Patient's question:
Half a year oldDetailed medical condition and purpose of consultation: During summer vacation, he caught a cold while swimming and had a fever. He didn't get timely treatment, and later the treatment wasn't thorough either. Since then, he has had recurring colds and coughs. He has taken many medications, and now although the cold seems to be improving, the cough hasn't gone away. He doesn't cough while sleeping at night, but in the morning after waking up, he coughs more severely for a while. Sometimes he sneezes one after another, and his nasal discharge is white and long. During the day, he often coughs intermittently, feeling like there is phlegm but not able to cough it up. His tongue has turned red these past two days, and parts of it have even fallen off. He still looks quite strong.
Doctor's answer:
Hello, cough itself is not an independent disease but a defensive response to clear foreign substances from the respiratory tract. Mild cough is harmless to the body and can be treated by addressing the cause without the need for cough suppressants. However, when severe cough causes suffering to the patient, cough suppressants can be used appropriately. There are many causes of cough, such as acute or chronic respiratory inflammation, respiratory foreign bodies, compression of the respiratory tract, allergic reactions, pleural irritation, and so on. Therefore, when a patient has a cough, it is essential to first comprehensively analyze the condition, identify the cause, and choose appropriate cough suppressants based on the treatment of the underlying cause to provide symptomatic treatment.Medications for treating cough are mainly divided into three major categories: antitussives, expectorants, and bronchodilators.
Antitussives mainly include: codeine, morphine, pholcodine, fenoterol, glycyrrhiza preparations, etc. These drugs are effective for mild respiratory inflammation and dry cough, but certain anesthetic drugs in this category must be used under the guidance of a doctor.
Expectorants include: juglone oil, ammonium chloride, potassium iodide, acetylcysteine, rhododendron, and small cough syrup, etc. These drugs are effective for clearing excessive and thick respiratory mucus.
Bronchodilators include: ephedrine, salbutamol, theophylline, and vitamin K1, etc. Asthma is often caused by allergies or inflammation stimulating bronchial smooth muscle spasm. The pharmacological action of bronchodilators primarily involves relaxing bronchial smooth muscle spasm, which facilitates mucus expulsion. However, when using these medications, it is important to choose drugs with minimal side effects and those that are safe and reliable for children.
Excessive sweating in children can sometimes be physiological, such as wearing too many clothes, intense exercise, or consuming spicy and irritating foods. After ruling out the causes of excessive sweating, the current situation of