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Coughs, Age 11 and Younger

Overview

Coughing is the body's way of removing foreign material or mucus from the lungs and upper airway passages or of reacting to an irritated airway.

Coughs have certain traits you can learn to recognize. A cough is only a symptom, not a disease. Often, you can't tell how serious the problem is until you also look at your child's other symptoms.

Productive coughs

A productive cough produces phlegm or mucus (sputum). The mucus may have drained down the back of the throat from the nose or sinuses. Or it may have come up from the lungs. In most cases, you shouldn't suppress a productive cough. The cough clears mucus from the lungs. There are many causes of a productive cough, such as:

Viral illnesses. It's normal to have a productive cough with the common cold. Coughing is often triggered by mucus that drains down the back of the throat.
Infections. An infection of the lungs or upper airway passages can cause a cough. A productive cough may be a symptom of pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, or tuberculosis.
Chronic lung disease. A productive cough could be a sign that a lung disease is getting worse or that your child has an infection.
Stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. This type of coughing may be a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It may awaken your child from sleep.
Nasal discharge (post-nasal drip) draining down the back of the throat. This can cause a productive cough or make your child feel the need to clear their throat often. Experts disagree about whether the post-nasal drip or the viral illness that caused it is causing the cough.

Non-productive coughs

A non-productive cough is dry. It doesn't produce sputum. A dry, hacking cough may occur toward the end of a cold or after exposure to an irritant, such as dust or smoke. There are many causes of a non-productive cough. They include:

Viral illnesses. After a common cold, a dry cough may last several weeks longer than other symptoms. It often gets worse at night.
Bronchospasm. A non-productive cough, particularly at night, may mean spasms in the bronchial tubes caused by irritation.
Allergies. Frequent sneezing is also a common symptom of allergic rhinitis.
Exposure to dust, fumes, and chemicals.
Asthma. A chronic dry cough may be a sign of mild asthma. Other symptoms may include wheezing, shortness of breath, or a feeling of tightness in the chest.
Blockage of the airway by an inhaled object, such as food or a pill.

Coughs that affect children

Children may have coughs from diseases or causes that usually don't affect adults, such as:

Croup.
Infection of the lower respiratory system (such as bronchiolitis or respiratory syncytial virus [RSV]).
Blockage of the airway by an inhaled object, such as food, a piece of a balloon, or a small toy.
Exposure to second-hand smoke from parents or caregivers who smoke.
Emotional or psychological problems. A dry, non-productive "psychogenic cough" is seen more often in children than in adults.

Antibiotic use

Many coughs are caused by a viral illness. Antibiotics aren't used to treat viral illnesses. They don't change the course of viral infections. Using an antibiotic when it's not needed exposes your child to the risks of an allergic reaction and antibiotic side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, and yeast infections. Antibiotics also may kill helpful bacteria and encourage the growth of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Check Your Symptoms

Does your child have a cough?

Yes

Cough

How old are you?

Less than 3 months

3 to 5 months

6 to 11 months

12 months to less than 3 years

3 to 11 years

12 years or older

Are you male or female?

Male

Female

The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.

If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as "male" and once as "female"). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Has your child had surgery in the past 2 weeks?

Surgery can cause problems that make your child cough.

Yes

Surgery within past 2 weeks

Does your baby seem sick?

A sick baby probably will not be acting normally. For example, the baby may be much fussier than usual or not want to eat.

Yes

Baby seems sick

How sick do you think your baby is?

Extremely sick

Baby is very sick (limp and not responsive)

Sick

Baby is sick (sleepier than usual, not eating or drinking like usual)

Is your baby having trouble breathing?

Sometimes babies may have trouble breathing because of a stuffy nose. If your baby's nose is stuffy, clearing the nose with a rubber bulb may help.

Yes

Difficulty breathing

Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild?

Severe

Severe difficulty breathing

Moderate

Moderate difficulty breathing

Mild

Mild difficulty breathing

Has the coughing been so bad that it has made your baby vomit?

