A sick little boy with a bad cough, What do I do?

Jennifer - posted on 01/02/2011

my son just had the same thing...it went on for about 3 weeks before we took him in to the doctor because the coughing fits weren't happening very often, and he seemed fine otherwise. then he developed a fever and we took him in...it turned out he had pneumonia :(



take him in, especially if the cough sounds strange at all. my son's did not sound strange but as others have mentioned, it could be croup or whooping cough.

Nikki - posted on 01/02/2011

I would take him to the ER if you can, it could be nothing to worry about, but then if it's something like whooping cough he needs to be treated sooner than later.Hope he gets better soon.

Anna - posted on 01/01/2011

is he immunised? Whooping cough can cause vomiting with the coughing fit. You can spot whooping cough by listening to the coughing. At the end of the coughing fit they make a high pitched intake of air (the whoop).

Kate CP - posted on 01/01/2011

Could be croup. Try cold night air.

Kara - posted on 01/01/2011

Your babe needs to be on some medication - do you not have any walk-in clinics? For the time being, just keep doing what you're doing - cut out the milk, lots of fluids, etc.

Krista - posted on 01/01/2011

Bronchitis is going around -- I know my son had it back in November, and the symptoms were similar. Coughing, but no other cold symptoms. He wound up being put on a round of antibiotics, and my doctor said that a humidifier in his bedroom would help thin the mucus and help him cough it up. But like Amy said, you've got to make sure to keep it clean. Other than that, just keep knocking the fluids to him.

Amy - posted on 01/01/2011

I was always told grape juice and honey. Otherwise, there is a berry called sambucal from elderberries - at most health food stores - and it helps the lungs so they can get over the cough. We usually also had them sip a fruit tea all day. Honey and fresh squeezed lemon helps, too. Also just having him drink a LOT of fluids is a natural expectorant. broth, water...etc. Hot dry air does irritate, but we never did baths for it. we put a kettle on and let it steam pretty much all day....since we drank tea all day with coughs anyway. It seemed to be what kicked mine fastest. plus, it put the moisture into the house and you don't have to deal with the dreaded bath steam. let us know how it goes.
The only reason I'm not big on vaporizors is that they can hide bacteria and are pretty hard to keep clean and could actually make more problems if it's old or not clean.

Keshia - posted on 01/01/2011

my son has had that since christmas we just kept vicks on his chest and back and kept a vicks vaporizer going in his room he didnt have a fever or anything either but now its finally gone just a little runny nose now also giving him baths really helped from splashing and stuff it made his boogers run out easier than a booger sucker that he fights me when I have to do it

Abbie - posted on 01/01/2011

sounds to me like a sinus infection. My son had the SAME thing took him the past monday and they gave him antibiotics for the infection. He too would throw up from coughing too hard. We used warm liquids to help the cough, I don't think milk makes a differnce if its a sinus infection, but if he is wheezing or having a hard time breathing then take him in. If no fever though and can breathe fine, lay low til monday and get him in right away :)