Patient's question:
My child is 5 years old this year. He has been coughing in the morning for 2 months. Two weeks ago, his cough worsened due to a cold, and he took a few sets of traditional Chinese medicine, which improved it. However, in the morning, it's still the same—there's always a bout of coughing that only gets better when phlegm is expelled. The same thing happens after exercise. This has happened several times, with periods of improvement followed by worsening. Could it be turning into allergic asthma? Please advise what medicine he should take. Thank you so much!!!!!!Doctor's answer:
Children have recurrent coughing without fever. The first consideration should be allergic cough, also known as variant asthma, which should be treated as asthma. Otherwise, the effect will not be good. Prevention is the main method. Avoid exposure to allergens, take ketotifen orally, and use beclomethasone inhalation for severe cases. If asthma is present, add a bronchodilator. Antibiotics are generally not used, but effective antibiotics are used when there is a bacterial infection.