5 year old with chronic cough

Alexandra - posted on 02/19/2012

my little girl is 4 and she is the same about 3 weeks ago she had this really bad barking cough only came through the night but has been full of a cold for about 3 months which will not go took her to drs said its just croup nothing to worry about now last night it came back again the croupy cough which makes her want to be sick when she is coughing how am i not to worry like drs say

Kathy - posted on 02/19/2012

Maybe it's just a post-nasal drip. I had a cold a couple years ago and the cough related to that cold has never gone away. There is a tickle in my throat that makes me cough. I think an ear, nose, and throat doctor may be able to help.

Linda - posted on 02/19/2012

My 5 daughter had serious problems with croup. We ruled out other issues and finally took her to an allergist. She was then diagnosed with cough variant croup. She has responded very well to a daily dose of Flovent. Good luck!

Helen - posted on 02/19/2012

hi,



i experianced the same thing, and i know what it is for my son, please research croup, and ask the docters to check your child for it, for the first year of my sons life i took him to so many different docs and they kept saying it was nothing yet i knew it was something, he gets it mostly when he gets a bad flue, and the cough turns into a barking cough, where he can cough till he spews, and something that kept him and me up all night everynight till treated. croup that he has, has not much to do with flem, but more to do with the airway closing up where air cant get to the lungs as easily as normal, there for resulting in fits of coughing, and also they get that bark. docters prescribe him steroids to open his airway back up and this is what heals it, until he gets the next cold or flue, ventelator also helps because of the steroid in it, but the actual tablets or syrup when he was even younger was more effective, croup is similar to athsma, docs have said that when he gets older croup may turn into athsma. he is now 16 years old and still gets croup, but its becoming more rare such as once or twice a year, compared to when he was under 12. please look into it, the barking cough i think is because the child airway is tightening, and thats serious if left um treated. its hard for them to breath and people missunderstand..e.g. doctors. you will have to ask them to check your child for croup and ask more about it. email me if you want to ask me anything, im not a doctor but a mother of 4 who has delt with this for 16 years, no one took me seriously until my child was that bad he was addmitted into princess margrette hospital in perth. where the gave him gas and steriods through the gas and he was there for a few weeks. tausus0479@hotmail.com

Angela - posted on 02/19/2012

Your daughter may have a gluten allergy, not necessarily celiacs disease, but a sensitivity to wheat or other grains. Try removing all grains from her diet for a few days and see if the coughing stops. Most traditional doctors will not catch it as that, but a holistic practitioner will.

Charity - posted on 02/19/2012

When my oldest when little she had this and one by one we removed things from our house and put them in plastic bags in the garage; starting with her toys. We even went to the expense of putting our dog in a kennel for over a week. Each thing needs to be a few days apart so you can tell which one is the correct one. We finally found out the decorative feathers my mother n law gave us was the culprit. Thank God, I think it would have broken her heart if I had to tell her; her dog had to go. Also try the HEPA Filters for your air handler.



I do not like modern day medicine because they are so quick to say it is XXX so you have to take XXX for the rest of your life which only benefits the doctors and pharmacy companies. But this is your child so you have to make the call yourself. I have fought to keep my children off as much medicine as I can without putting their lives in danger. As a 40+ mom of 4 and Nana of 2 I can affirm I have done a fairly decent job there are just too many who turn to a pill as an answer instead of common sense or a little bit of trouble shooting. Think how your grandma (OK maybe your great-grandma (my grandma)) would have done.



After over 12.5 years in the U S Navy I can guarantee you answers do not always come quick and easy with a red bow on top sometimes they take a little bit of effort to get to the root of and a bit more to remove it. It is all up to how much you want to invest into your child's health not that taking a person who went to school for most of the beginning of their adult life wrong but we have become an assembly line nation even when it comes to health care; HMOs.

Louise - posted on 02/19/2012

Get her heart checked. Have an echo done to see if there is a blood flow problem or valve problem.

Louise - posted on 02/19/2012

Get her heart checked. Have an echo done to see if there is a blood flow problem or valve problem.

