why is my son coughing all the time?

Question

my son has had a cough for 3 weeks now day and night sometimes he can cough non stop for two hours. we have been to the doctor and his chest is clear we just dont know what else to do.we have bought a steamer for his room but this does not seem to make any difference

Answer 1

It could be an allergy triggering the cough. Try an antihistamine to see if this will help. The vaporizer is a very good idea as this will help put moisture in the lungs, you want moisture, so if there is something to cough up, this will help. Also have him drink plenty of fluids. I mix up Vit C,,,crush up about 2,000 mg of it and dissolve in a cup of warm water, and drink it. This for some reason helps stop coughing.

Answer 2

Sorry to hear about your son, believe me, I have 2 boys and I have been there.

Does he have a runny/stuffed up nose? If he does, then he may have Post-Nasal Drip and a nose spray like Otrivin Pediatric might help. Or you can try Dimetapp, that will help with the stuffiness and the cough. It may make them sleep, but it could also make them hyper. It will be one or the other.
Hopefully sleep..lol.
If his chest is clear, then perhaps you could ask the doctor for a prescription cough suppressant like Novahistine DH or Novahistex. Both of these are narcotic cough syrups which will help him sleep through the night without coughing.
A home remedy to try is to get a big salad bowl, fill it with ice and have him breath over it. I don't know why it works, but when my son had what they called "the 100 day cough", it worked to stop the coughing.

I hope this helps, and I hope you and your son feels better soon.

Answer 3

If is chest is clear, which means he probably doesn't need to be coughing so often to clear it, you can try some Delsym. It's the strongest OTC couhg medication out there. However, if he's losing sleep with his cough, call his doctor and tell them that he has a dry cough that is preventing him from sleeping at night. They should be able to give you a cough syrup containing codeine, the most effective medication for cough suppression. It may help break the vicious cycle so his throat can heal. However if he's truly coughing for 2 hours at a time, he may need to be checked out by your doc. Is he wheezing when he coughs? A follow-up check up would be a good idea if it's been a week since you saw the doc.

Answer 4

even though his chest is 'clear' he still can have airway problems-bronchitis, asthma. Sometimes a cough is the only sign of kids with asthma. Have they tried an inhaler? Also, allergies play a role this time of year. Have you tried any antihistamines. Ask the pharmacist which ones would be best fot OTC use, or go call you doc and see what he thinks. I know my son just got over a viral illness, began with a cold, but he coughed for a month! Not kidding! Finally went away.

Answer 5

A dry and irritating cough can be due to infection in the nose, sinus, ear or throat, or may be provoked by inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke.
A loose and wet cough may be a sign of bronchitis, or could be triggered by an allergy. One clue is that a cough that worsens at night is usually a sign of inflammation. This is the result of a shift in fluids, caused by lying down, which then triggers the cough reflex.

One thing to do is to reduce the mucus in the body; whose main culprit is dairy & red meat; so AVOID all DAIRY
(to replace the calcium lost you can give them a supplement or see 2nd link for more ideas eg quinoa & amaranth have more calcium than milk).

Chicken broth is very good, I'd go for the best vaierty you can find.

This site is excellent for referal on a variety of conditions or advie on diet,nutrition & natural remedies. They espcially have a KidZone or Parenst & kids section for children.
Just type in relevant words in search & look thr' results (the Q&A at the end is very good).

Also they have a book called What Really Works for Kids
by Susan Clark.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Really-Works-Susan-Clark/dp/0593049195/ref=sr_1_2/026-4868319-8881264?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174775984&sr=1-2
.

Answer 6

keep the place free from dust and smoke dont allow anybody to smoke around him.
Milk is good for a cough as it lines the throat, So try give him some before he goes down at night time and keep his head raised a bit

Answer 7

Hi,I'm a paramedic and am sorry to say have little faith in doctors.I would go back to your GP's and maybe see another doc.Or beter still go and ask to see a nurse and kids A+E if you can,you can trust what they tell you! Hope this helps

Answer 8

Have you checked him for allergies? Or perhaps for sleep apnea? Odd as it sounds, that could lead to coughing.

Have another doctor check him: Something is going on.

Good luck!

Answer 9

Change your GP!

Phone NHS Direct

Answer 10

Could it be a nervous cough? Is there anything troubling him?