputum discharge. Babies are unable to cope with too much of it, and the cough can get worse.
Note! To bring down the temperature, you cannot wipe the baby with vinegar and other alcohol solutions. Only water can be used.
Komarovsky's opinion
If the child has a cough and fever, then you need to find out the reason for this condition. Komarovsky is sure that the child is able to cope with the virus himself with the help of his parents. He urges not to get carried away with antipyretics and give the immune system an opportunity to work. Naturally, if the marks reach critical values, you cannot do without drugs. You should not wrap up the child, soar his legs and put mustard plasters. At temperatures, such actions are prohibited. Compresses and other traditional methods soothe parents more than they have a therapeutic effect.
It is important to take care of the baby's nutrition, offer him light food, rich in carbohydrates, and drink plenty of fluids. When the child does not feel well within 3-4 days, you need to call a doctor.
Prevention of high fever cough
To reduce the risk of contracting viral diseases, you need to take care of immunity. Infants are recommended to breastfeed for at least six months. Children of any age need to be dressed for the weather, provide healthy food, and include fruits and vegetables in their diet.
Kid eating vegetables
Moisturizing mucous membranes, daily long walks and comfort at home will help to avoid not only a cough with a high fever, but also other diseases. If it was not possible to protect against unpleasant symptoms, the child must be closely monitored. When the fever does not subside, the help of doctors is needed. Do not postpone a visit to the pediatrician if the child is choking or his skin turns blue.
