Dry Cough In Children At Night: What To Do?
When young, it is common for children to have mucus in their airways frequently. However, the cough usually stops after a few days. However, sometimes it doesn’t stop, and dry cough in children may appear during the night. What to do in these cases?
A cough is a reflex mechanism that the body sets into motion when the airways become clogged with mucus. Through the movement that the cough generates, the body tries to get rid of foreign agents.
Dry cough in children at night appears when the upper airways start to become irritated in an unusual way. Similar to what happens with adults, the child cannot sleep or rest.
Characteristics of cough in children at night
Colds can disappear without a trace or they can also linger and cause a dry cough or croup. Sometimes this severe respiratory tract irritation appears without previous nasal congestion, simply due to contagion.
We must clarify that this is not an emergency, although it requires medical treatment. Usually, the source of this annoying cough is an infection caused by a virus that lodges in the upper airways.
By the time this situation occurs, when the child has already fallen asleep, the dry sound frightens the whole family. However, it is necessary to remain calm and not transmit anxiety to the child, as crying can make the situation worse.
What causes coughing at night?
In winter, excessively heated environments lead to a dry environment. Without ventilation and in the horizontal position typical of sleeping hours, dry heat influences the mucus that tends to thicken and obstruct the respiratory tract.
On the other hand, this same hot air carries light dust particles. This causes irritation in the throat, which triggers this irritating cough.
How to prevent coughing attacks in children?
A well-ventilated room will keep the air from stagnating and drying out. Although the environment should remain comfortable so that the child does not feel cold at night, it is preferable not to place direct sources of heat on the child’s face.
If you want to ensure a balanced environment in terms of percentage of humidity, humidifiers can be an outlet.
Symptoms that accompany dry cough at night
Fever can also accompany a dry cough. However, this should not be an immediate warning sign, as fever is nothing more than a natural defense mechanism to fight viruses housed in the body.
In any case, if the fever does not fall below 38.5°C, and the child has trouble breathing, it is necessary to see an emergency physician.
In addition to fever, a dry cough in children during the night may be accompanied by nausea and spasms. Bronchial spasms are recognized by a characteristic whistle.
It can be very exasperating for a child to have an episode of dry coughing with noises and shortness of breath. If you notice that her neck starts to sink down to the level of her collarbones, call the emergency medical service to have this treated as soon as possible.
A case of dry cough that is not treated in time can turn into something much more serious, like pneumonia. Therefore, when performing the medical check-up, an upper airway radiograph may be requested. Any inflammation of the epiglottis or other reason that obstructs the airflow can also be detected.
Dry cough treatment
The medication is often given with corticosteroids, which serve to unblock the bronchi. Some natural remedies, such as steam baths, are of great help in reducing airway inflammation. Likewise, ventilated spaces are essential to prevent future episodes of dry cough.
In turn, there are some home remedies that complement the medical prescription:
- Place glasses of water in different parts of the house to prevent the environment from becoming too dry.
- Drinking plenty of fluids will help your child get rid of mucus and fight any foreign agents.
- Try to get the child to sleep with his head elevated a few inches. This can be achieved by placing a pillow under the mattress.
In short, if this is the first time that a dry cough has occurred at night, the situation may seem dramatic. But the advice is not to lose your temper, because the tension will make the cough worse. You can try to alleviate the cough by taking the child to a ventilated space or giving a steamy bath until the cough passes.
