HEALTH TIPS (SERIES 3) Part 1
COUGH
Another common subjective complaint in children is cough. It is a reflex mechanism to protect the airway from any impediment of airflow into the lungs and out.
It aims to clear any obstruction from the airway that may be due to a foreign body, mucus or other causes.
If the air passageway is narrowed due to hyperactivity and inflammation of the lining of the respiratory tract or there is overproduction of mucus as in an asthma attack, the cough produced forces air through a narrowed airway and helps with breathing.
This protective mechanism should not be suppressed unless it becomes frequent, ineffective, tiring and irritating that it can be distressful to the child and alarming to the parents.
It is best to find the cause of the cough and treat it. A productive cough – one that produces phlegm or mucus- may be due to an infection or an inflammation, more so if it is accompanied by fever.
Common cold is one of the causes of cough which I have discussed earlier.
Goodies are nuts, candies, fruits and other inanimate objects like coins or gun pellets which may not be food but to a child looks good enough to eat. They act as foreign bodies that need to be expelled from the airway via a cough reflex once aspirated.
To be continued in the next Blog.....
DISCLAIMER:
The natural home remedies discussed in this article are not meant to treat or cure but are alternative guides to help alleviate the symptoms of common ailments in children. Should your child’s symptoms persist, consult with your friendly neighborhood pediatrician or family physician. Be Blessed! Be Loved! Be Healed!