Question
A three-year-old child has been coughing frequently for the past year, with bouts lasting several days each, and the symptoms are especially severe during seasonal changes. How should this condition be treated? Is it possible to cure it?
Answer
The child’s severe coughing, especially during seasonal changes, is typical of pediatric bronchitis. The causes and treatment are complex, primarily involving the small bronchi of the child’s lungs. The main pathogens are respiratory syncytial viruses, which cause inflammation, edema, increased mucus secretion in the small bronchi, and the shedding of mucosal epithelial cells into the lumen, leading to significant air trapping and atelectasis of the lungs, damage to the alveolar walls and interstitium. Personally, given the child’s young age, medication should be used with caution. I recommend using antiviral drugs such as ribavirin and alpha interferon, which can effectively treat and alleviate the condition. I hope these suggestions will give you peace of mind and wish the child good health. This is advice for the “Child with Chronic Cough for a Year at Age Three” question. I hope it will be helpful to you and wish you good health!