Yes

Vomiting after coughing spasm

Is your baby coughing up blood?

Yes

Coughing up blood

Is your child having trouble breathing (more than a stuffy nose)?

The symptoms of difficulty breathing in an older child may be different than symptoms in a baby or young child.

Yes

Difficulty breathing more than stuffy nose

Is your child drooling and unable to swallow, cry, or make sounds?

Yes

Drooling and unable to swallow

Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild?

Severe

Severe difficulty breathing

Moderate

Moderate difficulty breathing

Mild

Mild difficulty breathing

Is your child's ability to breathe:

Getting worse?

Breathing problems are getting worse

Staying about the same (not better or worse)?

Breathing problems are unchanged

Getting better?

Breathing problems are getting better

Is your child's ability to breathe:

Quickly getting worse (within minutes or hours)?

Breathing problems are quickly worsening

Slowly getting worse (over days)?

Breathing problems are slowly worsening

Staying about the same (not better or worse)?

Breathing problems are unchanged

Getting better?

Breathing problems are getting better

Does your child have a chronic health problem that affects his or her breathing, such as asthma?

A breathing problem may be more of a concern if your child normally does not have breathing problems.

Yes

Has chronic breathing problems

Is the problem your child is having right now different than what you are used to?

Yes

Breathing problem is different than usual symptoms

Does your child make a harsh, high-pitched sound when he or she breathes in?

This often occurs with a loud cough that sounds like a barking seal.

Yes

Harsh, high-pitched sound when breathing

Does your child have symptoms of a serious illness?

The symptoms in a baby are different than the symptoms in an older child.

Yes

Symptoms of serious illness

Do you think your baby has a fever?

Yes

Fever

Did you take your child's temperature?

This is the only way to be sure that a baby this age does not have a fever. If you don't know the temperature, it's safest to assume the baby has a fever and needs to be seen by a doctor. Any problem that causes a fever at this age could be serious. Rectal temperatures are the most accurate. Taking an axillary (armpit) temperature is also an option.

Yes

Temperature taken

Is it 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, taken rectally?

This would be an axillary temperature of 37.5°C (99.5°F) or higher.

Yes

Temperature at least 38°C (100.4°F) taken rectally

When your child is coughing, does his or her face turn blue or purple?

Yes

Colour changes to blue or purple when coughing

Color changes to blue or purple when coughing

Is your baby eating less than usual?

Yes

Change in eating habits

Has your baby had a cough for more than 1 full day (24 hours)?

Yes

Cough for more than 24 hours

Cough for 24 hours or less

Do you think your child has a fever?

Yes

Fever

Did you take your child's temperature?

Yes

Temperature taken

How high is the fever? The answer may depend on how you took the temperature.

NOTE: Most people have an average body temperature of about 37°C (98.6°F). But it can vary by a degree or more and still be considered normal. If a low body temperature is the only symptom, it’s usually not something to worry about. But be sure to watch for other symptoms.

High: 40°C (104°F) or higher, oral

High fever: 40°C (104°F) or higher, oral

Moderate: 38°C (100.4°F) to 39.9°C (103.9°F), oral

Moderate fever: 38°C (100.4°F) to 39.9°C (103.9°F), oral

Mild: 37.9°C (100.3°F) or lower, oral

Mild fever: 37.9°C (100.3°F) or lower, oral

How high do you think the fever is?

High

Feels fever is high

Moderate

Feels fever is moderate

Mild or low

Feels fever is mild

How long has your child had a fever?

Less than 2 days (48 hours)

Fever for less than 2 days

From 2 days to less than 1 week

Fever for more than 2 days and less than 1 week

1 week or longer

Fever for 1 week or more

Does your child have a health problem or take medicine that weakens his or her immune system?

Yes

Disease or medicine that causes immune system problems

Does your child have shaking chills or very heavy sweating?

