Question
The 1.5-year-old baby coughs for nearly two hours every morning, and this issue has persisted for nearly two months. The cough is like a series of hacking sounds after activity, with a hoarse voice and minimal phlegm. There is no coughing during the day or at night. An X-ray and blood test were done at the hospital, and the doctor diagnosed it as an upper respiratory tract cough syndrome, prescribing five days of nebulizer treatment. After treatment, the coughing decreased, and the baby returned for a follow-up visit where the doctor prescribed another nine days of nebulizer treatment with a reduced dosage. The coughing stopped for three to four days after treatment but has since returned every morning, similar to before the nebulizer treatment. Is the baby suffering from allergic cough? What treatment should be pursued next? Should we focus on nebulizer treatment or consider other medications? Thank you for the doctor’s patience in answering.
Answer
The reports from the baby indicate that it is likely due to tracheal inflammation. Besides the cough, does the child have any other discomforts? For instance, does the cough come with phlegm? Based on this child’s results, it does not appear to be allergic cough; rather, it seems to be caused by tracheal inflammation. Therefore, I believe it would be appropriate to give the child some lung-clearing and blood-cooling medication with traditional Chinese medicine ingredients, which not only has anti-inflammatory properties but also can help lower immunity.