What Causes Cough In A 7 Year Old Child?

Posted on Sun, 31 Jan 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 31 Jan 2016 Answered on

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : My Child of 7 has a cough during the day but worse at night. Cough medicine does not seem to work. Our doctor discounts her have any problem and will lecture us on child getting sick 8 plus times a year and we are over acting. This is not normal, it never seems to go away. keeps her up at night. We make her a warm cup of honey and lemon and that sometimes works to help her sleep or during the day.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
ENT evaluation of tonsils required.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone very carefully through the details provided. Most often respiratory tract infections in children occur due to viral cause. Some children are more prone to catching such infections. But getting sick more than 8 times a year is indeed not normal and calls for an ENT checkup. Tonsillitis is a frequent cause behind such infections and in such cases tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) might be needed. However, the size of tonsils usually starts regressing after 7 years of age and so your ENT doctor would be a better judge as to what should be done in her case.

In the meantime continue to give her honey and lemon and also vaporizer or nebulization. Giving monteleukast + levocetirizine (prescription medicine) off and on once daily should be helpful.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T