A cough is also a common symptom of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Coughing may be related to a bacterial or viral infection of the respiratory tract, such as bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, or croup. A cough can also be caused by inhaling irritating substances, such as dust, chemical fumes, or cigarette smoke. Food sensitivities and environmental allergies can cause a cough, as can inhaling very cold or very hot air. If your child has a persistent cough, emotional stress is another important factor to consider.

Depending on the cause, a child's cough may be loud and gasping, harsh and high-pitched, or barking. It may be dry and rasping, or moist with mucus. If asthma is involved, your child may wheeze every time she inhales or exhales.

Although coughing is a necessary and helpful physical response, it can be distressing and very tiring to your child. Continuous, uncontrollable coughing makes sleeping difficult, and may also cause your child to feel as if she aches all over. The chest and abdominal muscles can be pulled or strained by continual coughing. Coughing may also cause further irritation to an inflamed respiratory tract.

A sudden coughing fit may signal the presence of a foreign body in your child's airway. Because young children put everything in their mouths, they have been known to get objects like coins or buttons lodged in the respiratory tract. Watch your child closely. If other signs indicate a blocking of the airway-- if your child becomes unable to speak, makes high-pitched sounds with breathing, gasps for breath, turns blue, or clutches at her throat call for emergency help and consult an emergency manual.

In some cases, a cough may indicate the onset of a more serious or chronic illness, such as asthma, a tumor, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, or epiglottitis. Epiglottitis is a dangerous condition that mainly affects children between two and seven years of age. It can cause the windpipe to close when the child swallows. It usually comes on suddenly, and rapidly worsens over a few hours. If you suspect your child may be developing epiglottitis , take her to the emergency room of the nearest hospital or call for emergency medical assistance immediately.

Even an ordinary cough should never be ignored. An untreated cough can lead to pneumonia, and the constant irritation coughing causes may result in damage to the respiratory tract.

Conventional Treatment

Codeine is a narcotic cough suppressant that may be prescribed for a cough in severe cases. It works by "turning off" the part of the brain that controls the coughing response. Codeine is a powerful drug and can have side effects, including nausea, sleepiness, and constipation. It can also be highly addictive.

Dextromethorphan is a common cough suppressant found in many popular over-the-counter medications, usually signified by the initials DM on the label. It is almost as effective as codeine, but is nonnarcotic and reportedly has few side effects. Follow age-specific label directions carefully when using this drug.

Benzonatate (Tessalon) is a prescription cough suppressant that works by anesthetizing the respiratory tract. Unlike other cough medicines, it comes in capsule rather than liquid form, and is a safer alternative to codeine. The capsules should be swallowed whole, never chewed.

Expectorants are medications that work by increasing the production of fluids in the respiratory tract, helping to thin and loosen mucus so that it is easier to cough out. Guaifenesin is an expectorant found in many over-the-counter cough formulas. It can cause drowsiness, so if you give your child this drug, follow label directions carefully.

Throat lozenges, such as Chloraseptic lozenges, coat ant soothe a sore, irritated throat, and may give your child temporary relief. Many over-the-counter lozenges contain food colorings and sugar, however, which a sick child should not ingest. Read the ingredients list and label directions carefully before purchasing throat lozenges.

Dietary Guidelines
When your child has a cough, or any other respiratory condition, eliminate potentially mucus-forming foods, especially dairy products.

Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids, preferably at room temperature or warmer. Fluids help to thin mucus and make it easier for your child to cough up. Hot soups and broths are particularly good.

Nutritional Supplements
Give your child sugar-free lozenges boosted with vitamin C. Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties, combats infection, and is soothing and healing to an irritated throat. Give your child one lozenge an hour, as needed.

Give your child zinc-based lozenges to improve immune response and help reduce infection and inflammation. Choose sugar-free zinc-based lozenges. Give your child one lozenge, one to three times daily, as needed.

Note: Excessive amounts of zinc can result in nausea and vomiting. Be careful not to exceed the recommended dosage.

Herbal Treatment
The herb coltsfoot helps to clear congestion from the lungs. Make a tea and give your child one dose, three times a day, for two days.

Licorice tea or tincture has antibacterial properties, soothes the throat and respiratory tract, and tastes sweet. For a cough, licorice works best when taken warm. Give your child one dose, three times daily, for two to three days. A combination of coltsfoot and licorice can also be used.

Note: Licorice should not be given to a child with high blood pressure.

If your child has a cough with diarrhea, lungwort is the herbal medicine of choice. Lungwort is high in vitamin C, has astringent properties, and is known for its ability to help clear a cough. Give your child one dose, two to three times daily, for two to three days.

Marshmallow root is soothing to the throat and respiratory tract. Make a tea and give your child one dose, three times daily, for two days.

Menthol lozenges contain a purified and refined form of peppermint oil, which is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as an effective cough suppressant. Menthol lozenges made without sugar are preferable. Give your child one lozenge each hour, as needed.

