Crontic Cold and Cough

I have received several emails about rubbing Vicks Vapor Rub generously on the bottoms of your feet and putting socks over them at bedtime for children or adults with cough--no matter how severe--it says this will calm and soothe you in just minutes. Although I haven't tried it yet, I thought I'd still pass it on. It just may work!! Good luck and hang in there hun!

1 mom found this helpful

Are you nursing? sometimes if you nurse lying too flat the milk will run into the ears. The mullein/garlic drops may help too. Some remedies caution using on children younger than 2 years. That call is up to you. Even many MD's have stopped using antibiotics for ear infections. Be sure to follow up with plenty of probiotics. Try looking at some of the herbal or homeopathic cough remedies. Many kids have good results with them.

Before trying ANY soy I'd look at the www.westonaprice.org site. They also have a good ask the doctor section.

My 18 months, my son had had five ear infections, all starting with congestions, teething, etc, no matter what the doctor said. After the fifth ear infection, my pediatrician said it was time for tubes. I feared this procedure, remembering how involved it was for my youngest sister in 1983. However, it was the easiest, quickest, most pain free procedure at Children's South. I would encourage you to talk to you pediatrician about it. My son hasn't had another ear infection since and he is 2.5 yrs.

I have tried to go more natrual with my son. I can only have a few suggestions and a couple of questions for you to think about.

Try Herbs for Kids - they are a line of natural herbal meds that are created for child doses. They are all natural so there is no worries for OD. You can go to the website and read about them but you have to buy online somewhere else. I buy online at drugstore.com, but that is not the only place, it is just convient and quick. The website is herbsforkids.com.

One other thing to think about is could your son be allergic to any food you are giving him? If you are still nursing, it could be something you are eating. If not, you might look at switching formulas or they type of milk he is drinking. My sisters children are allergic to cow's milk and get a runny nose congestion if they drink it. I would really look into this one. I do not know how a Dr checks for this, but if you eliminate cow milk products for a week and it clears up, you have pinpointed the problem. Try rice or soy milk instead. Some can be allergic to soy as well, but that is all my son drinks. Look for other ways to supliment calcum if you are testing for milk allergy.

If you have a really good natural vitamin store (not a gnc) more like a whole food store. Go in and ask the person working, often they will be able to help you and give suggestions. That is how my sister figured out her kids allergies.

Good luck!

It's tough having your little one not feeling well and not neing able to do anything to help them...I had a friend whose little girl had the same problems. Constant runny nose and congestion and ear infections. They got tired of having her on antibiotics so they tried another route...chiropratic care. They found a chiropractor that specialized in infants and young children and it seems to have helped her little girl. You may want to give that a whirl!

I am with many of the other responses and think the allergy side should be checked out. Our son was allergic to milk and had a really hard time with many formulas. They would give him a cough and runny nose. We had to put him on the box milk that you add the envelope to water. Later we found out he was allergic to corn and sensitive to chocolate. He out grew all of these things but they caused him to have respitory system problems.

I went thru this with my son last year when he was 2 years old. After the pediatrician prescribed the third antibiotic, I said no. Here's the thing- (and we've all read this numerous times in our mommy magazines) most ear infections are viral (as opposed to bacterial,) so they will NOT respond to antibiotics. Now, I will admit, I tend to be "naturalist" mom and I avoid medications and procedures as much as I (safely) can. Here is what I did (and another mom/friend of mine had advised me of this and it worked for her:) I used saline drops in his nose several times (4-6) per day, and then I would gently tug at his ears to help loosen and lengthen the ear canal to let fluid move on out. I also tried giving children's sudafed to dry of the fluid (recommended by pediatrician,) and I do think that helped.

As for the cough....well, I just stuck it out. We did return to the doctor once, just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia or something, but (according to www.askdrsears.com) coughs can last up to 5 or 6 weeks. It is simply the body's way of ridding itself of these viruses. It is a pain, I know, and a cause for sleepless nights for mommy and baby. Just keep a close watch on it. Like they say, look at the baby's overall well being. If they are playing, eating, etc., then let it run its course. If not, check back in with your doctor.

Good luck! I know how stressful ongoing symptoms can be. But soon they will be a remnant on last year's calendar and you'll be passing along advice to another new mom next year:)

Our first daughter was the same way. We had to elevate the head of her bed about 4 inches. You feel like they are going to end up in a pile at the foot, but she didn't. Also, we put a vaporizer in each of our children's room when a cough comes on. It needs to place as low as you can get it without the child being able to reach it and also as close to the bed as you can get it. We also put a humidifier in the living room where we spend most of our time. I would also keep giving him the cough medicine at night time. That's just my 2 cents. Pray it all works out for you.

Are your breast feeding? If he's on formula try changing formula, maybe soy. If breast feeding, try changing your diet. Get rid of dairy for a couple weeks and see if that helps. Definitely stop drinking sodas too.
T.

Does this coincide with starting him on foods? It might be food related, an allergic reaction of sorts. Chiropractors are wonderful IMHO and certainly worth going to, but see if perhaps it could be something he's eating. I hope he's better soon, it's not fun when the little ones are sick.

