Toddler cough how long does it last

A cough that follows a cold will typically be wet. This is because when your child lies down, mucus drips from the back of their nose and mouth into their windpipe. This kind of cough usually goes away within three weeks, but it might last for up to six weeks after the other symptoms of the cold have gone.

An asthma cough is often worse at night and after exercise. Your child might also have a wheeze and breathing difficulties like shortness of breath. A barking, hoarse cough could mean that your child has croup. If your child starts coughing suddenly and also wheezing following a choking episode, he might have inhaled a foreign object. If your child has had a very heavy cold and then gets bouts of coughing for many weeks afterwards, it might be whooping cough. Cough With Wheezing If your child makes a wheezing whistling sound when breathing out exhaling , this could mean that the lower airways in the lungs are swollen.

Nighttime Cough Lots of coughs get worse at night. Daytime Cough Cold air or activity can make coughs worse during the daytime. Cough With a Fever A child who has a cough, mild fever, and runny nose probably has a common cold. Cough With Vomiting Kids often cough so much that it triggers their gag reflex, making them throw up. Persistent Cough Coughs caused by colds due to viruses can last weeks, especially if a child has one cold right after another.

How Are Coughs Treated? Cough medicines are not recommended for any children under 6 years old. To help your coughing child feel better: For a "barky" or "croupy" cough, turn on the hot water in the shower in your bathroom and close the door so the room will steam up.

Then, sit in the bathroom with your child for about 20 minutes. The steam should help your child breathe more easily. Try reading a book together to pass the time. A cool-mist humidifier in your child's bedroom might help with sleep.

Sometimes, brief exposure to cool air outdoors can relieve the cough. Make sure to dress your child appropriately for the outdoor weather and try this for 10—15 minutes.

Cool beverages like juice can be soothing and it is important to keep your child hydrated. But do not give soda or orange juice, as these can hurt a throat that is sore from coughing. You should not give your child especially a baby or toddler OTC cough medicine without first checking with your doctor. Here are symptoms to worry about: Struggling for each breath or shortness of breath Tight breathing so that your child can barely speak or cry Ribs are pulling in with each breath called retractions Breathing has become noisy such as wheezes Breathing is much faster than normal Lips or face turn a blue color Phlegm or Sputum: What's Normal?

Yellow or green phlegm is a normal part of the healing of viral bronchitis. This means the lining of the trachea windpipe was damaged by the virus. It's part of the phlegm your child coughs up. Antibiotics are not helpful for the yellow or green phlegm seen with colds. The main treatment of a cough with phlegm is to drink lots of fluids. Also, if the air is dry, using a humidifier will help. Sipping warm clear fluids will also help coughing fits.

Vaping Risks Talk with your child about the dangers of vaping. Vaping can cause severe lung injury. The lung damage can be permanent. Vaping can even cause death. Vaping tobacco also causes nicotine addiction. The legal age to purchase vaping products is 21 in the US. Encourage your teen to avoid vaping. If they have started, urge them to quit. Warning: never use home-made or street-purchased vaping solutions. In addition to enough water, you can offer popsicles to increase fluids and soothe a sore throat.

Honey is a natural sweetener that can help soothe a sore throat. Honey also has antibacterial properties and may help fight infection. For toddlers over one, you can give a spoonful of honey as often as you like, but be aware of the sugar intake that comes with it. You can also try mixing the honey in warm water to make it easier for your child to consume the honey. This has the added benefit of helping to hydrate your child, too. Babies under one-and-a-half years old should not sleep with any pillows.

This may ease coughing and congestion. When purchasing a humidifier , choose a cold air humidifier. Cold air humidifiers are safer for children and as effective as warm air humidifiers. If possible, use purified or distilled water to slow down mineral buildup inside the humidifier.

Run a humidifier all night in the room where your toddler sleeps. Sit in the steamy bathroom to provide your child with some temporary relief. Bundle your child up for a walk in cold weather and aim for just a few minutes outside. Some parents even try opening the freezer door and standing their toddler in front of it for a few minutes if the child wakes up to a coughing fit in the middle of the night. Ask your pediatrician before using any vapor rub. These herbal products are gaining in popularity and some may be effective at easing a cough or muscle aches when applied on the skin or diffused into the air.

But always talk with your doctor before using essential oils. Any combination medicine for treating more than one symptom is likely to give kids more side effects and increase the risk of overdose. For children over the age of one, you can try a homemade cough recipe of honey dissolved in warm water and lemon juice. If your child has croup , their pediatrician may prescribe a steroid to decrease inflammation. Croup causes a tight, barking cough that tends to occur along with a fever.