GETITBLOEMFONTEIN July

What’s
up, doc?
Winter means lots of sniffles, coughs and warm chicken soup. Read here for MomDoc Dr
Chantelle van der Bijl’s insights into kids’ coughs, and look on the next page on the best places to
seek medical help.
Coughing is a healthy and important
reflex, as it removes mucous and lets air
flow more easily into the lungs.
A cough can often get worse when
a child is lying down, because the
mucous can collect at the back of
the throat. They tend to swallow the
mucous, rather than spit it out as an
adult would, which can cause an upset
stomach or nausea.
There are four types of cough: dry,
wet, croup, and whooping cough. It is
important to know what type of cough
your child has, so as to know how to
treat it or when to seek medical help.
Dry Cough
A dry cough is often caused by a viral
or bacterial infection of the upper
respiratory tract (nose and throat). It
may also be an early sign of a lower
respiratory tract infection, like bronchitis
or pneumonia. Another cause might be
asthma. It first appears as a dry nighttime
cough, and wheezing (whistling)
may be heard with breathing. Avoid
irritants, allow the child to breathe cold
air and avoid exercise.
Wet Cough
A wet cough is caused by mucous
found in the lower respiratory tract.
Common causes include viral or
bacterial infections and asthma. The
cough removes fluid from the lower
respiratory tract and opens airways.
Croup Cough
Croup is a viral infection that causes a
harsh, barking, dry cough. Croup causes
a swollen upper trachea (windpipe),
beneath the vocal cords, causing the
barking cough. Often a child with
croup may make a high-pitched sound
when breathing in or out, called stridor.
This is treatable with oral steroids and
adrenalin nebulisation administered by
your doctor.
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
A child with Pertussis will have
symptoms of the common cold, but
gradually the cough worsens, with
severe coughing fits in rapid succession,
especially at night. After coughing, the
child takes a deep breath, causing a
“whooping” sound. This causes difficulty
breathing and cyanosis (blue lips and/
or fingers), because of a shortage of
oxygen, and can prove fatal. Pertussis
can be prevented by vaccination.
Beat the cough
General recommendations for coughing
include: drinking plenty of fluids, as
this will prevent the mucous from
thickening, and putting a humidifier in
their room as it reduces coughing.
Cough medicines have not been
proven to be that effective. There
are two types of cough medicines:
Expectorants, which help loosen
mucous and is good for a wet cough;
and cough-suppressants, which inhibit
the cough reflex for a dry cough,
especially during sleep. Do not give it
for a wet cough as the mucous needs to
be expelled. They shouldn’t be given to
children under 1 year of age.
Follow Dr Chantelle’s Facebook page:
Bloem MomDoc for insightful posts on
kids’ illnesses and wellbeing.
20 Get It Bloemfontein July 2019 getitmagazine.co.za/bloemfontein