I went through the same this with my 3yr old daughter. We finally went to see an ENT about it. When we went to the ENT we found out that the fuild that had built up in her ears had never really gone away so that is why she was keeping the ear infection. Anytime, that she got congested she would get an ear infection. She had tubes in April of 06 and hasn't had an ear infection since then. She had the tubes removed in April of 07. Tubes made a HUGE difference in her speech and walking. She has slowed down since then. Hope this helps.

What about allergies ?

Hey A.,
I had a similar situation with my daughter, although she was a little older when her symptoms began. In any event, we took her to an ENT. She just had her adenoids removed and tubes put in her ears. The coughing stopped almost immediately, and she's been doing great. So, I suggest you see an ENT.

My son who is 7 months now had the same thing for about 4 months also. He was on medication after medication. Finally I talked to a different doctor and he brought up that he might have allergies. He told me to try Benadryl and a humidifierlight. Ever since he hasn't had any problems. Also he said that he might have enlarged adnoids. He said that because he always breathes through his mouth and seems that he is always congested. I also use baby vicks sice it is mild and works great. I hope this helps.

Perhaps you should consider taking him to an ENT. They are the experts when it comes to ear infections. You are right though, if the congestion hangs around and your child is prone to ear infections, he is just going to keep getting them. My son eventually got to the point that he had to have antibiotic shots to get rid of his ear infections. Once we saw the ENT and had tubes put in the infections were never a problem again.

A., I have a 3 and 1/2 year old that has had four sets of tubes and his adenoids out and a seven month old that had her first set of tubes put in last week. In a nut shell, snot causes the cough because of the draining. If his eustaschian tubes are not working properly then you will get chronic ear infections until you get tubes. We were on every antibiotic and still had them with BOTH kids. The doctor had us wait 6 months with my son but only two months with my daughter. INSIST that your pediatrician send you to see an ENT. It will be instant relief for all of you. Good luck and let me know if I can help.

I would definitely recommend using a vaporizer every night. I put a few drops of Melaleuca Oil in it (I don't use the vicks because of the chemicals in it - Melaleuca oil is all natural). My daughter kept getting ear infections right away from the congestion and a bad cough. Once I started using the vaporizer and M. oil she cleared up. The M. oil and vaporizer kept the fluid in her sinuses moving instead of drying up in the sinuses causing infections. I hope this helps! I swear by it! Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

hi A.! Believe it or not, reflux in babies can cause a cough. i just went thru it with my 5 month old. the pediatrician said that reflux on average can peak from 4 - 6 mos. of age. it can last longer, though. i have 3 other children who all took zantac as babies. he started my baby on Axid when she was 4 mos. she is now 5 mos. Her cough went away after about a week on the Axid. So, reflux may or may not be the case with yours, but it's worth a shot after 4 mos. of coughing!!! good luck

Hi A.,
If I were you, I would ask to be referred to a Pediatric Allergist. My son (will be 6yo next week) had the same cronic cold symptoms. I took him to a Pediatric Allergist at 6 months after we had tried every cold medication and antibiotic out there and had tubes put in his ears. It took a while for his allergies (Dust mites & Cat Dander) to show up on tests, but it was worth the wait. We were able to manage his symptoms with 2 different allergy meds until we actually got the diagnosis. After the diagnosis, we were able to use preventative measures for his symptoms (mattress covers, keeping him away from cats, etc)instead of medication. He is doing great now and we have reduced our visits with the Ped. Allergist to every six months. I am not saying this is your problem, but it may be something to check into. I hope your little one is feeling better soon.

Ask your doctor for a nebulizer and chest x-rays if you haven't done so already. This really helped when my son had chronic cough at that age. I prefer xopenex, (pronounced zopenex) over albuterol because it is not a steroid and does not "wig" him out! We still use the neb occassionally, it really it a wonderful tool to have if you truly need it. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I am a age 53 mother of 3 girls and one grandchild (2). As a daughter of a chiropractor, all my children along with my grandchild are under chiropractor care. I have full faith in the chiropractic practice. I do not know the area you live in but there are some very capable chiropractors that treat children with chronic cold and cough symptoms. Instead of keeping your child on antibotics for long term, my suggestion is to consult a chiropractor - if they can't help your child, they will tell you. If you are not familiar with the practice of chiropractic, I am sure whoever you choose will be helpful to answer all questions. I reside in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and if you are anywhere in my area I would be glad to help you find a qualified chiropractor for a consultation.
Best of luck. Parenting is a wonderful experience and a happy, healthly baby is certainly a mom's greatest desire.

Of course,any time you are congested or have a runny nose, you may end up with an ear infection. Because the tubes from your ears run down to the throat. So any congestion or runny nose can back up into the ears. Have you ever had him tested for allergies. He may need to be on claritin or zyrtec. They have those in pedicatric doses. Also, it is not good to give antibiotics too often. You can become immune to them and when you really need them, they will not work.

I have heard that too many antibiotics can build up in the system and the body becomes immune to them. Colds just have to run their course, but one that has lasted that long, I don't know. Maybe an ear, nose, and throat doctor could tell you something better. Good luck.