Victoria - posted on 02/19/2012

My daughter has cystic fibrosis, so that is my perspective when I'd recommend that you get her tested for CF. It's a simple test and I'd think it would be worth it to do it. The diagnostic test is a sweat test, though you may need to go to a CF care center to have it done accurately, I'm not sure if regular children's hospitals can do it or not? You can also have a cheek swab done for genetic testing, but that could be a false negative as they don't check for all forms of CF (they've identified well over 1,000 mutations so far....). CF is so rare that your regular doc might not even think about it. If it is CF then at least you will know and can start the right types of treatment. I would hope that a CF test would simply rule it out, though. Good luck. It's not easy and it sounds like you're doing a great job trying to find the solution.



Let me know if you'd like to discuss this further as I'd be happy to talk (though I am not sure if I would see a message right away, so keep trying).

Tiffany - posted on 02/19/2012

My son is 2yrs old & also has the same chronic cough. He has been to an allergist & they still haven't figured out wats causing the cough which gets very bad when he gets a cold & won't seem to go away. What I have found out that helped his cough is not giving him a bath everyday, I try now every other day or every 3 days. Although I still clean him up no baths & when he does take a bath I don't allow him to stay in very long. Now I'm dealing with just a constant running nose but I prefer that over the chronic cough. He still coughs but its no where near as bad as it once was.

Genevieve - posted on 02/19/2012

I was myself a cougher when I was little. I outgrew it. But one thing I would consider checking would be allergens around her. For example carpet, or even mold in walls or something like that. I am not saying that is what it is but could be worth a look. Check if it's worse in different places, for examples does she cough more at home than school?? You see where I am going?

Monica - posted on 02/19/2012

My daughter who is 7 had the same problem about two weeks ago. She had a nebulizer treatment in the Dr's office and has an inhaler to use at home and school. I hope your daughter feels better soon!

Triana - posted on 02/19/2012

could be but they should have diagnosed by now sometimes you have to do a bit of shouting have you tried sitting her in a steamy room as it may be croup,is the cough mainly at nigh t as that is mostly asthma one of my teens has developed this kind of cough, dr thinks it maybe an allergy but to what is unclear

Kathy - posted on 02/18/2012

Kids with asthma will cough as a way to keep airways inflated and open. COuld be an airway obstruction (adnoids) get a chest xray and a "lateral neck" xray. Also rule out Pertussis (whooping cough) It is making a comeback

Kathy - posted on 02/18/2012

Kids with asthma will cough as a way to keep airways inflated and open. COuld be an airway obstruction (adnoids) get a chest xray and a "lateral neck" xray. Also rule out Pertussis (whooping cough) It is making a comeback

Pamela - posted on 02/17/2012

Have you been to just one doctor? If so, then get a 2nd opinion. If the cough has been consistent for that long it might not be in the lungs but rather in the throat or esophagus.



Has any doctor tested these areas of the body? Obviously if the lungs are clear then the cough is not coming from that area of the body. Have her throat and esophagus checked as well. Perhaps an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist would be best at this point!

Karen - posted on 02/17/2012

My 3 year old granddaughter experienced the same chronic cough, that started when she was 8 months old, (the same time that they moved into a house that, IMO, was unhealthy in many ways. It was a stone house w/o insulation. Although they had a few extra space heaters, it was always cold and damp in that house. I pointed out to my son, that due to all of the dampness, there was mold/mildew growing in the house. I could also smell that musty "basement" smell. 20 months of chronic coughing, with no explanation. Her pediatrician also said her lungs were clear. After 20 months, they moved into a normal house, (bricks, siding, insulation). Within the 1st 6 weeks I noticed my granddaughter's cough going away completely. She's not had the cough since. It's been 16 months since they moved out of that stone house.



So, is there any chance that your daughter's cough could be related to your home? Mold can grow between the walls and go undetected. The biggest indicator is usually smell. Has there ever been a leak that went unnoticed for a while?

Amy - posted on 02/17/2012

My kids have problems with reflux, which actually adds to their cough. If her problems seem worse when lying down then you might want to bring this to her doc's attention. Be persistent... your gut is right. This is not normal.

