Childrens coughs

How to treat coughs and colds in children

There has been concern expressed about the safety and usefulness of treating coughs and colds in children. Most cough and cold treatments are no longer regarded as being suitable for children under the age of six; but that is little comfort when your child is unwell and you want to ease their symptoms so they and the family can recover.

Children get colds, often up to ten times a year, and there is no specific treatment for the viruses that cause these infections, but there are things that you can do that will help to relieve some of the symptoms in your children.

Ensure that your child is well hydrated, keep giving them whatever fluids they normally drink, and make sure that water and other cool fluids are easily available if they are not breastfed. Regular milk and diluted fruit juices are suitable, or you could offer oral rehydration fluids. Continue to offer breast milk, and supplementary water such if your child is still breast fed.

Children older than 12 months old may be given a little honey to sooth a dry cough or scratchy throat, if they have had honey before with no ill effects. The very young are advised not to be given honey, so cool soothing foods such as ice blocks made from diluted juice, yoghurt ice cream and custards may be used instead.

Nasal and chest congestion causes considerable distress as the nasal and air passages in children are smaller and easily blocked up by dried secretions. This is particularly important in babies, as they breathe through their nose not their mouth, so the air flow must not be impeded by gummy nasal congestion. Saline drops and sprays for older children are available and will moisturise and soothe irritated nasal passages and help to flush out the nostrils.

Treating fever and temperature with paracetamol is commonly advised. Ensure that the dose you use is correct for the age and weight of your child, that they are not given a dose any more than four times in any 24 hour period, and no closer than every four hours. It is helpful to store an accurate medicine measure with the paracetamol, so that you can measure out a correct dose to treat your child when they and you are tired and distressed, especially in the middle of the night.

If your child is unable to be soothed by these treatments, if they are weak, their breath is whistling or wheezy, if they are tugging at their ear or their fever is not responding to treatment then see a doctor immediately. Children get very sick very quickly, and they appear to recover quickly as well.

If you are concerned about what to do if you or your children get a cold or of any symptoms that they may have, your community pharmacist can advise you of what is suitable, how to lessen any symptoms and the correct doses of any treatments that are appropriate for you and your family.

Learn more at the NZ health navigator website here

Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

Causes of swallowing difficulties

Swallowing difficulties can happen at any age. There are a wide range of causes for them, including:

some medicines, such as antipsychotics
heartburn and acid reflux
cancer, such as mouth or throat cancers
nervous system or brain disorders
muscle disorders
blockages or structural issues with your mouth, throat or oesophagus.

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties may include:

coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, may be through your nose
the feeling that food is stuck in your throat
having issues chewing your food
problems with dribbling.

Swallowing difficulties can cause weight loss, dehydration and chest infections.

Diagnosing swallowing difficulties

Let your healthcare provider know if you have swallowing difficulties. They will ask you about your symptoms and check if any other health conditions you have may be the cause.

Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for tests. These may include a:

gastroscopy—a camera is passed down through your mouth to look at your throat and stomach
swallowing study—your throat and stomach are x-rayed as you swallow small amounts of food.

Treating swallowing difficulties

How your swallowing difficulties are treated depends on the cause and how severe it is. Treatments may include:

medicines to treat acid reflux
swallowing therapy with a speech and language therapist
making changes to what you eat and drink, such as softer foods and using thickener in drinks
using special spoons, plates and cups
surgery to widen your oesophagus.
using special medication lubricants eg Gloup to help make it easier to swallow tablets etc. For more information click here.

Self care for swallowing difficulties

As well as seeing your healthcare provider, the following tips may help you to get food or liquids into your stomach.

Sit upright in a chair—at a table is best.
Have regular small meals instead of the main large meals.
Eat or drink small mouthfuls at a time.
If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
Wet food will be easier to swallow as dry food can catch in your throat.
If your food has 2 consistencies, such as fruit in juice and cereal in milk, try to mix it into 1 consistency, or eat the solid and liquid portions separately.
Concentrate on eating and avoid talking.
Hot, ice-cold or fizzy liquids are easier to swallow than room temperature liquids.
If you are told to have thickened liquids, avoid ice-cream and jelly as they thin before swallowing.
Drink from the top half of you cup to avoid tipping your head back.

Have a look at our range of Gloup medication lubricants here which can help with difficulties swallowing tablets...

Bureta Pharmacy Shop

We're 'the little pharmacy with the big heart' - our slogan explains our attitude - small in size but big in attitude, we like to go the extra mile for our customers!