Well I just read what the other responses said and I agree. You might need to check out an allergy specialist. Even allergy problems can cause ear infections due to the drainage.They can do an in office test to see if he may be allergic to something. If you can't afford an allergy specialist, tell your pediatrician that you want to try some allergy medicines to see what it does. It will not hurt to try. I feel that if that would have been one our first moves with my daughter, we wouldn't have had to get ear tubes.Also have you been to an ear specialist. I kept hearing what I thought was congestion in my son and my specialist said it had something to do with his adenoids. In our case the ears, congestion and rattling are all connected. No matter what your pediatrician says, you are you're child's voice and if you feel like he's had enough for a while, let his body rest.

sounds familiar when my son was less than a year old he went through the same things. we would get rid of the cough or infection but as soon as he came off the medicine it would start all over. A doctor finally diagnosed him with allergies and treated him for them and he has been doing well ever since.

Why is the doctor giving him antibiiotics? Is there more than you have explained. In my experience (2 kids: 3 and 1), the doctor tells us to let the cold run its course. And then they recommend things to keep the baby comfortable.

I can't suggest anything because I'm not sure what the doctor is telling you. Sorry.

A.,

Have you brought him to an ENT? My 3 year old had similiar problems until about 4 months ago when I went to our parish's early learning center for help with her speech. She failed her hearing test. In both ears! I was referred to an ENT by my family practicioner. Tubes were put in her ears. Almost immediately (within the same hour after the day surgical center discharged us) her enunciation improved. She never really has pulled at her ears. I have had to check them. I was leary at first because I am one of those people who believe that God placed every body part in us for a reason. Who are we to tell God he was wrong and replace ear canals and remove adnoids or tonsils? But, I have come to the conclusion that God also gave us brains and the ability to adapt which a Doctor is part of this process by learning and exibiting the ability to heal by medicinal and surgical means.

The ENT or Alergist (cant remember which one) prescribed her Once Daily Singulair (A chewable) and one squirt in each nostril of Nasonex strictly as preventative measures. She has had no problem with the conjestion except over Christmas Holidays. And that was cleared up with 5 days of antibiotics and prescription couph surup/supressant.

In summation, get a second opinion...like with an ENT or Allergy specialist. Hope this helps.

M.

It's time to see an ENT Dr."ears,nose&throat" or even an allergist. 4 months is a long time to remain conjested. Have they done a chest x-ray or tried breathing treatments? try the ENT an allergist. Hope he starts feeling better and hang in there he will get better.

Is he exposed to second-hand smoke? If so, this may be causing his cough to linger.
A cool mist humidifier may help with his cough.

My son is now almost 3 and he has always had the cough. His doc gave him a breathing machine with abrutal { not sure in the spelling} After a treatment the cough is gone and after a few treatments the cough is cleared up!! Ask the doc about it. Also my son from the time he was 2 or 3 months he got ear infection after ear infection right after he turned 2 the doctor put tubes in his ears. It has been over a year and he has not had one ear infection!!! knock on wood!!! Also the cough and conjection has not been half as bad sense!!! The ear tubes do not hurt them at all!! The hardest part is that they can't have anything after midnight. It only like 5 mins to put the tubes in and he was fine right after....the is know pain with it!!! He had to go to a ENT {ears, nose, and throat doc.} Ask your doc!!!! It is worth it!!!

I agree about the chiroprator.... that can always help. I also agree with the ENT after the chiropractor. I am a mother of 5, my oldest daughter (21 now) had her first adjustment at just a few days old - no health problems. My other kids not so lucky. I moved away from the family chiropractors and so I never took my other children, one of them had tubes put in her ears at under 2 years... no more problems unless she swims often. She is 11 now.

Hi A.
I had the same thing happen to my 10 month old.
Try a chiropracter. You will be amazed if you do your research that a good adjustment from a chiropracter can help! I use Dr Raymond Roddy on E Brainerd. He uses the activator instead of manual manipulation it is much safer. My kids have been getting adjustments since they were 4 days old!.

You can also look into find a good acupunturist. They do not do "acupuncture" with needles on infants, but they have things they can do to get energy flowing and a few things to help clear "dampness" in the body. I have also been to naturepathic drs...this way seems to work better for one of my kids. He responds to the herbs very well. You do want to do your research and get someone that is well respected and works a lot with children.

Anyway do your research!
Good Luck
J.

Have you tried some alternatives for his congestion such as breathing treatments, suctioning, vaporizer, etc.? I know that all of the antibiotics can create a multitude of other issues such as diarreah (sp?), diaper rash, upset stomach and gas, etc. A really simple thing that could help is a simmering pot with rosemary and eucalyptus. You can also make a small sachet-like pillow for him to sleep with (near)with the same ingredients. My daughter, now 4, had a similar problem. Everytime she got a cold and congestion, an ear infection would follow. We went tot he ENT and she got tubes and we have been doing great since. Not a single ear infection! You might want to get a refferal to an ENT, too. My daughter was just over 1 year when she got her tubes. It was a simple and QUICK procedure, although sedation is required.