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Suggest Treatment For Persistent Cough And Congestion In A Child
Question: Hello,
My 5 years old son having cough congestion problems from past 3 years. And he is on inhaler for same period. I heard from so many mothers that steroid in form of inhaler causes long term health issue or become habitual. My concern is after following each and everything what his doc says still he suffers every alternative months. We don't give any outside foods for him. Now he too fed up and asking when I ll get normal life like other kids. Same question comes in my mind too that when he ll get rid of this antibiotics? Is there any stop for this?
My 5 years old son having cough congestion problems from past 3 years. And he is on inhaler for same period. I heard from so many mothers that steroid in form of inhaler causes long term health issue or become habitual. My concern is after following each and everything what his doc says still he suffers every alternative months. We don't give any outside foods for him. Now he too fed up and asking when I ll get normal life like other kids. Same question comes in my mind too that when he ll get rid of this antibiotics? Is there any stop for this?
Brief Answer:
I need more information... Please revert back with answers
Detailed Answer:
Hi....I need more information before guiding you further. Please revert back to me with answers to my questions.
Questions:
1. How many days per month do the kid cough or feel breathless?
2. How many nights per month do the kid’s sleep get disturbed due to above symptoms?
3. Does the kid feel breathless when running around or plays with other kids?
4. Are the symptoms when there are seasonal changes?
5. Is there any family history of asthma or any other sort of allergies like skin allergy etc.?
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
I need more information... Please revert back with answers
Detailed Answer:
Hi....I need more information before guiding you further. Please revert back to me with answers to my questions.
Questions:
1. How many days per month do the kid cough or feel breathless?
2. How many nights per month do the kid’s sleep get disturbed due to above symptoms?
3. Does the kid feel breathless when running around or plays with other kids?
4. Are the symptoms when there are seasonal changes?
5. Is there any family history of asthma or any other sort of allergies like skin allergy etc.?
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Hello Doctor,
Below are the details for your questions:
1. Once cough starts then this continue for 10-15 days. if we starts antibiotics then it will stop in 7 - 10 days. But again occurs after 1 month.
2. whenever he have cough his sleep get disturbed but after taking medicine he ll get good sleep. But he ll get continuous cough for 15 mins when he wakes up.
3. He dont feel breathless while playing or running. But cough disturbs in between.
4. Yes whenever any changes in season he fell ill, cough starts along with high fever.
5. There is no family history of Asthma, but ya I had dust allergy problem and due to this running nose for long time.
Below are the details for your questions:
1. Once cough starts then this continue for 10-15 days. if we starts antibiotics then it will stop in 7 - 10 days. But again occurs after 1 month.
2. whenever he have cough his sleep get disturbed but after taking medicine he ll get good sleep. But he ll get continuous cough for 15 mins when he wakes up.
3. He dont feel breathless while playing or running. But cough disturbs in between.
4. Yes whenever any changes in season he fell ill, cough starts along with high fever.
5. There is no family history of Asthma, but ya I had dust allergy problem and due to this running nose for long time.
Brief Answer:
Looks like moderate persistent asthma - he needs inhalers
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
Greetings from XXXXXXX
By what you quote I feel what your kid is having is asthma. But rather than using frequent antibiotics it is better to have a label and follow up with simpler alternatives than using antibiotics which are associated with complications.
Suggestions:
1. There are certainly alternative management therapies in allopathy now-a-days. Medicine has advanced a lot and not asthma is 100% controllable.
2. Inhalers are the newest management strategies for this. If I were your paediatrician I would have suggested the use of Foracort metered dose inhaler (100mcg) 2 puffs twice a day through a spacer and this is for regular use for 8 weeks.
Another metered dose inhaler is Levolin and this can used as rescue therapy whenever the kid is having severe cough in spite of regular usage of Foracort.
The technique is very important and very crucial for the drug to be delivered correctly to the lungs. Regularity of medicine usage also matters a lot. So do not discontinue abruptly after you notice some improvement. The technique of administering an inhaler using a spacer has to be taught to you by your doctor and these are prescription medicines. So I suggest you consult your paediatrician for this.
3. Triggers can be environmental changes/ dust/ talcum powder/ seasonal changes/ un-cleaned a/c vents/ cold weather etc....we can specifically say this is the cause - unless we observe the kid closely - best person is the parent.
