Persistent cough is common in childhood and school-age children. In order to call it a persistent cough in children, the cough must persist for more than 4 weeks (1 month) despite treatment. If the child is completely cured with treatment and then the cough recurs, it is called a recurrent cough. The child may only have a cough, or it may be accompanied by wheezing, shortness of breath and phlegm. The types of cough are also important in this context.
Are There Any Types of Cough That Does Not Go Away?
The cough can be dry or with phlegm. A wet cough is when the child coughs up phlegm or when there is a wheezing sound coming from the chest and throat. A cough without sputum is called a dry cough.
What Causes a Persistent Cough?
Persistent coughing in children can be due to many causes, and these causes can vary, especially depending on the age group. In young infants, asthma-like conditions (wheezing child), reflux, resistant bronchitis / bronchiolitis, congenital causes such as cystic fibrosis or immotile cilia syndrome and foreign body aspirations are at the forefront, while asthma, allergic hay fever, chronic sinusitis are more common as the child gets older. Cough that does not go away may not be due to any organic cause and may be psychogenic, but other organic causes must be excluded in order to call a cough psychogenic). Conditions such as tuberculosis (tuberculosis), cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis are rarer but can cause a persistent cough. Environmental factors such as smoking at home, dry air, dampness and mold can also cause a persistent cough at any age.
How is it Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of the disease causing the persistent cough is based on the child’s history, examination findings and some tests. The duration of the child’s cough, when it started, whether it is dry or sputumy, accompanying wheezing and shortness of breath are important. Previous illnesses, recurrent lung infections or episodes of shortness of breath are helpful in making the diagnosis.
Since foreign body aspiration is common in children, the doctor should be informed if the child chokes and coughs and then wheezes after eating anything or after small objects are thrown into the mouth. The presence of asthma and allergic diseases in family members should be mentioned. Cases such as itchy nose and eyes, snoring during sleep, frequent vomiting during the day are very useful clues in the diagnosis and the doctor taking the history should be told about the presence of these conditions. An examination of the child is essential for the diagnosis and the examination may reveal many findings related to the disease that may cause the persistent cough. Laboratory tests are ordered for the suspected disease in the diagnosis. Basically, chest radiography, blood tests and pulmonary function tests, if the child is able to perform them, provide very useful information. It is important for families to take these tests with them to the doctor if they have them.
How to Treat a Persistent Cough?
The treatment of a cough that does not go away is entirely in the form of treatment of the disease that causes the cough. If the child is diagnosed with asthma, asthma treatment, if the child is diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, chronic bronchitis treatment.
Cough medicines that are only intended to relieve cough should never be used until the underlying disease has been identified and treated. These medicines have been shown to be ineffective in relieving coughs and may have many side effects. Many countries have banned the use of such cough suppressants.
Things to Consider
A persistent cough may be an early sign of future lung damage in children and therefore requires consultation with a specialist doctor. For example, if foreign body aspirations are missed and long periods of time pass, irreversible damage to the lungs can occur.
Using cough suppressants without investigating the cause of a persistent cough and without providing real treatment can cause serious waste of time. Since cough suppressants can have serious side effects, their use should be avoided.