Feb 5, 10 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.

Cough and cold medicine

Well, cough and cold season has definitely hit.  Everyone from the tiniest of babies to teenagers are walking around coughing.  The biggest thing I keep hearing is- “they sound like they have a smokers cough it is so bad.”  These parents are right.  The coughs right now are from viruses that are affecting everything from the upper to the lower airways.  Coughs are the bane of a pediatrician because we do not have much in our armamentarium to help them.

A cough is the bodies way of clearing something irritating the airway.  At this time of the year it is usually caused by viruses causing inflammation.  Coughs are uncomfortable and annoying.  Also, they often cause for a poor night of sleep.

First of all, if your child is having trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or looks blue then they need to be seen immediately.  For the little babies, if they seem like they are working hard to breath, pulling in by ribs, or have a significant decrease in the amount of fluids they are drinking please give your doctor a call, they will probably want to see them.

Treatment of coughs caused by a virus is truly supportive.  We try to make kids more comfortable.  This includes making sure that they drink a lot of fluids.  While people think milk makes them have more mucus this is not a proven fact, and if that is all your child will drink then let them drink it.  Warm fluids help moisturize and lubricate the airways.  You can offer soups, teas, and hot chocolate.  Popsicles are another great way to get in fluids.  A humidifier is also important to increase the moisture to the airway and let it heal.  A cool mist humidifier is recommended because of the risk of burns if a warm one is accidentally touched.  Steamy bathrooms also help with calming down an inflamed airway.  My children will often ask for steam parties when they are coughing- we steam up the bathroom and go hang out in it every couple of hours.

DO NOT GIVE COLD MEDICINES.  THEY ARE INEFFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF SIX.  If our patients call and ask us for a dose of a cold medicine we will not give it because we feel they do not work and the risk of complications are too high.

Next time your child coughs, remember- steam, fluid, and humidity.

No Comments »