Hope my answer was helpful for you. I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Health care magic are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth MBBS., DCH., DNB (Paed).,
Looks like moderate persistent asthma - he needs inhalers
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
Greetings from XXXXXXX
By what you quote I feel what your kid is having is asthma. But rather than using frequent antibiotics it is better to have a label and follow up with simpler alternatives than using antibiotics which are associated with complications.
Suggestions:
1. There are certainly alternative management therapies in allopathy now-a-days. Medicine has advanced a lot and not asthma is 100% controllable.
2. Inhalers are the newest management strategies for this. If I were your paediatrician I would have suggested the use of Foracort metered dose inhaler (100mcg) 2 puffs twice a day through a spacer and this is for regular use for 8 weeks.
Another metered dose inhaler is Levolin and this can used as rescue therapy whenever the kid is having severe cough in spite of regular usage of Foracort.
The technique is very important and very crucial for the drug to be delivered correctly to the lungs. Regularity of medicine usage also matters a lot. So do not discontinue abruptly after you notice some improvement. The technique of administering an inhaler using a spacer has to be taught to you by your doctor and these are prescription medicines. So I suggest you consult your paediatrician for this.
3. Triggers can be environmental changes/ dust/ talcum powder/ seasonal changes/ un-cleaned a/c vents/ cold weather etc....we can specifically say this is the cause - unless we observe the kid closely - best person is the parent.
Hope my answer was helpful for you. I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Health care magic are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth MBBS., DCH., DNB (Paed).,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Respected Sir,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I still have some queries on my mind.
1. I hope you had seen his blood report which showed high count of WBC (infection in body). How this happens?
2. After seeing this report his pediatrician given 5 days course. In which Ascroil syrup 3.5 ml/ 3 times and Cepodem 100 4ml/2 times along with Seroflow Inhaler 2 times.
3. Before this doc prescribed Foracort 250 inhaler that continued for 2 years. And dirinh this too he was getting cough and After 2 years when we stopped this that time too he got cough.
So my query is is he need to depend on inhaler for lifetime? And these antibiotics?
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I still have some queries on my mind.
1. I hope you had seen his blood report which showed high count of WBC (infection in body). How this happens?
2. After seeing this report his pediatrician given 5 days course. In which Ascroil syrup 3.5 ml/ 3 times and Cepodem 100 4ml/2 times along with Seroflow Inhaler 2 times.
3. Before this doc prescribed Foracort 250 inhaler that continued for 2 years. And dirinh this too he was getting cough and After 2 years when we stopped this that time too he got cough.
So my query is is he need to depend on inhaler for lifetime? And these antibiotics?
Brief Answer:
Suggestions on acute infection and long term plan
Detailed Answer:
Hi...
1. I have seen the X-ray report and also the blood test. These are suggestive of lower respiratory infection and I also agree that his treatment is going on the right direction. This is short term management plan for the current illness. But what I was suggesting is about the long term plan about the recurrent respiratory illness which he has been suffering from the past 3 years.
2. As a practicing pulmonologist I have not seen treatment failures in the plan I was suggesting you. If there is any failure it was only due to wrong technique or due to irregular treatment.
That is why I was telling you that the technique is very important and very crucial for the drug to be delivered correctly to the lungs. Regularity of medicine usage also matters a lot. So do not discontinue abruptly after you notice some improvement. The technique of administering an inhaler using a spacer has to be taught to you by your doctor - PROPERLY.
I suggest you see the YouTube videos about proper administration and technique of metered dose inhaler and spacer.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
Suggestions on acute infection and long term plan
Detailed Answer:
Hi...
1. I have seen the X-ray report and also the blood test. These are suggestive of lower respiratory infection and I also agree that his treatment is going on the right direction. This is short term management plan for the current illness. But what I was suggesting is about the long term plan about the recurrent respiratory illness which he has been suffering from the past 3 years.
2. As a practicing pulmonologist I have not seen treatment failures in the plan I was suggesting you. If there is any failure it was only due to wrong technique or due to irregular treatment.
That is why I was telling you that the technique is very important and very crucial for the drug to be delivered correctly to the lungs. Regularity of medicine usage also matters a lot. So do not discontinue abruptly after you notice some improvement. The technique of administering an inhaler using a spacer has to be taught to you by your doctor - PROPERLY.
I suggest you see the YouTube videos about proper administration and technique of metered dose inhaler and spacer.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
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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