Question
My child always coughs at night, and when the coughing gets worse, it turns into dry heaves. During the day, the symptoms are not obvious. Is this due to allergic cough or indigestion? What medication should I give them?
Answer
The child is a 4-year-old male who coughs at night and has started to vomit. The symptoms are not apparent during the day. Most coughs in children with colds are due to colds, infections of the trachea or lungs. Eating cold food can also cause coughing, which usually lasts for seven to ten days. Cough is often the last symptom to disappear. If it lasts for more than one to three months, or if it is a spasmodic mild cough that does not respond to antibiotics and is relieved at night, it may be allergic cough, also known as cough variant asthma. In such cases, nebulizer inhalation and corticosteroid medications should be added.