Jenny - posted on 02/16/2012

Could it maybe be a result of very dry air? I know when it gets really dry here, my DD develops a really pervasive dry inflammatory cough, that, once she gets started is really hard to stop! If you live in a dry climate (and in today's climate controlled society pretty much everyone lives in a too dry environment inside), you maybe could try running a humidifier in her room every night (starting about 2 hrs before she goes to bed and running all night). In case of cough attacks, we put a boiling pot of water (up high obviously where she can't reach it) with 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil this usually really helps. I also agree with the PPs that you need to be really good about vacuuming and dusting, this also makes a big difference.

HTH!

Melissa - posted on 02/16/2012

My daughter has been going through this for years. Finally, I found an allergist that has really made a difference. He says she has a touch of asthma, even though she has no symptoms when playing. I don't like giving a lot of medicines, but after she ended up with pneumonia twice and in the hospital, I decided I better give in. If she starts a cough, I start giving her a preventative inhaler everyday until the cough is completely gone. If she has a cold and a constant cough, we use the nebulizer during the day and the preventative inhaler before bed. She was prescribed Tussionex for nighttime coughing because nothing else gives her relief so she can sleep, but I give that sparingly. The inhaler and nebulizer has made a huge difference and her coughs are coming less often.

Jennifer - posted on 02/16/2012

My daughter has the same thing.. On again off again since she was born.... She is now 2.5 yrs. old. The new thing I have tried is putting a pillow underneath her mattress so she is sleeping on an angle seems to help but I am heading to the ENT for a check up. She already had tubes put in, adenoids removed so she is due for a check up... I am weaning her off the binky which i think does not help the situation, but with a humidifier on seems to help... good luck

Haidy - posted on 02/16/2012

My two children are asthmatic and one of them has food allergies. One is 10 years old and the other one is 5 years old. They both used to have that kind of cough that looked to came from no where specially during winter time. Their pediatrician refered them to the allergist and with a preventive treatment (for fall and winter) their cough desappeared. The treatment is called Flovent. You should take her to an allergist. She'll be able to tell you if this come from an allergy or not. Good Luck!

Carrie - posted on 02/16/2012

Our daughter was the same way, we had her allerfy tested and everything. Although she tested negative for allergies once our dog was gone it totally subsided. Now that said she still gets an occasional cold and then the only thing that works is a warm vaporizer and the cough suppressant that you can put into the cup on top. Tried everything else under the sun and swear by this. Good luck. PS I would take her to an ENT if she hasnt been to on - sounds like Non-allergic Rhinitis to me cough due to a mild post nasal drip maybe?

Debbie - posted on 02/16/2012

my son has that and a inhaler he has had it since he was 9 months old

Robin - posted on 02/16/2012

Having been going thru the same thing with my 4 1/2 year old son. We were referred to a pulmonologist. I was shocked to find out it was actually acid reflux. Once the doctor went over everything it then made sense. A chronic cough is a symptom of acid reflux in children.

Tess - posted on 02/16/2012

My son had a clear, barking cough with no noticeable obstruction in the lungs for over a year, and it turns out he has mild asthma. We live in Germany and have had the fortune of a great health system. The children's hospital has special equipment that is suited for children (he had been to a regular doctor before, and nothing was found). My son has been on ventolair - might be called something else in English - for over a year. First he inhaled the spray twice a day for 6 months, then once a day for 8 months. In the summer he'll be able to stop for a trial period to see if he even still needs it. Children's asthma can be "cured" if treated soon enough!

Sandra - posted on 02/16/2012

Our boy used to have a very "astmatic"-type cough too.

We had him checked for allergies first and when that was all negative we got redirected to a nose/ear/throat specialist.

As a result his tonsils & polyps were removed last summer and he also got tubes in his ears.

It's been a major difference.. no more snoring during the night, fewer colds and "normal" colds that don't last 3 weeks and more.



You might want to have your daughter checked for those things.



Hopefully they'll find what's bothering her soon :)

Shanna - posted on 02/16/2012

I had a friend with the same problem and doctors kept saying croup. The finally went to a specialist and it was a nodule in her throat that was causing the problem. It just needed to be removed.

I would ask for a ENT... They can hopefully get to the real problem

Cheryl - posted on 02/16/2012

My son just turned six and has been coughing for a few months now. We did try a nebulizer for two weeks. Did seem to help but didn't cure. Now he is coughing again. Our doc said to try allergy med's for 7-10 days to see if that helps. We are on day three of those so we'll have to see if those work. My husband has had allergies/asthma his entire life so this really does not surprise me. Unfortunately, I think he might of gotten this from his dad. Thank goodness there is so much more they can do these days than thirty yrs ago. Good luck, I hope we find a cure for this cough as well!

