Cough
 
 
1. What Makes My Child Cough?
Cough is the most common symptom of respiratory tract disease; however, it is not a diagnosis. Coughing is one of the major protective mechanisms of the respiratory system. It has two primary functions:

1) To expel foreign material, and

2) To remove excessive secretions.

The underlying causes of cough are numerous because there are multiple areas in the body, which can stimulate a cough reflex. These areas include:

The ear canal and ear drum,

The sinuses,

The nose,

The pharynx (which is the throat),

The larynx (which is the voice box),

The trachea and bronchi (which are the windpipes)

The lungs

The esophagus (which is the swallowing tube) an

The stomach.

Diseases in any of these areas can send information to the cough center of the brain and result in a cough being produced.

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2. What Is The Best Way To Treat A Cough?
The best treatment for cough requires an accurate diagnosis of the underlying problem. The most likely diagnosis depends upon the child's age and other specific information about the child. Your child's doctor may ask about choking episodes, coughing during feeding, history of diarrhea, variation in couugh with season or temperature changes history of wheezing, and your child's current immunization status.

The underlying causes for chronic cough are numerous. Your doctor will consider all the information she has obtained about your child to make his final diagnosis. The following list includes some of the most common causes of cough based upon different locations in the body.

Ear: Acute ear infection, foreign object, wax impactions

Nose: Adenoid infection, allergy, foreign object, environmental factors (cigarette smoke, pollution)

Sinuses: Allergy, environmental factors (cigarette smoke, pollution), sinus infection

Pharynx: Extra long soft palate, tonsillitis

Larynx: Inhaling mucous or food, croup, foreign object, cysts, laryngomalacia (excessively floppy voice box cartilage), paralyzed vocal cords

Trachea/Bronchi: Asthma, bronchitis, bronchiectasis (enlargement of windpipe due to inflammation with collection of secretions), cigarette smoke, cystic fibrosis, foreign object, viral infections, pertussis (whooping cough), tracheomalacia (extra floppy windpipe cartilage), tracheo-esophageal fistula (abnormal connection between windpipe and swallowing tube)

Lungs: Pneumonia, cysts

Esophagus: Foreign object, gastroesophageal reflux (stomach acid reflux), tracheo- esophageal fistula (abnormal connection between windpipe and swallowing tube)

Vascular: Aortic arch anomalies, Innominate artery compression, enlarged heart (all of these vascular problems cause narrowing of the windpipe)

Brain: Arnold-Chiari malformation (abnormal formation of the brain at the junction of the spinal cord), habit cough.
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