Our two year old has dry coughs all night. This happened last winter, but stopped as soon as we turned off the furnace for the spring/summer. As soon as we started the furnace back up this fall is started again. We've tried cough medicine, propping her mattress up, a humidifier for the house, drinks of water, rocking her upright, Baby vicks... nothing seems to work. Last night I finally got out the vaporizer and ran it without the vicks (so it was more of a humidifier for her room) that DID seem to help... but we worry about the fire hazard of leaving that on all night. We're all losing sleep over this as it can go on for hours.
We talked to our ped. about it last year. He didn't seem to have any answers. We talked about having her tested for allergies, but when the coughing stopped didn't pursue it. Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone with some advice?
EDITED**I forgot to mention that we replace our filters at least 2 times a year and DH just completely replaced all of the furnace heating ducts about 3 years ago.
Leaving the humdifier/vaporizer on at night is ok. there shouldn't any real potential for a fire unless there are some electrical issues. If running the vaporizer seems to help her keep doing it. Although you guys replace the filters every 6 months, it still doesn't mean that the heat isn't making it dry in the room. So keep up with the humidifer and she should be able to breath and sleep easier.
Hello K.,
If the duct cleaning and the purifier don't work check into sinus infection and ear issues. My now 2 yr old had frequent ear infections and she always had a runny nose and coughed all night from the backdrip. We had her on allergy meds, we had a hudifier, we were rubbing her chest, steam baths...nothing worked. After we had her ears tubed it stopped. The coughing and the infections stopped.
Hope it helps and your baby gets better
K., Our now 5 yr. old went through the same symptoms since last summer since she around 2. At night, it started with a bad (barking,loud) cough. I would take her to the drs. and they would always tell us it was viral and nothing they could do but prescribe stronger cough syrup and wait it out which always resulted in another trip to the drs. when it still wouldn't go away! Last, year she ended up with pnuemonia and was pretty sick. She had a chest x-ray and found that her tonsils, adnoid were enlarged and we had both removed. Last summer we ad a very hot dry summer day and she started coughing again. Took her to drs. and they finally told us it was allergies and to have her tested. 3 yrs. later after being told there was nothing they could do that it was viral she did have allergies after all. Hot steamy showers,humidifiers,cough syrup won't always work it sounds like your 2 yr. old does have allergies and don't let your dr. say she is to young to be tested. If she has them it could show up. I know first hand how it is to hear your child in the middle of the night sound so bad and nothing works. Good luck to you Both!!
my daughter has coughing episodes for weeks at a time. they check her lungs-all clear. they check everything and it turns out fine. i'm sure your baby has all her teeth so it's not drainage from saliva, which is what they said could have been my daughters issue. they put her on a nebulizer and that helped alot. ask your dr. a bout that. it's a mask you put over the baby's face ( :( ) and you pump albuterol into their lungs and it REALLY helps
It definetly sounds like allergies, but more like dust. They sell special furnance filters for people with allergies. I am sure you can find one at a local hardware store, or you could call a heating and cooling place. See if you can get one of those places to give your furnance a good cleaning, as well as the vents. This should take care of it.
Try a coffee bath. Make a strong coffee. Soak rags in it and spread them accross his chest. That should cause dilation of the bronchioles in the chest. Do it right before bed and keep the vaporizer on as well. Warm liquids sometimes help too.
Have your ducts cleaned for $60-$80 bucks it's well worth it!! If that doesn't help I would talk to ped. about having allergy test done. I think the duct cleaning will work though, that is what our problem was! The previous owners had 4 dogs and who knows if they ever had it done and what their previous had etc... Hope it all works out!!
Definately have the furnace ducts cleaned and special filters put in. I had to do it for my daughter but only in the winter, also the furnace drys out the throat and I run a water vaporizer all night in my daughters room. There are different types of vaporizers available that are safe to run all night and use little power and water. My daughter has asthma and allergies and I do this every winter for her.
You call also put a pan of water by the heat register to add humidity to the air. I don't think it's as effective as a humidifier, but will give some relief. I always filled the humidifier and ran it at night. I don't think it's a bigger fire hazard than any other electrical item you use. Maybe a smoke detector in her room, if there's not one already, would ease your mind. Good luck and I hope she finds relief soon.
My daughter has the same thing this time of year - it's a mild case of asthma that acts up during weather changes. She has some allergies too, so that makes it a little worse but her doctor gave her Zyrtec for the allergies and Albuterol(in a liquid cough syrup -like form - not inhaler form) for the coughing - it's great stuff and she sleep very soundly. ____@____.com
Hi K.,
How about an air purifier? The EPA has identified our indoor air is much more poluted than outdoor air. You'll be amazed at the difference for all of you. After examining 70 different technologies, the country of China picked this one to combat SARS - here's a link to where you can buy it: https://www.shaklee.net/changinglives/prodAir
I would also recommend that you eliminate all toxic cleaners in your home. My son's allergies were nearly completely eliminated when I changed to Shaklee's laundry product. Best of luck in your quest for solutions.
My seven year old is like that. We put a cold air humidifier in her room and shut the door. Our pediatrician explained to us that in the summer she doesn't do this because of the humidity.(it keeps the air that we breathe moist) And in the winter all the heat from all the heaters dry out the air.
It sounds like allergies there may be something in the air furnace air ducts you may want to have someone come out and clean the ducts you might find that your daughter and yourselves as well might breath better and won't get sick as much with the duct's cleaned out. You wouldn't believe what get's into those duct's that could cause a child to have a allergies along with any adult as well. Well I hope this helps and good luck.
