In autumn and winter, sudden changes in temperature can easily make children with weakened immune systems catch a cold, and cough after a cold.

Once the child starts to cough, it will keep coughing and coughing..... Every cough, the old mother's heart also hangs up, why did the child cough for so long? I've tried all kinds of cough relief methods, but it still doesn't work? If this continues, will cough become pneumonia? Today, Xiao Jiu is here to talk.

The child keeps coughing and coughing, will it become pneumonia?

First the next conclusion: Coughing does not cause pneumonia, but pneumonia can cause repeated coughing.

Cough itself is a symptom, but not a causative factor. On the contrary, a moderate cough is a self-defense behavior of the human body. Through coughing, the sputum and foreign bodies in the respiratory tract can be discharged, so as to keep the respiratory tract clean and unobstructed, which is conducive to the recovery of the disease.

Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Most of them are caused by the downward development of upper respiratory tract infections (including colds, pharyngitis, etc.), and upper respiratory tract infections are often accompanied by cough. - 2 weeks have not improved, and the cough has become significantly worse, at this time may develop into pneumonia.

Don't worry too much about the cough caused by the cold, just stop the cough properly. However, if the child coughs frequently, which seriously affects sleep and eating, or the cough lasts for more than 4 weeks, it is necessary to be alert to pneumonia and to seek medical treatment in time.

Is the child's cough a cold or pneumonia? 3 tricks to teach you to distinguish

The early symptoms of pneumonia are usually similar to those of a cold. Parents should observe closely and distinguish them according to the following three symptoms.

Check for cough and fever

Cough symptoms of the common cold are mild, and the phlegm is easy to cough up, mostly in the morning and evening. The fever time is short, and the general temperature is around 38.5 ° C, rarely exceeding 39 ° C, and it will generally improve within 1 week.

If it is pneumonia, there will be persistent high fever, the temperature is generally above 39 ℃, repeated fever for more than 5 to 7 days, or even longer, and may also manifest as fear of cold and shivering. The cough is characterized by frequent irritating dry cough, severe degree, flushing and even vomiting when coughing.

Check breathing

Due to lung infection, gas exchange in the alveoli is difficult, so the typical symptoms of pneumonia are actually shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

According to the World Health Organization's Prevention and Control Programme, the criteria for shortness of breath in children are:

<2 months old: Breath ≥ 60 breaths/min

2 to 12 months old: ≥50 breaths/min

1 to 5 years old: Breath ≥ 40 breaths/min

Over 5 years: Respiratory rate > 20 breaths/min

When the child is sleeping, parents can open the clothes and calculate the child's breathing rate by watching the number of thoracic and abdominal ups and downs. If it exceeds the respiratory rate standard for the corresponding age, it is shortness of breath. If the nose flaps, the shoulders are shrugged, and the chest wall is sunken when breathing, it is difficult to breathe, and the child should be taken to the hospital in time.

Look at the sternum

If it is a cold and cough, the child's sternum will not appear abnormal, but if it is pneumonia, the lower part of the front of the neck and the part above the sternum will be depressed when the child breathes in. In addition to the sternum, the supraclavicular fossa and intercostal space are also depressed inward during breathing, which may be severe pneumonia.

In addition to respiratory symptoms, pneumonia can also be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as lethargy, restlessness, loss of appetite, shivering, and diarrhea.

Distinguish 4 types of cough syndrome, relieve cough and avoid detours

If the baby's cough is not caused by pneumonia, then parents don't need to worry too much, just stop the cough correctly, but they must learn to differentiate and use medicine to avoid repeated coughing.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, cough is a lung disease syndrome in which the lung fails to disperse and descend, the lung qi rises up, makes a coughing sound, or coughs up phlegm. There are mainly 4 types of certificates:

1. Cold and cough

Wind-cold pathogenic qi invades the body, manifested as cough with thin phlegm, nasal congestion and runny nose, headache, aversion to cold without sweating, and thin white tongue coating.

Therapeutic principles: Dispelling the lungs, dispelling wind-cold, and coughing and spitting thin phlegm should add herbs to dry dampness and resolve phlegm.

Prescription: Xingsu Powder, Sanao Decoction; Chinese patent medicine can take Ganmao Qingre Granules, Noon Tea Granules, etc.

2. Wind-heat cough

The body feels the evil of wind and heat, which is caused by the lack of clearing and clearing of the lungs.

Treatment principle: Dispel wind-heat, disperse lung.

Prescription: Sang Ju drink, Yin Qiao powder.

3. Phlegm heat cough

It is mainly caused by phlegm-heat invading the lung and the loss of lung-qi, manifesting as thick and yellow phlegm, unpleasant cough and vomiting, nasal congestion and runny nose, sore throat and hoarseness, red tongue, thin yellow or greasy fur.

Treatment Principles: Dry dampness and resolve phlegm, disperse and lower lung qi.

Prescription: Forsythia Leaky Lu Tang, Antelope Qingfei Powder, etc.

Whether it is wind-heat or phlegm-heat cough, it is manifested as yellow and thick sputum, and if you want to stop the cough, you must first expel phlegm. In choosing Chinese patent medicines, Jinzhen oral liquid specially developed for children can be taken. It is mainly composed of Antelope Qingfei Powder and Queshi Guntan Pills. Among them, the optimized expectorant, Qushi Guntan Pills, can effectively reduce the The formation of sputum is conducive to the discharge of sputum from the digestive tract of infants and young children; the traditional Chinese medicine ingredients such as goat horn, skullcap, gypsum, etc., can reduce the number of coughs and reduce the duration of the attack; at the same time, rhubarb has a purgative effect, which can make The phlegm is excreted with the child's urination and defecation.

It can better relieve cough and high fever symptoms in children. And it does not contain ephedra, no preservatives, and has a sweet taste. Mom can rest assured that children love to drink it. It is recommended that parents consult a doctor before taking the medicine.

4. Dry and hot cough

Dry-heat cough is generally caused by exogenous wind-cold or wind-dryness, and manifests as dry cough without phlegm, or phlegm like thread powder, not easy to cough up, dry nose and throat, chest pain, red tongue tip, and thin yellow coating.

Therapeutic principles: Relieve the exterior, clear the lungs, moisten dryness.

Prescriptions: Sang Xing Tang, Yin Qiao Powder, etc.; Chinese patent medicines can choose Qiuli Runfei Ointment, etc.

As the saying goes: "rule by three, nourish by seven". In addition to medicines for relieving cough, diet can also be strengthened, and children can be given more yin nourishing products, such as lily, honey, pears, lotus seeds, white fungus and various fresh vegetables, etc., and less spicy and hot products.

> > References: >

> > 1. Will a child's cough for a long time cause pneumonia? [J]. Family Health: Medical Science, 2018: 53-53. >

> > 2. Zhang Yuanyuan. Is it a cold or pneumonia when the baby keeps coughing? [J]. Fashion Parenting, 2011: 92-93. >

> > 3. Li Jian. Chinese medicine treatment of cough [J]. Health Vision: Medical Edition, 2013: 295-295. >