Cough Specialist
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Rise & Shine Pediatrics
Pediatric Care located in South Plainfield, NJ
When your child has a cough that won’t quit, watching them hurt is also painful for you as a parent. To clear up a cough fast, it’s important to understand its origins, and that’s where Kalpana Kumari, MD, FAAP, and the expert pediatric care team at Rise & Shine Pediatrics in South Plainfield, New Jersey, comes in. The friendly and supportive pediatricians near Edison and Woodbridge can help with cough, whether it’s caused by the flu, a cold, or some other source. Book an appointment online or by phone now. The practice serves the areas of Edison and Woodbridge.
Cough Q & A
What are the different kinds of coughs in children?
Some of the most common coughs in children include:
Croup cough
Croup-related cough has a bark-like sound and may occur along with loud breathing. This type of cough is especially common in children under 3 because that's the most common age for croup.
Pertussis
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is caused by an airway infection. Whooping cough causes coughing spells interspersed with noisy breath inhalation. Whooping cough often comes along with sneezing, a runny nose, and sometimes a fever. This type of cough is most common (and most severe) in young children who didn't get the DTaP immunization.
Wheezing cough
Coughing followed by a rattling or whistling noise when exhaling is often an indicator of asthma, but it can also be connected to allergies, bronchitis, or other respiratory conditions. If connected to allergies or asthma, a wheezing cough is often chronic without treatment.
Acute cough (cold or flu cough)
Both colds and flu can cause coughing, which is usually categorized as an acute cough because it's short term rather than chronic. Generally, flu symptoms including the cough are more severe than cold symptoms.
There are also other potential causes of cough in children, including very serious illnesses like pneumonia.
When should my child see the pediatrician for a cough?
If your child's cough is making them uncomfortable, if they're running a fever, or if home care isn't helping, call your child's Rise & Shine Pediatrics doctor for help. Although a cough may run its course without treatment, your child can recover faster and more comfortably with their pediatrician's help.
How are coughs treated in children?
Your child's Rise & Shine Pediatrics doctor performs a full exam to look for the underlying cause of the cough. This may include a flu test, breathing test, a throat swab, or other basic diagnostics. In many cases, including the flu, the cough comes from a virus so antibiotics can't help. But, your child's pediatrician can enhance your child's comfort and speed their recovery.
If the cough is caused by a chronic condition like asthma or allergies, allergy shots and inhaled corticosteroids are often very helpful.
Of course, an important part of treatment is preventing a recurrence, which is why your child's pediatrician usually recommends flu shots every year. Use the online scheduler or call the Rise & Shine Pediatrics office nearest you for children's cough help today.
