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Child Has Fever, Chest Rattling On Breathing, Throat Pain While Coughing. Should He See A Doctor?
Question: my 8 year old son has been running a fever (101-102) for 2 days and has a rattling in his chest when he breathes. He also has lost his voice but he says his throar hurts only when he coughs. He has woken the last 2 nights saying his chest hurts when he breathes. He has not had breathing problems before. I continue to just treat the symptoms at home but should he be seen by his pediatrician?
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
The throat infection has affected the vocal cords which has caused the loss of voice. Coughing can cause difficulty in the chest. However at times the infection can proceed to the lungs too which can only be diagnosed by an examination by the pediatrician. Till you get him examined by the pediatrician you give him:
1. Cough syrup
2. Tylenol for fever
3. Steam inhalation which shall give relief both to the throat and vocal cords.
I hope I have answered your query to your satisfaction. Please revert back in case you need any clarifications or would like to share more facts.
Wishing your son an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv K Khandelwal
http://goo.gl/SuCjl
Thank you for your query.
The throat infection has affected the vocal cords which has caused the loss of voice. Coughing can cause difficulty in the chest. However at times the infection can proceed to the lungs too which can only be diagnosed by an examination by the pediatrician. Till you get him examined by the pediatrician you give him:
1. Cough syrup
2. Tylenol for fever
3. Steam inhalation which shall give relief both to the throat and vocal cords.
I hope I have answered your query to your satisfaction. Please revert back in case you need any clarifications or would like to share more facts.
Wishing your son an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv K Khandelwal
http://goo.gl/SuCjl
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response. I have done the 3 things you suggested over the last 2 days and it seems to help symptoms temporarily. I just didn't want to rush off to the doctor but the rattling in his chest concerned me but didn't know if it really warranted a trip to the doctor. I just happened to think about this, we just returned from a trip to Cambodia last Wednesday. We were there for 9 days. Not sure if this is crucial information to know, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Hi,
Thanks for the update. Quite likely he has contracted an infection in Cambodia.
If the fever is not coming down even after 2 days then you need to consult your pediatrician. An antibiotic may be required after due examination and investigations.
I hope I have responded to your query to your satisfaction.
Wishing your son an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv
Thanks for the update. Quite likely he has contracted an infection in Cambodia.
If the fever is not coming down even after 2 days then you need to consult your pediatrician. An antibiotic may be required after due examination and investigations.
I hope I have responded to your query to your satisfaction.
Wishing your son an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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