Question

My child frequently coughs and, on occasion, experiences wheezing, primarily characterized by a whistling sound, with no significant shortness of breath. The symptoms are relieved after taking symptomatic anti-inflammatory medication, but they often recur. I am worried whether it could develop into chronic bronchitis or asthma? Will it get better as the child grows older and their resistance becomes stronger?

Answer

Currently, it is advisable to appropriately enhance the child’s immunity. One effective method to prevent upper respiratory tract infections in children is to boost their respiratory immunity and strengthen their resistance to pathogens. The following measures can be taken:

  1. Physical Exercise: Physical exercise helps enhance the child’s constitution and improve their defense against diseases. In addition to sports activities, full use can be made of air, sunlight, and water for exercise, such as sleeping with windows open to allow the child to breathe in cooler and fresher air, thereby strengthening the respiratory tract’s resistance.
  2. Nutritional Enhancement: Obtaining various essential nutrients helps improve the child’s immunity. Children who lack trace elements like zinc or vitamin A are prone to recurrent respiratory tract infections. Through appropriate dietary adjustments and increasing the intake of trace elements like zinc or vitamin A through supplements, or treatment with zinc preparations and vitamin A capsules, these children’s immunity can be significantly improved, and the incidence of respiratory tract infections can be significantly reduced.
  3. Timely Vaccination: Vaccinations such as measles, pertussis, and rubella can effectively enhance the child’s immunity against these respiratory infectious diseases, thereby cutting off the spread of these diseases in the population.