Question
My three-and-a-half-year-old child has been coughing continuously for five days. The cough is caused by a cold. How should I handle it?
Answer
Coughing, as a defensive response to clear foreign bodies from the respiratory tract, usually does not require the use of cough suppressants. However, if the cough is severe and affects the child’s comfort, appropriate cough suppressants can be selected for symptomatic treatment based on the condition. The causes of cough may include acute and chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, respiratory foreign bodies, respiratory compression, and allergic reactions. Therefore, when treating cough, it is essential to comprehensively analyze the condition, identify the cause, and choose appropriate cough suppressants on the basis of treating the cause of the cough. Medications for treating cough are mainly categorized into cough suppressants, expectorants, and bronchodilators. Cough suppressants can be used for mild inflammation-induced dry cough; expectorants are suitable for situations with excessive mucus and thick phlegm; bronchodilators can be used to relieve bronchospasm caused by allergies or inflammation. When selecting medications, it is important to choose drugs with minimal side effects and that are safe and reliable for children.