Which Cough Is That?

It’s not unusual for your child to cough from time to time, especially during the colder months of the year. Coughing is a perfectly natural bodily function, designed to help maintain clear airways. More often than not, if your child develops a cough it’s just a simple cold – one of the six to 10, on average, he is likely to have to deal with every year – and not really anything to worry about.

But from time to time, that innocent little cough can develop into something much nastier or, even worse, the underlying cause of the cough can be a potentially sinister disease. Here’s a run down of what you need to know…

NORMAL COUGHS

You’ll have had your own fair share of coughs and colds over the years, so you should know what it sounds like when a cough is nothing to fret over. By extension, you can probably work out when a cough has started to get worse, progressing into a more serious illness, or when it simply doesn’t sound right at all.

If your child’s cough gets worse, or he starts producing mucus or phlegm – that mucky green or brown stuff that comes out when he coughs – he could have a chest infection, and may need treatment. The Golden Rule is this: if you suspect that something is wrong, ask your GP or healthcare provider to check it out.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry, particularly considering some of the nasties that are doing the rounds this winter in Australia have the potential to be deadly,” says PP’s GP, Dr Ginni Mansberg. And if your child presents with any of the symptoms in the ‘Seek help now!’ box at the bottom of the article, then it’s time to get some urgent medical help.

CROUP

Croup is a relatively common childhood infection of the larynx (voice box) and trachea(windpipe), usually caused by easily transmissible viruses similar to those that cause both influenza and the common cold. In fact, many cases of croup begin with a simple cold and develop further from there.

When things progress, it usually happens during the night – your child may go to bed with a slight fever, runny nose and a normal-sounding cough, then wake in the wee hours having difficulty breathing and with a barking cough. You’ll probably notice him labouring for air, accompanied by a wheezing sound as he breathes in.

The breathing difficulty is the major concern here, and is caused by an inflammation of the airways. This is more common in younger children, whose airways are already quite narrow.

“You can try settling your child with a cool drink and paracetamol, once you’ve spoken to your doctor,” Dr Mansberg says. “Steam can also be helpful – try running a hot shower and comforting your little one in the bathroom with the door shut, letting the steam build up like in a sauna.”

However, if your littlie exhibits any of the symptoms listed in the ‘Seek help now!’ section at the bottom of the article, do so immediately.

ASTHMA

Asthma is increasingly common among Australian children. According to the National Asthma Council Australia, around one in eight Australian children have asthma to some degree – and in some cases, it’s a condition that can be life-threatening.

Asthma affects the small airways inside the lungs, called bronchi. During an asthma attack, these passages become swollen, inflamed and can get thick with mucus. This leads to the small airways becoming narrower, reducing the flow of air into and out of the lungs.

As a result, children with asthma can find it very hard to breathe and begin to cough and often start to wheeze as they struggle for air. According to the experts, asthma-related coughing typically occurs during the night, early in the morning and during or after physical activity.

Asthma can also be triggered by a number of different things, including having a simple cold, experiencing a change in the weather or being exposed to cigarette smoke, dust, pollen and animal dander. In an extreme asthma attack, your child might find it very difficult to breathe, may be unable to talk and he might even begin to turn blue, due to a lack of oxygen.

“In those instances, call an ambulance and, where possible, provide relief with an inhaler through a spacer, every one to two minutes,” Dr Mansberg says. “If you suspect your child might have asthma, talk to your GP about how it can be managed. There are a range of treatment options, and your doctor will be able to provide the best information.”

WHOOPING COUGH

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be a very serious condition in young children. It’s a highly contagious respiratory disease, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, that claims the lives of one in every 200 babies that contract it. It spreads by what’s known as ‘droplet infection’: when someone with pertussis coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets become airborne and can be breathed in by the people around him.

Much like croup, whooping cough begins with symptoms that resemble those of a cold – slight fever, a runny nose and a cough. The cough, however, rapidly progresses to become severe.

It occurs in bouts, with the child coughing and coughing until he can barely breathe – at which point, the body inhales with such force that the characteristic ‘whooping’ sound is created. It’s also quite common for children to vomit at the end of a coughing fit.

The complications that can occur because of whooping cough are extremely severe: it can cause your child to stop breathing, lead to inflammation of the brain, convulsions, coma, permanent brain damage and death.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can severely reduce the likelihood of your child ever contracting whooping cough by having him, and your family, immunised against pertussis. This includes grandparents, too – anyone that is spending significant amounts of time with your littlie should strongly consider being immunised.

“Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, “ says Dr Mansberg. “But if you suspect that your child might have contracted it, seek medical help immediately.”

If your littlie has a cough and starts to display any of the symptoms listed here, you should get him to a doctor or hospital, urgently.

Be on the lookout for…

• A very high fever (above 39˚C)

• Signs your child is struggling to breathe, or breathing that is much faster than normal when resting

• A noise that sounds like your child is snoring when he breathes out

• Difficulty swallowing

• A bluish tinge to the lips or skin (this is called cyanosis)

• A ‘caving in’ around the neck or ribs when your child breathes in

• A ‘whooping’ sound made while breathing in after coughing

• Continual coughing that results in your child being unable to breathe

• Vomiting after coughing

• If your child experiences periods where he does not breathe (apnoea).