cough

5 Different Coughs in Children

When you put your child to bed and all is well but later you hear him or her coughing—sounding like a bark—what do you do? Is it just a passing thing or is the cough something dangerous? Our board-certified physicians at Medco ER have some suggestions as you decide what kind of cough your child has and what you should do about it.

Wet Cough

A wet, garbled-sounding cough that sometimes produces mucus could be caused by a cold. If your child has a fever and runny nose, then this is likely. If it has lasted for days and is accompanied by phlegm, tightness in the chest, and fever, it could be pneumonia or a sinus infection.

“A good rule of thumb here is to watch your child’s comfort level. If he or she is coughing up mucus and is able to breathe normally in-between coughs and is relatively at ease, you can probably wait it out. If the child has a high fever, is wheezing or pulling hard to breathe and is miserable, it’s time to come to Medco ER,” said Medco ER’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan.

Dry Cough

A cough that doesn’t produce mucus and just seems to hang around could be caused by colds, asthma, irritants in the air, bronchitis, Covid 19, or allergies. For chronic coughers, try using air purifiers to reduce dust, pollen, pet dander, mold and smoke.

Wheezing Cough

A cough accompanied by a wheezing breath or a rattling sound could mean that the child’s airways are being blocked or inflamed. This could be caused by a cold, infection, or asthma.

Barking Cough

A harsh, barking cough could mean your child is suffering from croup. It is often accompanied by stuffy nose and a fever. The airways swell, causing the voice box and windpipe to become swollen and irritated. A high-pitched, squeaky sound can accompany the breathing in between the barking cough. If your child starts breathing rapidly, struggling to breathe, or has a blueish tinge around the lips, come to Medco ER right away.¹

Whooping Cough

If the cough is a hacking, hard cough that is followed by a strange whooping sound as the child breathes in, it is called Whooping Cough or Pertussis and requires antibiotics to treat. It may include a runny nose, watery eyes and fever.

When to go to the ER

“Any time a cough has gone on and on and doesn’t respond to any common treatments, you should bring your child in to Medco ER,” said Dr. Khan. “If there are any concerning things like a fever, green/yellow mucus, blood, wheezing, chest pain or difficulty breathing, come in right away. Infants, especially, should be brought in right away.”

Warning signs:

• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Tightness in chest
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Persistent cough lasting longer than 3 weeks
• Blood in mucus
• Barking cough
• Dehydration
• Rapid breathing
• Blue tinge to skin

Medco ER is Open 24/7

When your child’s cough is concerning and doesn’t seem to respond to steam, fluids and cough syrup, Medco ER is here to help. You can walk in any time, day or night, and enjoy our little-to-no-wait medical service. Our physicians are ready to bring some of the best medical care in the area to your child.

Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)

Call us @ 469-747-0370

¹ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17755-cough

Bacterial vs. Viral Respiratory Infections

When a common cold or flu spirals out of control, or when a virus morphs into a secondary, bacterial infection, the sinuses, trachea, bronchial tubes or lungs may become infected with a respiratory infection. Most people have experienced a respiratory tract infection in their lifetime, and springtime often creates conditions that are ripe for the outbreak of these kinds of infections. At Medco ER & Urgent Care of Plano, TX, we commonly diagnose and treat seasonal respiratory conditions.

“Pollen can be an irritant that sets off allergies and escalates respiratory conditions,” said Medco ER & Urgent Care’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan. “We also see a lot of colds and flus this time of year, even with our current focus on social distancing, masks and handwashing. Respiratory infections often develop in the aftermath of colds and flus and need medical intervention.”

What is a respiratory infection?

A respiratory infection occurs when a virus or bacteria takes over the sinuses, throat, airway or lungs. As you may have guessed, a viral respiratory infection is caused by a virus while a bacterial respiratory infection is caused by bacteria. This is usually the result of a secondary infection that takes place after a viral infection.

Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. Viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics, but there are some antiviral drugs that can be used to treat viruses if the outbreak is treated within the first 24 hours.

Respiratory infections are classified as upper and lower. Upper respiratory tract infections affect the sinuses, throat, pharynx and larynx. Lower respiratory tract infections affect the trachea, bronchioles and lungs.

Symptoms of a respiratory infection

Different respiratory infections have different symptoms, but most include some of these:

• Fever, chills
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Sinus drainage
• Congestion
• Cough – dry or wet
• Shortness of breath
• Painful breathing
• Sore throat
• Wheezing
• Difficulty breathing
• Bluish tinge to skin
• Hoarseness
• Fatigue

Is a respiratory infection contagious?

“Many kinds of respiratory infections are highly contagious,” said Dr. Khan. “An example would be SARS that originated in China and spread rapidly to scan the globe. It is a good idea to treat any kind of respiratory infection as contagious and to try to keep it from spreading from airborne particles or through contact.”

Treatment for respiratory infections

Depending on the severity of the respiratory infection, over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers are often the starting point. If your rapid-results lab at Medco ER determines the infection is bacterial, then an antibiotic may be prescribed. Oxygen supplementation may also be used.

Get help fast at Medco ER & Urgent Care

With the convenience of a freestanding ER and little-to-no wait, Medco ER & Urgent Care offers some of the best medical care for respiratory infections. Our board-certified physicians are experienced in diagnosing and treating a range of respiratory conditions. With our help, you can soon be on the path to breathing easy again.

• Plano location:

3960 Legacy Drive, Plano TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)

            Call us @ 469-392-4000