Cough in children: Overview
A cough is how your child's body responds to something that bothers your child's throat or airways. Many things can cause a cough. Your child might cough because of a cold or the flu, bronchitis, or asthma. Cigarette smoke, postnasal drip, allergies, and stomach acid that backs up into the throat also can cause coughs.
A cough is a symptom, not a disease. Most coughs stop when the cause, such as a cold, goes away. You can take a few steps at home to help your child cough less and feel better.
Teens: How can you care for your cough?
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids. This may help soothe a dry or sore throat. Honey or lemon juice in hot water or tea may ease a dry cough.
- Try gargling with warm salt water to help ease a sore throat caused by coughing.
- Take cough medicine as directed by your doctor.
- Prop up your head with extra pillows at night to ease a cough.
- Try cough drops or hard candy to soothe a dry or sore throat.
- Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you. Smoke can make a cough worse. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
- Avoid exposure to smoke, dust, or other pollutants, or wear a face mask. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to find out which type of face mask will give you the most benefit.
Relieving a cough
Coughing is your body's way of getting foreign substances and mucus out of your lungs and upper airway passages. Coughs are often useful, and you should not try to stop them. Sometimes, though, coughs are severe enough to make breathing difficult, cause vomiting, or prevent rest. Home treatment can help you feel more comfortable when you have a cough.
- Drink fluids to keep from getting dehydrated.
Water may help loosen mucus and soothe an irritated throat. Dry, hacking coughs may respond to honey in hot water, tea, or lemon juice. Do not give honey to children younger than 1 year of age.
- Gargle.
Try gargling with warm salt water to help ease a sore throat caused by coughing.
- Elevate your head with extra pillows at night to ease a dry cough.
- Try a cough drop to soothe an irritated throat.
Medicine-flavored cough drops are not any better than candy-flavored ones or hard candy. Most cough drops have no effect on the cough-producing mechanism.
- Do not smoke. Avoid secondhand smoke. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
- Avoid exposure to inhaled irritants.
Examples include smoke, dust, or other pollutants. Or wear a face mask that is appropriate for the exposure. There are many kinds of face masks. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to find out which types will give you the most benefit.
If you have sore muscles from coughing a lot, have someone massage your chest and back muscles a few times each day. Massage can reduce soreness and help you rest and relax better.
Cough in teens: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You have severe trouble breathing.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You cough up blood.
- You have new or worse trouble breathing.
- You have a new or higher fever.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You cough more deeply or more often, especially if you notice more mucus or a change in the color of your mucus.
- You have new symptoms, such as a sore throat, an earache, or sinus pain.
- You do not get better as expected.
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