As parents, we frequently are asking each either what is going around right now, the answer coughs. We have been seeing a TON of them here in the office. The good news, for the most part it is necessary coughing.
I am sure you are asking yourself, how is a cough necessary? The answer is because a cough is what keeps that mucus from getting into our lungs. It helps us avoid lung infections, pneumonia, choking, and is our way of getting that mucus out.
However, if your kids are like my kids they are just swallowing it. So what happens if it gets swallowed? It goes to our stomach and gets pooped out. Therefore, it is usually the reason our kids poop gets runny and mucusy stool with colds.
Coughs tend to last 7-14 days. Coughs worsen at night-- that is because when we lay down the mucus drips to the back of the throat and triggers us to cough. Typically kids in school and daycare seem to cough A LOT. However, it is usually in phases (better and then worse, repeat, repeat, REPEAT). This is because they tend to get cold after cold.
Now if you have made it this far in the post I am sure you are wondering, when do we worry? We worry if it is lasting longer than normal especially if it only seems to be worsening over time. We worry if the fever is not resolving. We worry if there is any difficulty in breathing or chest pain. We worry if there is any concern about your child’s hydration (i.e. they are not urinating every 6 hrs). Now this may be totally different than what makes you worried and if none of the above is going on and your spidey senses are going, call us so we can discuss the next step. As always, we are here for you!
Here is a link that provides further information on management: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Coughs-and-Colds-Medicines-or-Home-Remedies.aspx