Coughing is the most common illness in babies. It is a protective measure of the body and is harmless. However, if a baby has a cough with yellow phlegm, it should be a cause for concern as the child may have developed lung heat.
Causes of Cough with Yellow Phlegm in Babies
When a baby coughs with yellow phlegm, it indicates an invasion of external pathogenic factors, which is the second stage of a cold where external cold turns into internal heat. This stage is the most common during a cold in children. Parents usually do not understand how to expel the cold pathogenic factors during the external cold stage, which leads to the worsening of the child's cold.
During this stage, both external cold and internal heat coexist, and the body is engaged in a battle between the two. It should be noted that the nasal mucus that turns from cold to heat is clear in the morning because the body's functions have been restored overnight and the pathogenic factors are at a weak stage. However, in the afternoon, as the body's yang energy weakens and its ability to resist external pathogenic factors decreases, the cold turns into internal heat, resulting in yellow nasal mucus.
Symptoms of Cough with Yellow Phlegm in Babies
1. Red tip of the tongue: The tip of the tongue is noticeably redder compared to the rest of the tongue, and there may even be many bright red spots. Some children may also have ulcers on the tip or body of the tongue.
2. Eye discharge: When waking up in the morning, the eyelashes are stuck together due to sticky eye secretions, making it difficult for the child to open their eyes.
3. Sore throat: Dry and painful throat, swollen tonsils.
4. Red lips: The lips appear red and bright, as if they were coated with lipstick.
5. Bad breath: The child's breath is foul, and it is noticeable even when close to their face.
6. Dry and hard stool, with a strong odor: The stool is dry and difficult to pass, causing some children to strain and have a red face and tears in their eyes during bowel movements. Some children only have a bowel movement every two or several days, and the stool may be dry and round like sheep droppings with a particularly strong smell.
Treatment for Cough with Yellow Phlegm in Babies
According to traditional Chinese medicine, children have a "pure Yang body" with a tendency towards heat, making them prone to lung and stomach heat-related symptoms. This is mainly manifested as frequent colds, recurrent cough with excessive yellow phlegm, dry mouth, bad breath, indigestion, and dry stools. With the changeable weather and dry climate, most children experience lung heat-related colds. If a child exhibits the following symptoms, targeted treatment with Chinese medicine or using a pediatric lung heat cough syrup can be considered.
1. Recurrent cough: Recurrent coughing is a typical symptom of lung heat. When this symptom occurs, choose medication that can clear lung heat, such as ephedra and apricot kernels, which have the effects of nourishing Yin, moistening the lungs, and relieving cough.
2. Excessive yellow phlegm: Excessive yellow phlegm indicates a heavier internal heat in the child's body. It is important to choose Chinese medicine with good heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, such as honeysuckle, skullcap, forsythia, Isatis root, and Houttuynia cordata. These herbs not only treat excessive yellow phlegm in children but also inhibit bacteria and viruses, making them effective against influenza.
3. Dry mouth and thirst: Dry mouth and thirst are common during this season. At this time, it is necessary to choose Chinese medicine that nourishes Yin and moistens dryness, such as Anemarrhena rhizome and Ophiopogon japonicus. According to ancient records, Ophiopogon japonicus has the effects of nourishing Yin and generating fluids, moistening the lungs, and clearing the heart, so it may be beneficial to brew some Ophiopogon japonicus for the child to drink.
Therefore, parents should observe their child closely when they have a cough with yellow phlegm and promptly clear lung heat to avoid delaying the child's condition.
