Seeking Answer to Dry Cough on and off for No Aparent Cause.

Updated on August 11, 2009
C.M. asks from New Port Richey, FL
16 answers

Hi everybody, I have a healthy 5 year old boy, he has always had good health other than the rare cold, with runny nose and a couple of ear infections, no more than that. Lately, about 4 weeks, he has had this "dry cough" out of no were, he plays baseball, and soccer and loves the outdoors, no cough there! not when he is sleeping, and I have been alert to try to figure out what is trigering it, and there is nothing specifically. Has anyone had a situation like this?

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So What Happened?

To all the wounderful, caring Ladies that answer to my question...
I took my Craig to the Doctor, he was checked and it turns out is a Bacterial Infetion in his sinus, he was prescribed an antibiotic to take for 10 days and he has alreday taken it for two and the cough is almost gone!... how did he get it? Dr. says that because of the wether, rain and all type of allergens floating around. He will continue taking Zyrtec for the allergies at least for this allergy season, because it has been a bad one. Dr. said next year he might not need it. We'll see. Thank you all, all your comments were very helpful, when I went to the see the Dr. I had all this info. with me and I was able to talk about all possibilities in this case, Thank you all.

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C.P.

answers from Miami on

This might sound like a strange one but pay attention to if it happens around when he eats. Sometimes food sensitivities can cause people to cough especially products with gluten. It can happen with any foods though if he is sensitive to them. A test for that is an IgG blood test but a medical doctor won't think it's worth doing but I know many people whose health has improved after doing that test and cutting out the dietary culprits!

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J.C.

answers from Tampa on

does he sleep with his mouth open???
does he have nasal congention which does happen especially this time of year with the rains. good luck

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B.G.

answers from Ocala on

My oldest has cough variant asthma. she will literally cough until she throws up. it is tough for dr's to diagnose because she doesn't wheeze she just coughs and tells me she can't breath kinda does the whole hyperventilation thing i get her to control her breathing by slow breaths and its can take the whole range of meds to get hers to die down. the emergency inhaler is usually used last since it takes the neb longer to kick in. luckily her normally only flairs when she is sick altho the last time it triggered for no reason and she had to go on advair. when she was a year old it started and only reason she was dx'd is her ped at the time was cheif of pediatrics at the hospital and as he was doing the exam he saw how she had backward breathing. all he could say was yeah she is not moving air right and gave her a neb treatment then listened again and said oh yeah she definitely sounds worse i freaked at which point he told me that was a good thing because he lungs were shutting down and the neb opened her up and she was then wheezing and gurgling in there and she got her dx but each time she see's a new dr i have to tell them when i take her in with active asthma she will not wheeze so don't listen for it if she wheezes she has bronchitis. i would take him to the dr to get a dx at least then you know whats going on and can have meds on hand if they are needed.

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T.P.

answers from Tampa on

yes. My 4 yr old gets this occassionally. Same scenario, worse when he lies down. It goes away! I took him to the Dr the 1st time and she listened to his chest and said he was fine. gave me an antibiotic just incase but said it would probably just go away.

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D.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

try an allergy medicine and see if it stops. If it does, you know its an allergy. I get sinus blockage from pecans, could be just about anything. Does he have a new friend? Perhaps he is hanging out with someone who has a pet he is allergic to. Narrow it down to an allergy first. If allergy medicine doesnt work, take him to the doctor.

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C.S.

answers from Lakeland on

everyone's allergies seem to be up now. there are a lot of things in the air. I am wondering if your son isn't responding to something there.

If it's not when he's sleeping, it's probably allergies. But if you are really concerned, I would see his doctor.

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I.S.

answers from Miami on

My almost 4 year old daughter had the above symptoms and it was allegies... she coughed only in the morning and at night not a cold just a dry cough. the doc. put her on xoponex .63 and also singular for 3 months. Thank God she is doing well.

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S.W.

answers from Miami on

Call your pediatrician. He may have allergies or the environment he's in is causing the cough.

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A.N.

answers from Jacksonville on

If it is allergies, which it sounds like it could be, I know of a couple of things you can do. I saw a report once about bringing outside allergens in through your clothes and hair. They said to change clothes and wash your hair once you are in for the night. Also, you can buy anti allergen bed stuff at Target. They have mattress and pillow covers that will keep allergens from affecting him at night. Good luck.

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B.K.

answers from Tallahassee on

It could be dust and allergens from running your AC, or it could have to do with dairy foods in his diet maybe?

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C.S.

answers from Tampa on

Hi....My son and a good freinds daughter have been battling this too, there 5 and 6 also, and it all started in Kindergarten!

So far what we learned is it is called Cough variant asthma, chronic cough, or allergy indudced asthma........

Dont be alarmed as they grow out of it......

Im in a rush right now, but email me and i will explain it all better....or our situataion anyways!
____@____.com
just put mamasource in the subject....

C.

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J.H.

answers from Pensacola on

If you are sure it's not allergies or sinus infection, see your doctor.

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V.

answers from Tampa on

Hi. I haven't read all the responses. Just thought I'd mention that my daughter had a dry cough for several months last year. Doc initially prescribed allergy med, but also sent us for a sinus & chest xray. Turned out that she had "bacterial pneumonia" or "walking pneumonia". We went back to the doc, got the proper antibiotic, & all was well.

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J.S.

answers from Sarasota on

It sounds like seasonal allergies. This happens to my son every summer. He has this dry hacking cough. The Dr. put him on two inhalents that he uses morning and night. He needs to use them June-September to get him through the season. He still has an occassional cough, but he's able to sleep and it's not a hacking cough. Check with you Ped.

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R.W.

answers from Tampa on

Sounds like it could be allergies to me. Or he could have a virus coming on. My daughters virus started with a dry cough. Then her throat started hurting. She didn't wait to get worse and went to the doctor and got medicine. She had a virus. No fever at all, just the cough and sore throat..

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M.H.

answers from Orlando on

my daughter was like that too. healthy overall but a cough. i already knew she was sensitive to cigarette smoke but she would cough even when she was not around smoke so i took her to an allergist.
he did tests and she is allergic to grass.
he also recommend that we take out all dust catchers in her room. mainly her stuffed dogs on her bed. that made a big difference and we got an hypoallergenic pillow and mattress.
have you taken him to get allergy tested yet?

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