In the mother's impression, baby coughing is usually caused by a cold, so many parents give cold medicine to their babies as soon as they cough. But do you know? Baby coughing is not only caused by a cold, but it may also be due to allergies. If the cause is not clear and medication is used indiscriminately, it may cause danger. So, how to differentiate between allergic cough and common cold?
[How to differentiate between a cold and allergic cough?]
Actually, it is not difficult to distinguish between these two types of diseases. In addition to coughing, a cold is also accompanied by other symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose, and fever. The duration of cough caused by a common cold is usually not too long. Allergic cough has the following characteristics:
1. Coughing that lasts or recurs for more than 3 weeks, often occurring at night or in the early morning. The cough produces little phlegm or white foamy phlegm, and it worsens after exercise. Generally, there is no fever.
2. Many children experience coughing before going to bed at night, waking up in the middle of the night to cough, and coughing in the morning after waking up.
3. Some children like to rub their eyes and nose, may sneeze or have a runny nose. Some children may scratch their scalp and sweat while sleeping, they are restless and prefer to sleep in a curled up position.
4. Especially in infants and young children with a history of allergies such as eczema, it is important to pay attention to the possibility of allergic cough.
[Treatment of allergic cough]
Physiologically speaking, coughing is a protective reflex that helps to clear the respiratory tract and keep it open. As long as the phlegm is expelled, the cough will usually resolve on its own. The reason why cough suppressants can stop coughing is because they act on the cough reflex.
However, due to the immature development of the respiratory system in children and their poor reflex ability towards coughing, combined with narrow bronchial tubes, abundant blood vessels, and poor ciliary movement, it is difficult for phlegm to be expelled.
If cough suppressants such as Guaifenesin, Codeine, and Schisandra Chinensis are taken excessively, it can easily cause a large amount of phlegm to accumulate in the respiratory tract, leading to airway obstruction. This can result in chest tightness, difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, and even secondary bacterial infections.
1. Sugarcane Juice
Ingredients: 200ml of sugarcane juice, 200ml of radish juice, 100g of lily bulbs.
Steps: First boil the lily bulbs until they are soft, then mix in the sugarcane juice and radish juice. Take once daily before bedtime. It is effective in treating cough due to lung deficiency, and it also has the therapeutic effects of moistening the lungs, stopping cough, and calming the mind.
2. Pork and Almond Soup
Ingredients: 50g lean pork, 10g almonds, 15g North American Ginseng.
Steps: Put the ingredients into a pot and boil them together until cooked. Drink twice daily. It has the effects of clearing the lungs, resolving phlegm, stopping cough, and generating body fluids.
3. White Radish with Honey
Ingredients: one white radish, 30g honey, 2g Ephedra, 5 white peppercorns.
Steps: Clean the white radish and cut it into slices. Place it in a pot and add the remaining ingredients. Steam and cook for half an hour. Eat it while it's hot. After taking it, sweat a little to recover. It is used to treat cough due to wind-cold invasion.
[Prevention of allergic cough]
If a child exhibits the above four conditions, it is likely to be allergic cough rather than a common cold, and parents should pay more attention. Although allergic cough usually does not pose a life-threatening risk, if not treated promptly, it may develop into typical allergic asthma. However, in daily life, is there any way to prevent and treat allergic cough?
1. Avoid contact with allergens:
Keep the living environment clean, regularly open windows for ventilation, or use air purifiers to filter the air. Try not to keep pets or plants indoors to avoid contact with pollen, dust mites, cooking fumes, and paint fumes, etc.
2. Appropriate clothing and good diet:
When the temperature changes suddenly, parents should try to keep their children warm to avoid catching a cold. Avoid eating spicy foods such as pepper and chili, and pay special attention to nurturing the spleen and stomach. Cook with light and less greasy methods.
3. Moderate use of cough suppressants:
When a child experiences symptoms of allergic cough, parents can consult a doctor and, under the doctor's guidance, give the child an appropriate amount of cough suppressant, such as Kuihua Brand Pediatric Oral Liquid for Lung Heat and Cough.