When your child first begins to cough, give her mullein tea. This is a very effective herb known to be highly beneficial to the throat and lungs. It is particularly good in the early stages of a cough, before an expectorant is needed. Give your child one dose, two to three times daily, for two to three days.

Osha root, in tea or tincture form, is highly aromatic and helps to clear the lungs. It is especially good for a dry cough. Give your child one dose, three times a day, for three to four days.

A tea made from sage and thyme helps to clear mucus out of the lungs. Give your child one dose, three times daily, for two days.

Slippery elm bark makes a soothing lozenge or tea. Give your child one dose, three times a day, for three to four days.

Many Native Americans used wild cherry bark, a flavorful and effective herb, in a tea or syrup for coughs, colds, and bronchitis. Give one dose, twice a day, for three days.

Caution: Wild cherry bark can be toxic in large amounts. It should not be taken by children under four, nor by pregnant women.

Try using an herbal rub. Take 4 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 drops of one or all of the following: eucalyptus, sage, rosemary, and peppermint oil. To ease your child's coughing and soothe her respiratory tract, rub this mixture onto her chest.

Prepare an herbal bath by putting a few drops of eucalyptus, sage, or thyme oil into a warm bath for your child. Breathing in the herbal vapors will soothe an irritated throat.

Homeopathy
Choose an appropriate symptom-specific homeopathic remedy from the list below. Please note that if you are also treating your child with an aromatic herbal treatment (such as menthol lozenges, osha root tea, or an herbal rub with eucalyptus and/or peppermint), you should allow one hour between the two. Otherwise, the strong smell of the herbal treatment may interfere with the action of the homeopathic remedy.

Use Antimonium tartaricum if your child is pale and tired and complains of a tight, burning sensation in her chest and of feeling "breathless." She has a rattling cough, due to a respiratory tract filled with thick mucus that is difficult to cough up. To loosen the congestion, give her one dose of Antimonium tartaricum 30x or 9c, three times daily, for twenty-four to thirty-six hours.

Note: Antimonium tartaricum should not be used in the presence of fever. If your child has a fever, select a different remedy.

If your child has a high fever with her cough and is sweating copiously, give her one dose of Belladonna 30x or 9c, three times daily, for one day.

If your child has a dry, painful cough and feels better resting and worse with activity, give her one dose of Bryonia 30x or 9c, three times daily, for two days.

Give a child with a dry and spasmodic cough Drosera 12x or 6c. This is for a child who usually feels worse at night and when lying down. Give one dose, three times daily, for two days.

If your child has a loose, rattling cough, has a yellow-green nasal discharge, and is tearful, give her one dose of Pulsatilla 30x or 9c, three times a day, for two days.

Spongia is for the child with a dry, barking cough. The Spongia child typically feels better sipping a hot drink. One dose of Spongia 12x or 6c, given three times daily, for two days, will help. If your child has this type of cough, she should also be examined for croup.

If none of the remedies above seems right for your child, a homeopathic combination cough remedy, available in homeopathic pharmacies and larger health food stores, may be helpful.

General Recommendations
Make a tea from osha root, slippery elm bark, coltsfoot, and/or marshmallow root, and give it to your child three to four times daily.

Choose and administer a suitable homeopathic remedy.

Give your child menthol or zinc and herbal lozenges.

Prepare an herbal bath or herbal chest rub for your child.

Avoid exposing your child to cold winds and changes in temperature, which can aggravate a cough.

To help moisten the respiratory tract and thin mucus, use a cool mist humidifier in your child's room. Be sure to keep this equipment scrupulously clean so that bacteria do not collect in it.

See also Fever and/or Sore Throat if your child's cough is accompanied by either of these symptoms.

Coughing is not so much an illness as a symptom of illness. Many coughs are caused by allergies, colds, and the flu (see Allergies; Common Cold; Influenza). Less frequently, a cough maybe a sign of a more serious problem. A cough that comes on rapidly and is accompanied by wheezing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing may be caused by asthma (see Asthma). A persistent, lingering cough may be a sign of bronchitis. A child whose cough has a "barking" sound may be suffering from croup. A harsh cough that comes on after a cold and is accompanied by fever, fatigue, and difficulty breathing may be a sign of bronchiolitis or pneumonia. In very rare cases, a chronic cough may be a sign of tuberculosis.

Prevention
Help your child avoid respiratory irritants and allergens, including environmental pollutants and foods to which she is sensitive. Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves can also be a source of lung irritation.

Do not expose your child to cigarette smoke. Teach your child at an early age about the dangers of smoking.

From Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand, N.D., L.Ac., Robert Rountree, MD, Rachel Walton, RN, ©1994. Published by Avery Publishing, New York. For personal use only; neither the digital nor printed copy may be copied or sold. Reproduced by permission.