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Coughing, Red Pus Throat, Wheezing, Nasal Congestion. On Nebulizer. History Of Season Allergies. Causes For Symptoms?

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Posted on Sun, 17 Jun 2012
Question: hello! my 11 yr. old son,for the past two days, seems to be exhaling (breathing out) involuntarily. he does, on occassion have an abdomin tic and i thought this was a different form of tic. i took him to his dr. yesterday to find out he had a red puss throat(not strep, she took a strep culture) with slight coughing. it came suddenly but persists on & off throughtout the day. his dr. said to use the nebulizer 2x a day (he had slight wheezing) for 3 days.she thinks it is a virus. i have never seen such a thing where a person justs exhales for no reason. it doesnt huet him but is annoying & sometimes if it happens a few times in a row he will need to take in a XXXXXXX breath. once he falls asleep, it completely stops.(although i havent stayed awake the whole night to watch, it does stop for a while at least).please help me understand this & not panic. hearing him do it makes me very anxious. it has only been a few days but i haven't noticed it subsiding!!!:( he also has a stiffy nose. at times mucus does expel after blowing. he has season allerges.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (7 hours later)
Hello
Thanks for posting your query.
Expiration and inspiration involuntary actions occuring in a cyclic pattern according to the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the blood.it. Is controlled by the brain and receptors in the lung.Normally inspiration is longer than expiration but Whenever due to any lung pathology or airway obstruction the body is not able to expel carbon dioxide efficiently then the brain instructs us to prolongthe expiration phase so that the balance of oxygen is maintained.
Now in your sons case he has a wheeze and nasal congestion which signify airway obstruction so his body is compensating by takingprolonged expiration.
Please do not panic, because even in mild cold and flu or chest congestion in children , they may have discomfort during breathing and so they may have such expiration.
Its good that you have shown a doctor who has ruled out bacterial infection, so relax and please follow the doctors instructions and follow up check ups.
For helping your child breathe better you should apart from continuing his nebulisation and medication do the following.
1. Keep him well fed and hydrated with plenty of fluids and water and adequate rest
2.warm saline gargles and steam inhalations may help relieve his congestion and discomfort in breathing
3.for stuffy nose you can use nasal saline sprays as per your doctors advise
4.If possible,let him do XXXXXXX breathing exercise i.e XXXXXXX inhalation followed by by slow prolonged exhalation for ten counts , thrice a day .this wil improve his blood circulation in lungs
Even if your child does not comply with the above, a viral illness wil resolve on its own gradually so don't worry.
If your child develops high fever or pus in his sputum or worsened cough then take him to the doctor to rule out the need for antibiotics, though I dont think such need should arise if all goes well.presently the situation isn't worrisome.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hema Yadav (15 hours later)
I FEEL BETTER HEARING ANOTHER DR. GIVE ME TH SAME ANSWER.IT JUST SOUNDS" SCARY". HOW LONG CAN IT LAST BEFORE IT BECOMES A CONCERN. YESTERDAY HE DID NOT STOP ALMOST ALL DAY AND NIGHT(UNTIL HE FELL ASLEEP). IT WAS SO STRESSFUL TO HEAR ALTHOUGH HE WAS HIMSELF. WHY NOW AND NEVER BEFORE DESPITE HIM ALWAYS HAVING A STUFFY NOSE PRETTY MUCH. YOU ARE VERY HELPFUL & I THANK YOU!!!!!!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (7 hours later)
Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for the follow up.

I understand your concern as a doting mother, and agree that in case of children it’s better to doubt than to neglect.

Every cold or viral infection may be of different severity and our body and immunity may deal with it differently each time. Probably your child is dealing with a severe form and so has these symptoms for the first time and the healing may be a bit prolonged.
I would say that you can wait for a week to ten days since his first symptom. If even after that there no relief, you should get him evaluated by your doctor again to rule out any need of antibiotics or alternative remedies.
Sometimes the cold may resolve in a week but just cough and breathing difficulty may persist for ten days, hence anything beyond that warrants evaluation.

Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my reply if you have no further queries.
Regards
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Hema Yadav

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 1528 Questions

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Coughing, Red Pus Throat, Wheezing, Nasal Congestion. On Nebulizer. History Of Season Allergies. Causes For Symptoms?

Hello
Thanks for posting your query.
Expiration and inspiration involuntary actions occuring in a cyclic pattern according to the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the blood.it. Is controlled by the brain and receptors in the lung.Normally inspiration is longer than expiration but Whenever due to any lung pathology or airway obstruction the body is not able to expel carbon dioxide efficiently then the brain instructs us to prolongthe expiration phase so that the balance of oxygen is maintained.
Now in your sons case he has a wheeze and nasal congestion which signify airway obstruction so his body is compensating by takingprolonged expiration.
Please do not panic, because even in mild cold and flu or chest congestion in children , they may have discomfort during breathing and so they may have such expiration.
Its good that you have shown a doctor who has ruled out bacterial infection, so relax and please follow the doctors instructions and follow up check ups.
For helping your child breathe better you should apart from continuing his nebulisation and medication do the following.
1. Keep him well fed and hydrated with plenty of fluids and water and adequate rest
2.warm saline gargles and steam inhalations may help relieve his congestion and discomfort in breathing
3.for stuffy nose you can use nasal saline sprays as per your doctors advise
4.If possible,let him do XXXXXXX breathing exercise i.e XXXXXXX inhalation followed by by slow prolonged exhalation for ten counts , thrice a day .this wil improve his blood circulation in lungs
Even if your child does not comply with the above, a viral illness wil resolve on its own gradually so don't worry.
If your child develops high fever or pus in his sputum or worsened cough then take him to the doctor to rule out the need for antibiotics, though I dont think such need should arise if all goes well.presently the situation isn't worrisome.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Regards