A cough is a symptom, not an illness, and can have various causes, some serious and some less so. Here is a practical guide to help you understand your child’s coughs. Also take note that it is possible for coughs to have more than one of these characteristics at a time.

Loose or productive cough
This is when you can hear mucus in the airways when your baby breathes, or see it because he has a runny nose or coughs up/vomits mucus. This mucus will mostly be profuse, can be any colour, and it’s not so thick or sticky that it can’t be expelled.

Dry or non-productive cough
No mucus or very little is expelled from the airways, so your baby doesn’t cough it up. There is seldom a profusely running nose, nor does one readily hear mucus in the airways without using a stethoscope. The voice may be very nasal.

Tight cough
This is related to dry cough, although productive mucus is possible. It’s recognised by the chest pulling inwards at the diaphragm, accompanied by painful breathing, dry retching and debilitating tiredness.

Irritation cough
This is mostly due to a postnasal drip.

Spasmodic cough
This is cough comes in spasms and is then absent for some time. There’ll mostly be a respiratory infection or serious condition like croup, bronchitis or bronchiolitis. This cough is painful.

TIPS TO HELP WITH COUGH
Parents should remain calm, preferably propping up the child to ease breathing and ensure good ventilation. Use these tips according to your child’s symptoms:

• Run a humidifier with a little Eucalyptus oil added at night. This helps disinfect and soothe dry, inflamed membranes. Clean and dry the humidifier after each use.
• A few drops of Eucalyptus oil in your baby’s bath may also help open the airways for the night.
• Steam-treat with Friar’s balsam. Add a capful to a basin of boiling water, drape a towel over your child’s head, and encourage him to breathe in these vapours, taking care to avoid burning. This helps for tight, dry cough, as well as for most cases of croup and persistent coughing.
• Apply a layer of vaporising gel to your baby’s chest and throat, or onto a vest if the skin reacts with a rash, to help relieve a tight or croup-like cough at night.
• Cut an onion into rings. Cover it with pure honey and leave for four hours, and then remove the rings. Give your baby one teaspoon of the frothy liquid three times a day for coughing from postnasal drip.
• The following symptoms require prompt medical attention:
• Blue tingeing of the lips and surrounding area
• Blue fingernails
• Painful or difficult breathing with chest retraction, especially when at rest
• Terror or distress on a child’s face with breathing or coughing
• If a serious allergic reaction to a dietary or environmental factor occurs
• If a child chokes and parents cannot dislodge the object
• If a baby or child vomits with or after coughing

Article provided by Living and Loving