Michelle - posted on 02/16/2012

sounds like Asthma or whooping cough. My boys got RSV they had a barking cough and then developed Asthma and grew out of it by age 10

Selina - posted on 02/16/2012

My girl had one of a nite time so i chekd out the bedrm as its berm a eet summer room and house very damp and some mould ive moved her into my room which is larga and more ventilstion cough has gne away we r renting by end yr we will be moven

Anchal - posted on 02/15/2012

Hi.......if its not smething serious then you should switch to homeopathy.anything allergic can be treated well without side effects.I hope it works for you.

rgds

Anchal

Tracy - posted on 02/15/2012

I have the same thing. I am 41 and have dealt with this my whole life. Testing for allergies is important but throughout life you can gain new allergis as well. Seasonal allergies definitely make my asthma worse.

Ann - posted on 02/15/2012

My son had a chronic cough for six months and no one could figure out why. I happened to mention it to a nutritonist and they suggested having him drink salt water to dry up any mucous in the body. 1 tsp Celtic sea salt or pink salt in little bit of water every night at bedtime. Within 3 days the cough was completely gone and has not returned! When my daughter seemed to be coming down with bronchitis I gave her the same thing and it stopped it in its tracks within two days. Usually she had it three weeks. So no more meds for us!

Christine - posted on 02/15/2012

I have 2 girls who have had the same persistent cough, first one was originally diagnosed with whooping cough, but after tests came back negative her Dr said its just a virus getting around, she still is coughing occasionally now 3 months later but much less often . The second child, older, who suffers mild asthma was told by Dr that it's from not taking her asthma preventer inhaler and so after monitoring her more closely on her puffer, her cough has minimized much sooner but still there , and still more persistent then the younger ones cough. I tried preventers cough mix,,, asthma inhalers, and neither made much difference. A lot of people in our area have said similar things about their child with cough so I now have resigned to it being a really persistent viral cough. No other symptoms or problems... Horrible not being able to help, just have to let it run it's course.

Hope your little guy is better sooner then my two have had to deal with coughing

Heather - posted on 02/15/2012

I have triplett 13 year olds (now) and can remember the cough was always with all 3 of them was the croup. and the croup can be treated with a special medication epinifrin in a nebulizer which i used a couple of times a day. This was when they were 2 years old and had taken them to the emergency room and had xrays done. the quickest method that worked was cold and humid air outside and the shower steam which loosens the throat and cough.

Alanna - posted on 02/15/2012

We had thi issue last winter with our the 4 yr old. Our pediatrician had to give her steroids on to of the albuterol rescue inhaler. After two doses of the steroids she was much better. She does have cough variant asthma. So now when th bark starts, she gets the rescue inhaler right away, no question... She hasn't had hardly any problems this year. If your pediatrician doesn't seem to be helping, try a lung specialist for the asthma :). Good luck. That cough can be tiring!

Silvia - posted on 02/15/2012

Hello, children asthma doesn't need to show classic wheezing, My girl had dry cough at night and early morning,when it got worse, there was a crackle sound, and when we went to the doctor in the morning, no sign at all, no wheezing, no sound, perfect. We were sent home just to experience the same thing,at night and it went like that for a while. Doctor said it's very typical of asthma to disappear when it's not happening.



She was prescribed flixotide (preventor) and ventolin (no prescription needed). If the cough attack is fierce only for a while, it can be whooping cough, barking sound is typical of croup. But if it's been like that for years, most probably it's asthma. Probably triggered by something at home.

