Yesterday was a normal day, we watched football, cooked out, and the kids played outside all evening. My 3.5 year old helped feed the ducks and baby calfs, which he does all the time. I don't think this is an after exposure allergy issue since he has never had a reaction to the animals before in his almost 4 years. He woke up about 12:30am, I could hear him coming down the hall to our bedroom and I asked my husband if he was crying because I heard something. As he got closer I asked him this time if he was choking. He was coughing uncontrollably. He couldn't catch his breath no matter how hard he tried, he also kept saying his chest hurt. Which was a struggle to get out of him because he couldn't stop coughing long enough to get a breath in.
It wasn't a wet cough, it was more like a wheezing, can't stop coughing once you start kind of cough. He didn't have a fever, in fact his temp was barely 96. His chest sounded really raspy, once he finally fell asleep we could listen to him breathing better because he wasn't crying anymore. We put some vicks on him and he fell asleep. This morning he still doesn't have a runny nose, but he is still has that cracking sound when he breathes and has had a few more coughing spells when he was trying to eat breakfast. He seems to be acting like himself, he isn't just laying around on the couch but he isn't up running around like he normally is either. But he also got very little sleep last night. I plan on calling his Doctor when they open to see if he thinks I should bring him in, I just wanted to see what you all thought. My husband was all about taking him to the ER last night, I almost wanted too also, It was scary to see him struggling to catch his breath. But we decided since he fell asleep we would let him sleep it off and see how he was in the morning. If he had one more episode we were going to take him in. So what does everyone think?
He is normally a pretty healthy kid, he does get ear and sinus infections. He has never had the flu, and maybe one cold I can ever remember when he was in infant. So this cough thing is new for me.
The Doctor said it is not whooping cough. He doesn't think it's pneumonia, but bronchitis because all of his congestion was in his chest and not his lungs. His temp was still only 95, but his Doctor assured me that was nothing to worry about. I didn't mention it above but last night his temp was 94-95 all night. Thanks for all the helpful answers this morning.
I can't believe you didn't take him to the er! I have cough variant asthma and that's exactly what I sound like for me it's cold air that sets it off. Asthma and allergies can develop suddenly out of nowhere.
It sounds a bit like croup.
Was it a barky cough? Like a seal?
If it happens again run a steamy shower with the bathroom door closed and have your son stay in the steamy room - it should help ease the cough.
It wouldn't hurt to see your doctor, but it probably is just a cold.
Croup can be scary, but it's easily treated.
Just because of the suddeness, I might want to make sure he didn't aspirate something. Choked on something which when into the lung instead of the esophogus.
Also, my kids have had some bad coughs due to pnemonia. And I had whooping cough becaus emy vaccine wore off, although your son has probably had one recently.
Good luck, let us know what the doctor says.
Has he ever been checked for asthma . . My daughter has it. Every time she's on the onset of a simple cold, it goes straight to her chest (basically bronchitis) . . . the cough sounds just like hers . . Good luck with finding the answer to this . . . there is nothing scarier than watching your child struggle to breathe~
Sounds like asthma/allergy related. I would take him in today. Any type of breathing that is accompanied by abnormal sounds, crackling, high-pitched,etc needs to be checked out as soon as possible. He definetly needs the doctor to listen to his lungs/breathing.
You sound like you live in the country. Have they started to harvest down there, yet? Could it be dust particles from that? Did he kick up or play in the hay? It doesn't sound like a cold at all. Maybe asthma or outdoor allergies (esp. if harvesting has started).
Let us know what you find out!
Do you or people living near you use pesticides on crops? If so, your son has just caught pesticide induced asthma. It won't go away. Either you treat it medically to find a homeopath who can remove the poison. If you treat medically he may or may not throw it off.
If it is bronchitis it will last for weeks and can reoccur. If you have a cat it must evermore live out of doors. Cats are responsible for bronchitis and asthma. Their dander is the problem.
