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What Causes Fever And Recurring Cough In Children?
Question: My son is 2 years 11 months old and he is getting recurring cough and cold since last two months, our pediatrician has adviced for an xray, blood and urine investigations and all of them were fine. Please suggest what could be the possible cause of these recurrences and what should we do ?
Brief Answer:
Viral infections are common in children. Some are more prone.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Such symptoms in children of this age is usually caused due to certain viral infections which can last for 5-10 days. Generally the condition is self correcting and does not need to be treated with antibiotics. Fever relates to such infection. Give tepid sponging as well as paracetamol to bring down the temperature. Some children are more prone to catching cold and there is not much that can be done about it. Do not worry as your doctor is treating on the right lines and you can depend on him. He had rightly done the investigations since urinary tract infections often go undetected. Ask him to check the tonsils as well since tonsillar infections can increase the propensity for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections.
You will have to be patient about the recurrences. The propensity comes down with increase in age. You need to give steam inhalation and some anti allergic during the episodes. Montair LC Kid is right to be given.
Hope that helps.
If you found my answer helpful, please close the thread with a positive review and a 5 star rating.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Viral infections are common in children. Some are more prone.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Such symptoms in children of this age is usually caused due to certain viral infections which can last for 5-10 days. Generally the condition is self correcting and does not need to be treated with antibiotics. Fever relates to such infection. Give tepid sponging as well as paracetamol to bring down the temperature. Some children are more prone to catching cold and there is not much that can be done about it. Do not worry as your doctor is treating on the right lines and you can depend on him. He had rightly done the investigations since urinary tract infections often go undetected. Ask him to check the tonsils as well since tonsillar infections can increase the propensity for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections.
You will have to be patient about the recurrences. The propensity comes down with increase in age. You need to give steam inhalation and some anti allergic during the episodes. Montair LC Kid is right to be given.
Hope that helps.
If you found my answer helpful, please close the thread with a positive review and a 5 star rating.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Pradeep Vitta
Dear Dr Diptanshu,
Thanks for the reply.
I can agree that at this age the recurrences can occur and will reduce with the age, but my prime concern is that these recurrences are happening very frequent at times within 1-2 days of getting well. Just for instance my son took his last dose of antibiotic (augmentin duo) on 31st March and was fine and his nose started running the next day (1st April) we immediately contacted the doctor on 2nd April and was adviced some more medication, the condition has worsened and he is continuously coughing from couple of days.
Suggestions are desperately required.
Thanks for the reply.
I can agree that at this age the recurrences can occur and will reduce with the age, but my prime concern is that these recurrences are happening very frequent at times within 1-2 days of getting well. Just for instance my son took his last dose of antibiotic (augmentin duo) on 31st March and was fine and his nose started running the next day (1st April) we immediately contacted the doctor on 2nd April and was adviced some more medication, the condition has worsened and he is continuously coughing from couple of days.
Suggestions are desperately required.
Brief Answer:
Antibiotics have no role in a viral infection.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
I understand your situation. Let me assure that in viral infections there is no role of giving antibiotics. So, when you give Augmentin Duo, it is not doing any good. But in case you ever start antibiotics, please complete the course in order to avoid development of antibiotic resistance. Unless the child becomes lethargic or develops wheezing or respiratory distress, all you need to do is to give steam inhalation and Montair LC Kid. Maxtra may or may not be given along. Paracetamol should be given only if there is fever. No other medicine needs to be given.
What you mention as recurrence, is perhaps the continuation of the same infection. The above mentioned steps would provide relief.
Regards
Antibiotics have no role in a viral infection.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
I understand your situation. Let me assure that in viral infections there is no role of giving antibiotics. So, when you give Augmentin Duo, it is not doing any good. But in case you ever start antibiotics, please complete the course in order to avoid development of antibiotic resistance. Unless the child becomes lethargic or develops wheezing or respiratory distress, all you need to do is to give steam inhalation and Montair LC Kid. Maxtra may or may not be given along. Paracetamol should be given only if there is fever. No other medicine needs to be given.