Pamela - posted on 02/15/2012

allergy?

try homeopathi

Alberta - posted on 02/15/2012

You need to get your daughter to an asthma specialist ASAP. My daughter went through that too with the deep barky cough that we were told was croup BUT it wouldn't go away for weeks and weeks. We finally went to a specialist and found out she has asthma that "presents" itself with a cough that gets so bad when she is sick. She does not display the "classic" asthma signs but she is now on Flomax daily and albuteral as needed if it isn't too bad and our latest episode (rushing to the ER by ambulance) added a nebulizer with albuteral to our "bag of tricks". Your daughter sounds so much like my daughter. Become her best advocate and keep going until you get her help. It might be the only way she gets the help she needs. The doctor only sees her a few minutes so document everything you can such as ho often does she cough, when, what does it sound like, does it get worse or better depending on her environment (cold, hot, dry, wet) and don't take no for an answer. And invest in a good humidifier with humidity control and auto on and off for her room. It does help A LOT. Go get her checked and God Bless! Alberta

Sarah - posted on 02/15/2012

My child had the same problems and after being back to the doctor a number of times over three months.The first doctor said it was Allergies. He put my son on Allergy medicine. The second doctor sent my son to an asthma doctor and he was put on two inhalers.The coughing just continued.So finally I said enough was enough and I took him to another doctor.This doctor had him tested for Whooping Cough /Pertussis. Interesting enough the test came back positive. Now finally he has had freedom from the coughing after taking the treatment for Whooping Cough. After we let the school know that is what he had, all the schools in our area found out that many students also had Pertussis.

Leanne - posted on 02/15/2012

Oh I so hope it is not the pets she is allergic too! We have a Lab and 2 kitties she adores...letting them go is not really an option. I appreciate all of your advice...

Ella - posted on 02/15/2012

A good ENT will refer you to an allergist for skin testing, its all beginning with a allergen, possibly an allergy to a food or to the family pet....good luck....e

Michelle - posted on 02/15/2012

Sounds like she has croup.

Carrie - posted on 02/15/2012

My son has had the same type of cough since he was 1. He has never had the wheezingjust the cough. He has allergy and viral induced asthma. We have a controller puffer for everyday use and the blue puffer we use when he gets sick since his cough gets worse. Since the medication he is better. He is 7 now and seems to be needing it less. We replaced his pillows with allergy ones and kept his room well dusted.

Cheryl - posted on 02/15/2012

My oldest had the same issue, and after 6 months and dozens of cough meds I really wanted answers! Eventually we were referred to an Allergist & my daughter was allergic to dogs (which we indeed had) and also Mold (which is unfortunately everywhere around us!) She now takes daily prescription allergy meds, (has for the last 7 years) and very rarely has issues now.

We also keep an air purifier in her room (not a humidifier that many docs recommend for coughs, because her Allergist said they are a big no-no for allergy sufferers). I personally had allergy testing since I would wake up congested every morning & learned I was allergic to dust/dust mites. Though allergy barriers on the pillows/mattresses help with reducing my congestion I NEVER have developed a cough due to my allergy of the mites & dust. If you haven't taken your little one to an Allergist I would highly recommend it. Allergy testing today is pretty easy...they take liquid samples that are on a plastic tester (kind of like a Lego) and press it on the back to determine the results. Inconclusive results may result in the needle method (for me yes, but for my daughter thankfully no!) Best of luck to you :)

Sophia - posted on 02/15/2012

As some other moms here, I try to take a natural approach to things. Although, I do believe in finding a balance between natural and modern medicine. It sounds like your child is responding negatively to something in her environment.



You may want to consider BIE. BioEnergetic Intolerence Ilimination. BIE is a powerful scientific approach that uses a simple and effective method to eliminate all symptoms of allergy or intolerance without the use of drugs. It worked wonders on my husband.

Leanne - posted on 02/15/2012

I am going to ask for her to be referred to an ENT to look further into the cause. And no I have not tried allergy medication...maybe worth a shot for the short term until we know what is going on.

Alexandra - posted on 02/15/2012

Have you tried allergy medication? Maybe it will help?

Amy - posted on 02/15/2012

My oldest son suffered with what sounds like the same issue your daughter is having. He had large tonsils, but was never diagnosed with tonsilitis or any other infection. He too was prescribed an inhaler. He would cough so hard, he would vomit. It seemed like we were going through the same cycle every three weeks. After seeing our primary provider, (whom I have the utmost respect for),numerous times I asked to be referred to an ENT. The ENT looked in his mouth and said, "those are impressive, we can take them out." Dr.'s really do not want to do tonsillectomy's, but it was well worth it for us. He has been cough free, since. When we go the pathology report back from the Dr, it said he had an underlying infection the entire time. It might be something to check out.