Shaking chills are a severe, intense form of shivering. Heavy sweating means that sweat is pouring off the child or soaking through his or her clothes.

Yes

Shaking chills or heavy sweating

Did the cough start after a recent choking episode?

The cough could mean that something is still stuck in the throat.

Yes

Choking episode

Is your child coughing up mucus, phlegm (say "flem"), or blood from the lungs?

This is called a productive cough. Mucus or blood draining down the throat from the nose because of a cold, a nosebleed, or allergies is not the same thing.

Yes

Coughing up sputum or blood

Is your child coughing up blood?

Yes

Coughing up blood

How much blood is there?

Thin streaks of blood

Streaks

More than just streaks

More than streaks

Has this been going on for more than 2 days?

Yes

Coughing up mucus for more than 2 days

Has the coughing been so bad that it has made your child vomit?

Yes

Vomiting after coughing spasm

Has your child had a cough for more than 2 weeks?

Yes

Cough for more than 2 weeks

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

HomeTreatment

RelatedInformation

Symptoms of serious illness in a baby may include the following:

The baby is limp and floppy like a rag doll.
The baby doesn't respond at all to being held, touched, or talked to.
The baby is hard to wake up.

Symptoms of serious illness may include:

A severe headache.
A stiff neck.
Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
Extreme fatigue (to the point where it's hard for you to function).
Shaking chills.

Severe trouble breathing means:

The child cannot eat or talk because he or she is breathing so hard.
The child's nostrils are flaring and the belly is moving in and out with every breath.
The child seems to be tiring out.
The child seems very sleepy or confused.

Moderate trouble breathing means:

The child is breathing a lot faster than usual.
The child has to take breaks from eating or talking to breathe.
The nostrils flare or the belly moves in and out at times when the child breathes.

Mild trouble breathing means:

The child is breathing a little faster than usual.
The child seems a little out of breath but can still eat or talk.

Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example:

You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk (mild difficulty breathing), or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all (severe difficulty breathing).
It may be getting hard to breathe with activity (mild difficulty breathing), or you may have to work very hard to breathe even when you're at rest (severe difficulty breathing).

Symptoms of difficulty breathing in a baby or young child can range from mild to severe. For example:

The child may be breathing a little faster than usual (mild difficulty breathing), or the child may be having so much trouble that the nostrils are flaring and the belly is moving in and out with every breath (severe difficulty breathing).
The child may seem a little out of breath but is still able to eat or talk (mild difficulty breathing), or the child may be breathing so hard that he or she cannot eat or talk (severe difficulty breathing).

If you're not sure if a child's fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:

With a high fever:

The child feels very hot.
It is likely one of the highest fevers the child has ever had.

With a moderate fever:

The child feels warm or hot.
You are sure the child has a fever.

With a mild fever:

The child may feel a little warm.
You think the child might have a fever, but you're not sure.

A baby that is extremely sick:

May be limp and floppy like a rag doll.
May not respond at all to being held, touched, or talked to.
May be hard to wake up.

A baby that is sick (but not extremely sick):

May be sleepier than usual.
May not eat or drink as much as usual.

Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For children up to 11 years old, here are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild according to how you took the temperature.

Oral (by mouth), ear, or rectal temperature

High: 40° C (104° F) and higher
Moderate: 38° C (100.4° F) to 39.9° C (103.9° F)
Mild: 37.9° C (100.3° F) and lower

A forehead (temporal) scanner is usually 0.3° C (0.5° F) to 0.6° C (1° F) lower than an oral temperature.

Armpit (axillary) temperature

High: 39.5° C (103° F) and higher
Moderate: 37.5° C (99.5° F) to 39.4° C (102.9° F)
Mild: 37.4° C (99.4° F) and lower

Note: For children under 5 years old, rectal temperatures are the most accurate.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in children are:

Diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and congenital heart disease.
Steroid medicines, which are used to treat a variety of conditions.
Medicines taken after organ transplant.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
Not having a spleen.

