My two year old son has been extremely congested and coughing very badly, but only at night....?

Question

Any ideas why? Any suggestions on how to help to relieve him. I am planning on calling the doctor in the morning, but tonight seems especially bad. He is ok during the day AFTER he coughs when he first gets up and gets it out of his system... but it seems to be getting worse every night...

Answer 1

I just went through this three weeks ago and I used a Vicks Vaporizer for congestion and Delsym so he could sleep soundly....if its truly chest congestion only then this should work well. It did for me we did this for a few days and he was nice and clear. If you see fever and no response to the Delsym and u find him depending on Advil Then yes please go to the doc, possible infection( i.e; ear infection or Strep throat) caused by the cough or the yucks staying in his lil body, I keep an arsenal of Advil, Delsym, Vicks liquid,plus the vaporizer ,cough rags and a thermometer in a lil section called my "Cold Section" in the bathroom cabinet. After 72 hrs for fever, then with cold/cough 7-10 days is the max you want to ride it out then go to the doc. I was told this time and time again, and now I finally got it worked into a system. Take Care

Answer 2

get in the bathroom, close the door, and turn on the shower HOT to steam it up. or if it is cold and damp outside, my doctor says that is really good for that cough too. basically humidity helps I guess. I don't have any suggestions for cough medicines because everything I've tried doesn't seem to work for my kid. you could also try having him sleep at an incline to keep the fluids from settling? Don't know if that makes sense but seems to work sometimes. For vaporizers we always use the steam kind vs. the cold evaporative kind. I have also put in the Vicks vaporizer menthol liquid that is sold everywhere as well as essential oil of eucalyptus.

Answer 3

You can have him take a bath in Johnson and Jonson Mentol bath that will help open up his sinuses and make it easier for him to breathe. I would suggest a humidifer to help with suggest and the coughing otc for his age. Chicken soup especially. The broth.. I would recommend a Natural Tea, but i dont' know any two year old that will go near it. Definately bring the little one to see the dr. Colds Colds are minor infections of the nose and throat that are caused by more than 250 different types of cold viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most common. Colds typically last for one week, but may linger in children. Fact: Children get an average of six to eight colds per year. Cold season runs from about September until March or April. How can you tell if your child may have a cold? Cold symptoms tend to come on gradually, and may include: Runny nose Congestion Sneezing Reduced sense of taste and smell Scratchy throat Cough How can you prevent the common cold? Colds are hard to prevent, but here are top tips from experts: Avoid contact with people who have a cold. Wash your hands after touching anyone with a cold. Keep your child home when they are sick to help prevent others from catching the cold. Encourage your child to cover his or her mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Discourage your child from touching his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. How do you treat a child with a cold? Antibiotics are ineffective against colds. They should only be used if there are clear signs of a bacterial infection, such as an increasing cough and thickened, cloudy mucus. Recommended care for children with colds includes: Rest Drink plenty of liquids (including tea, water, and juice). Put a humidifier in your child's room to provide extra moisture, which helps reduce congestion. Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lower fever and reduce aches. Both are available in children's formulations. Do not give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever. Aspirin may increase risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare disorder that occurs almost exclusively in children under the age of 15 and can cause severe liver and brain damage. Over-the-counter cold remedies are fine for children over age 6. But talk with your doctor before giving any child under age 6 an over-the-counter cold medicine. In very young children with congestion, use a nasal bulb to gently remove mucus. You may also spray three drops of saline nasal spray into each nostril.

Answer 4

Get a cold water vaporizer and put it in the room, will help the congestion "stay loose" and not stuff him up. If it's been less than 10 days he's been congested, the doctor will probably tell you it's a virus. you can't treat a virus, it has to form its bacteria before antibiotics will work. But DEFINITELY take him in. Also, if this becomes a regular occurance you might check for allergies,ie, dust,stuffed animals, a cat if you've got one...

Answer 5

Maybe he's got some post-nasal drip going on that's aggravated when he lies down to sleep and makes him cough?

I'd try "steaming" him: run a hot shower, and hang out in the bathroom while he breathes in the steamy air.

Alternatively, some kids find cold air soothing, so you could bundle him up and take him outside for a few minutes.

(Both of these are also remedies for croup.)

And then I'd give him some Benedryl to dry all that mucous up while he sleeps.

And I'd call the pediatrician for better advice in the morning.

Answer 6

use a humidifier or vaporizer and use vick's baby vapor cream in his chest . It should help him get through the night. You could also give him an expetorant such as kids Mucinex to make his coughing more productive and clear everything out but check with the pharmicist to make sure it's ok for his age and weight.

Answer 7

He could have post nasal drip, which once he lays down starts running down his throat and thus making him cough. Take him to the doctor and have his sinuses checked out, he can also listen to his lungs to make sure they're clear. I know, I suffer from it and it never fails. All day I am fine and once I hit the pillow I go on and on. But if I blow my nose before I go to bed, I am ok. My granddaughter does the same thing. You would think she has the worst cold but it's only her sinuses, my daughter puts saline solution into her nose and she blows it out and then its ok and she stops coughing.

Answer 8

This is a great home remedy that works wonders on just this kind of thing. I have two kids and my husband has also used it to relieve his stubborn coughs.
Add 1 tbsp of honey to 1 cup of warm water. Mix and then shake a little black pepper on it. Have him drink it little by little if he can't drink the whole thing. Let him drink with a straw if he likes that better.

Answer 9

My son is doing the same thing. I just have to get him up for coughmeds (if h doesn't like the liuid get the triaminic cough strips) and i have to give him water a couple times through out the night. his doc said it will just have to run its course. and he only does it at night too.

Answer 10

my daughter just went through this. turns out she had a nasty case of bronchitis. I used a cool mist vaporizer and vicks to help some and propped the head of her crib up some. that helped with the coughing, Good luck i hope he feels better.