Chesty cough

[charlottekb]

What do people recommend for chesty coughts? My two year old has had a shocker for the past 2 days - its just come from nowhere with no cold beforehand. We have a slight temperature too but its the cough I am concerned about. Its the worst one he has ever had. Answers on a postcard please!

[Jessie]

If in doubt I say take to GP, especially if there's a temperature. If he does need antibiotics the quicker he's on them the quicker he'll get better. We suffer ongoing chest infections and tonsilitis and now with the first sign we go straight to the GP. Good luck!

[Otto]

chesty coughs with no cold beforehand and a slight fever is highly likely to be swine flu. I know, because 3 out of four of us have had it in this house...something that suddenly appears, straight to the chest, very deep full coughs...

don't panic. we are all alive. it is horrid though. if he/she has had it for two days, you are on the border as to whether tamiflu would be effective. my littlest one recovered with no tamiflu as we were in the same boat and did not think of swine flu...it took a few weeks for his chest to clear, but, he was up and running after 3 or 4 days...

[charlottekb]

Thanks Otto, I think you might be right. The cough just came out of nowhere and has got steadily worse. He is not a well bunny at all bless him. What did you use to treat the cough do you mind me asking?

[mrsw]

My 2 year old had persistent cough which went to his chest - he needed 2 courses of antibiotics - I would at least call your doctor as I think it's hard for us to tell whether it's spread to the chest and if it has gone to the chest you'll want to get on top of it. Our son still had the cough even after his chest had cleared and we tacked with honey and believe it or not - very small amounts of dark chocolate (http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/health_news/301104chocolatecough.html)!! And it's worked (he still has a persistent runny nose though)!!! Anyway hope he gets better soon.

[charlottekb]

Dark chocolate eh? I like it! Took him to docs today and its a vial throat infection. No antibiotics needed at this stage. When I rang the nursery they said lots of kids had been off with a cough and temperature. I even met a lady in the waiting room whose little boy had the same symptoms. So its doing the rounds. He has seemed to turned a corner today thankfully.

[Ann]

Hope he gets better soon.

For those of you with small children at Day Nurseys unfortunately they will spread these viruses however careful you are with handwashing etc.

But don't forget all these infections help build up the body's defences. I found both my children had better health at school age as a result.

My son will be 14 in January, he still falls prey to viral infections but to date has never had a single antibiotic in his life!

[snowboarder]

Ugh - baby snowboarder has a horrid throat/ear infection too - the dr gave us antibiotics without a blink but he's never had them before so for some reason (why?) am reluctant to give them....But the coughing is waking him up...

[kristymac1]

Hi snowboarder, I'd really advise giving your little one the antibiotics, ear infections are really painful and can turn quite nasty without medication (I speak as a Mam to a little one who's had recurring ear infections). Antibiotics are fine when prescribed correctly and to be honest most doctors these days are pretty reluctant to give them for wee ones, so if you have been prescribed them, then probably for a very good reason.

Hope all the little'uns recover quickly xx

snowboarder Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ugh - baby snowboarder has a horrid throat/ear

> infection too - the dr gave us antibiotics without

> a blink but he's never had them before so for some

> reason (why?) am reluctant to give them....But the

> coughing is waking him up...