What you mention as recurrence, is perhaps the continuation of the same infection. The above mentioned steps would provide relief.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Pradeep Vitta
Dear Dr Diptanshu,
I don't think that you have understood the issue, I am writing it again pointwise, hope it will help:
1. My son is experiencing cough and cold on and off from last 7 weeks.
2. After the set dose of medication as prescribed by the doctor, there was a improvement but the symptoms again started showing up after some days and this recurrence happened 2-3 times. this is what I meant by recurrence.
3. In one of the episode of the treatment (last one) he experience very high fever along with cough and cold and thus doctor prescribed blood, urine and x-ray investigations and based on that he prescribed antibiotics (am not sure what type of infection it was and why it was prescribed and I am not a Doctor), just after completing the course of antibiotics (on 31st March), he was feeling much better but the cold and cough symptoms again started surfacing up on 1st and it has worsened by today (note that the medication Alaspan, Montair, Ventryl were prescribed by the doctor for 5 days and today is the last day of the dose, but the condition has deteriorated instead of improving.
My expectation was to get a insight on this issue and to get suggestions on how to move forward in this case. Hope you understand my concern now.
I don't think that you have understood the issue, I am writing it again pointwise, hope it will help:
1. My son is experiencing cough and cold on and off from last 7 weeks.
2. After the set dose of medication as prescribed by the doctor, there was a improvement but the symptoms again started showing up after some days and this recurrence happened 2-3 times. this is what I meant by recurrence.
3. In one of the episode of the treatment (last one) he experience very high fever along with cough and cold and thus doctor prescribed blood, urine and x-ray investigations and based on that he prescribed antibiotics (am not sure what type of infection it was and why it was prescribed and I am not a Doctor), just after completing the course of antibiotics (on 31st March), he was feeling much better but the cold and cough symptoms again started surfacing up on 1st and it has worsened by today (note that the medication Alaspan, Montair, Ventryl were prescribed by the doctor for 5 days and today is the last day of the dose, but the condition has deteriorated instead of improving.
My expectation was to get a insight on this issue and to get suggestions on how to move forward in this case. Hope you understand my concern now.
Brief Answer:
You need to understand the natural course of diseases
Detailed Answer:
Dear Mr. XXXXXXX
I completely understand your concerns and although you have summarized the points of which I already have a grasp. But the issue is that such recurrence is quite common. These viruses are often hard to get rid of when the immunity is not very good. Hence it often affects children but subside with increase in age. It is hard to pin point to any other pathology. In case you are apprehensive, you can ask your doctor to get a H1N1 or swine flu which is a variant of influenza virus that earlier used to affect pigs but now affects humans and hence humans have limited immunity and the disease course may get prolonged as in this case. If the test comes positive, you would have to discuss the significance of antivirals with your doctor. Although you feel that the child had responded well to the antibiotic, I doubt whether the cause of betterment was actually the antibiotic. I had tried to explain the same to you in my earlier answer. The supportive medications are proper.
Once again let me humbly ascertain that I clearly understand the situation. But you need to understand the natural course of diseases.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
You need to understand the natural course of diseases
Detailed Answer:
Dear Mr. XXXXXXX
I completely understand your concerns and although you have summarized the points of which I already have a grasp. But the issue is that such recurrence is quite common. These viruses are often hard to get rid of when the immunity is not very good. Hence it often affects children but subside with increase in age. It is hard to pin point to any other pathology. In case you are apprehensive, you can ask your doctor to get a H1N1 or swine flu which is a variant of influenza virus that earlier used to affect pigs but now affects humans and hence humans have limited immunity and the disease course may get prolonged as in this case. If the test comes positive, you would have to discuss the significance of antivirals with your doctor. Although you feel that the child had responded well to the antibiotic, I doubt whether the cause of betterment was actually the antibiotic. I had tried to explain the same to you in my earlier answer. The supportive medications are proper.
Once again let me humbly ascertain that I clearly understand the situation. But you need to understand the natural course of diseases.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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