| Coughs are common with
viral infections. They can either be dry
(no mucus) or productive (mucus is formed).
A dry cough may sometimes sound like a bark,
where it is referred to as Croup, or wheezy
and mimics asthma. A productive cough will
lead to a rattly chest sound, as if mucus
is being bought up. Younger infants will
tend to swallow the mucus they produce,
which may lead to vomiting with a bout of
coughing. This is perfectly normal. Coughs
in children can be very persistent and may
last several weeks. In babies this may be
due to a continuing presence of the infective
organism, and in older children because
of sensitisation of the mucus lining of
the windpipe. With time the cough will pass
and the child recover.
Please note - for
the vast majority of coughs, antibiotics
are of absolutely zero value to your child
as most coughs are caused by viruses. Antibiotics
do not have any effect on viruses, only
on bacteria - a different type of infectious
organism altogether. Demanding antibiotics
from your GP will not help your child, but
will help to create antibiotic resistant
strains of infectious bacteria, and drain
resources from a limited drug budget.
Antibiotics will help if your child
develops Bronchitis (an inflammation of the bronchi
in the lungs) which is caused by a bacterial infection.
A clue to whether your child has developed bronchitis
and needs a course of antibiotics is the type of phlegm
produced. With viral infections mucus is generally
white or clear. A bacterial bronchitis infection creates
large amounts of green or yellow phlegm, and it is
recommended in this instance to consult your GP for
an assessment and antibiotic prescription if bronchitis
is diagnosed. For all other coughs, all that can be
done is to alleviate the symptoms. Steaming and vapourising
are effective in soothing sore throats caused by coughs.
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