If the child does not have a cough, this is a reason to see a doctor.. There can be several reasons for this condition, ranging from residual effects after ARVI and ending with tuberculosis..

Why does the child's cough not go away? A lingering cough persists for 3 or more weeks. Often it arises as a consequence of the transferred infection and does not pose a danger to the body.. But sometimes dangerous diseases lie behind a prolonged cough: tuberculosis, ascariasis, pneumonia, whooping cough.

Most often, a lingering cough is residual, but sometimes it can be a sign of a serious illness Residual cough Residual cough occurs due to airway hyperresponsiveness. With inflammation of the respiratory tract, the mucous membrane is damaged, it takes about a month to fully recover. At this time, the child can still cough, although other signs of the disease have disappeared..

Such a cough is reflex, occurs in response to the action of various stimuli: cold air, cigarette smoke. The reaction can occur even in response to mild stimuli.

The residual process is characterized by:.

there are no other symptoms of the disease;

there is a positive trend;

does not affect the general condition of the child;

sputum production is absent or insignificant.

Improper treatment Incorrect treatment can also cause the child to cough for a long time..

There are several points to consider when treating:.

cough pattern (wet, dry);

nature (viral, bacterial);

safety of the drug combination.

If you suppress a dry cough, phlegm will accumulate. Sputum stagnation can lead to the attachment of bacterial flora. This happens if, when sputum is released, the child is treated with antitussive drugs.. The wrong combination of drugs can also lead to stagnation of sputum - the simultaneous use of expectorants and antitussives.

Chronic illnesses Chronic illnesses are much more difficult to cure than acute illnesses.. Even after prolonged therapy, the symptoms of the disease may persist.. In children, a prolonged cough can be caused by the following chronic diseases:.

adenoids and adenoiditis;

rhinitis;

tonsillitis;

pharyngitis;

bronchitis.

Especially often the cause is chronic pathology of the upper respiratory tract - the nasal cavity, palatine and nasopharyngeal tonsils. Mucus that is produced in the upper respiratory tract runs down the throat and irritates the cough receptors. The cough appears over and over again, it is very difficult to get rid of it..

Allergies Prolonged dry cough can be a symptom of an allergy.. The child often develops allergies to house dust, pollen, animal dander, and certain medications.

The disease does not manifest itself either with fever or weakness, which distinguishes allergies from SARS and colds.

Rare causes Much less often, a prolonged cough is a symptom of pulmonary tuberculosis or intrathoracic lymph nodes, ascariasis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), whooping cough, foreign body in the bronchi.

With these diseases, the cough does not respond to conventional treatment and persists for a long time.. Other disease-specific symptoms are present. For example:.

heartburn and sour belching - with GERD;

low-grade fever and increased sweating - with tuberculosis;

paroxysmal coughing, vomiting after an attack - with whooping cough;

rashes, itching - with ascariasis.

What symptoms to look for If the child does not stop coughing, you need to pay attention to whether there are other symptoms of the disease:.

Increased body temperature.

Excretion of sputum, especially mucopurulent or bloody.

Violation of general well-being: weakness, fatigue, lethargy.

Difficulty breathing: shortness of breath, asthma attacks, pale or blue skin.

Other signs: increased sweating, heartburn, nasal congestion.

These symptoms are an indication for the examination of the child.. If no additional symptoms are found, the child feels good, it is most likely a residual reaction of the body.

If the child's cough does not go away for a long time, it is necessary to consult a doctor.. The doctor will conduct a physical examination: general examination, examination of the oral cavity, auscultation of the lungs, palpation of the lymphatic vessels. If necessary, an additional examination is prescribed:.

Study title.

Indications for.

Description of results.

General blood analysis.

In all cases.

If the cause is an infection, an increase in the level of leukocytes is determined, with allergies and ascariasis, an increase in the level of eosinophils.

Mantoux test.

In all cases.

Positive for tuberculosis.

Chest X-ray.

If you suspect pneumonia, tuberculosis.

With tuberculosis and pneumonia, focal darkening is determined.

Allergy tests.

If you suspect an allergy.

A positive reaction to a specific allergen is determined.

Bronchoscopy.

If you suspect a foreign body in the bronchi.

The mucous membrane of the bronchi is assessed, a foreign body is visualized. During bronchoscopy, a foreign body is removed.

Not in all cases, the child is shown an additional examination; a doctor should send for tests.

Treatment: Treatment of a lingering cough depends largely on the cause.. In addition to etiotropic treatment (aimed at getting rid of the cause), inhalation, air humidification, folk remedies are used. With viscous, difficult to separate sputum, drugs from the group of mucolytics can be used.

It is possible to suppress a cough only in rare, most extreme cases, when it significantly disrupts the child's life..

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