I had asthma as an adult my current homeopath cured it after I had suffered for 29 years. The only reason I did not expire is due to the fact that before all the inhalers were on the market I had a chiropracter I would call. Once the adjustment was made the asthma would recede for a few days.
Parents who have no experience with asthma endanger their children without realizing it.
If your or your husband smoke decide whether you want this child to live or you'd rather smoke. An asthmatic can die in 8 minutes, yes 8 minutes, from cigarette or cigar smoke.
Do not allow anyone to smoke in your house and around your child.
Asthma can also be inherited. It's a chink on gene 51 and so far nothing can be done about that they say. It does not always show up right away.
Start asking around in your family if anyone remembers a great grandfather or an aunt who had breathing troubles.
Doctors can make faulty diagnosis unless they see the respiratory problem at the time it is happening.
Keep on the lookout for the latest developments. Write me privately anytime if you have questions. I'm standing behind you.
take him to the doctor. he could have bronchitis or having some issues due to animals or pollen and could also be asthmatic. They will probably give him a nebulizer and inhalants to help him out. As soon as my child wheezes he is at the doctors office. You do not want this to turn into pnemonia.
Sounds like you've already talked to the doctor, but I also wanted to suggest maybe croup. If he does have bronchitis then he needs antibiotics, so are you taking him into the doc? I wouldn't worry so much about the temp thing, that can go up and down, but if he has a bacterial infection, he needs a prescription.
If he has croup, it's a virus that will go away in a few days to a week. As B suggested try steamy showers or put a vaporizer in the room. Both my kids had it and my daughter (almost 4) recovered a lot faster than my 1 y/o. I put a vaporizer in her room every night and put some vicks on her and it was only bad at night and when she woke up in the morning but soon went away.
The pesticide induced asthma comment did make me wonder (and worry) so I'd make sure it isn't related to that if you live on a farm or something.
It sounds like he was having an asthma attack. He should be seen by a doctor. They can test is air intake.
My son had an episode like this in Jan. even tho we have inhalers, they weren't working. I took him into the ER at 1am and they gave him a breathing treatment that help immediately, and then some steriods to help with the wheezing/infection.
If this happens again, and he gets to the point where he is coughing like every 30 seconds, please take him to the ER or call 911.
It may just be an outdoor allergy. When he is coughing a lot, go in the bathroom with him and turn the shower to hot and sit in the steam with him. He may even cough up or throw up some phlegm.
It is the changing of the season ( for everybody except Texas :() and it stirs up all kinds of things. My son has allergies and they are the worst in September and april. He coughs can't breathe through his nose, ect. He could of possibly been coming down with something already and being out all day irritated his chest? I don't take my kids to the doc unless they have fever BUT this sounds like it could be the starting of asthma
Give your doc a call, I would want him looked at. Good luck mama
yes, I would have used the ER. Respiratory issues are nothing to delay on.
Call the dr & push for an appt.
Peace.
My daughter was coughing a lot at night with allergies last summer (mold). She would cough and then wheeze. When I talked to the doctor's office, the nurse said, "if she only wheezes when she coughs, it doesn't count" (ummmm....WHAT?!). So it continued for a while then one night I heard a noise (not coughing) and went into her room and found her barely breathing...couldn't get any air....she was standing and holding her chest then kind of fell over. I picked her up and she was totally stiff. She was obviously freaking out...luckily she didn't throw up. I just held her and told her to "slow down"...I didn't know what else to do for her, and it scared me to death. Eventually she started breathing better and fell asleep. We called the doctor's exchange and they told us to go to the ER, which was a very long middle of the night mess, expensive, and we went home with an inhaler. We've only needed to use it a few times since, but I'm so glad I have it in case this happens again, I can help her. If only the doc's office had taken it seriously, they could have given us a prescription for the inhaler and we would have been prepared. I hate to think what might have happened if I hadn't heard a noise and gone in. Maybe I would have heard her hit the floor. The ER said it was allergy induced asthma.