You can use a small rubber bulb (called an aspirating bulb) to remove mucus from your baby's nose or mouth when a cold or allergies make it hard for the baby to eat, sleep, or breathe.

To use the bulb:

Put a few saline nose drops in each side of the baby's nose before you start.
Position the baby with his or her head tilted slightly back.
Squeeze the round base of the bulb.
Gently insert the tip of the bulb tightly inside the baby's nose.
Release the bulb to remove (suction) mucus from the nose.

Don't do this more than 5 or 6 times a day. Doing it too often can make the congestion worse and can also cause the lining of the nose to swell or bleed.

Sudden drooling and trouble swallowing can be signs of a serious problem called epiglottitis. This problem can happen at any age.

The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the back of the throat that you can't see when you look in the mouth. When you swallow, it closes to keep food and fluids out of the tube (trachea) that leads to the lungs. If the epiglottis becomes inflamed or infected, it can swell and quickly block the airway. This makes it very hard to breathe.

The symptoms start suddenly. A person with epiglottitis is likely to seem very sick, have a fever, drool, and have trouble breathing, swallowing, and making sounds. In the case of a child, you may notice the child trying to sit up and lean forward with his or her jaw forward, because it's easier to breathe in this position.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour.
You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
- You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
- You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

Sometimes people don't want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today.
If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.

HomeTreatment

RelatedInformation

Make an Appointment

Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.

Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. You may need care sooner.

HomeTreatment

RelatedInformation

Coughs, Age 12 and Older

Post-Operative Problems

Self-Care

Coughing is the body's way of removing foreign substances and mucus from the lungs and upper airway passages. Productive coughs are often useful. Don't try to stop a productive cough. Sometimes, though, coughs are severe enough to impair breathing or prevent rest. Here are some things you can do at home to help your child feel more comfortable when they have a cough.

Prevent dehydration.
Fluids may help soothe an irritated throat. Honey or lemon juice in warm water or tea may help a dry, hacking cough. But don't give honey to children younger than 1 year of age. It may contain bacteria that are harmful to babies.
Gargle.
Children who can gargle can try gargling with warm salt water to help ease a sore throat caused by coughing.
Try moist air.
Try a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to add moisture to the room. Warm or cool mist may help relieve symptoms. Follow all cleaning instructions and precautions for the machine.
Be careful with cough and cold medicines.
- Don't give them to children younger than 6. They don't work for children that age and can even be harmful. For children 6 and older, always follow all the instructions carefully. Make sure you know how much medicine to give and how long to use it. And use the dosing device if one is included.
- Follow directions. How much medicine to take and how often to take it may be very different for children than for adults. Always follow the directions about how much to use based on age and, in some cases, weight.
- Don't give your child leftover antibiotics, or antibiotics or medicines that were prescribed for someone else.
Take special care with a barking cough.
- Try to stay calm and soothe your child. Your child's crying can make the swelling in the windpipe worse and make it even harder to breathe.
- Give your child a hug or offer a favourite toy.
- If symptoms improve with these methods, put your child back in bed. If the symptoms happen during the middle of the night, it's a good idea to sleep in or near your child's room until morning.
- Be sure to keep your child well hydrated. Offer water, flavoured ice pops (such as Popsicles), or crushed ice drinks several times each hour.
- Do not let anyone smoke around your child or in the house.
- Do not give your child over-the-counter cough or cold medicines. They don't help with croup, and they may not be safe for young children.

When to call for help during self-care

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

New or worse trouble breathing.
A fever.
Coughing up blood.
Coughing up yellow or green mucus.
Symptoms occur more often or are more severe.

Learn more

Watch

Children and Cough and Cold Medicines

Preparing For Your Appointment

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared for your appointment.

Making the Most of Your Appointment

Related Information

Credits

Current as of: September 27, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

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