Recurrent Cough and homeopathy

If your child is having cough very frequently, and is triggered by exertion or is frequently having cough more in the morning or night, there are chances that it is not just plain cough or bronchitis. It could mean more than that. The child could be having asthma. Wheezing is often thought to be the only indicator for asthma. This in fact is not the complete truth. At times cough may be the only symptom that your kid shows. This situation in medical terminology is also called as ‘cough variant asthma’.

How is asthma diagnosed?

Wheezing, shortness of breath and continuous or intermittent cough are usually the classical symptoms of asthma. But nowadays the diagnostic criterion for asthma has been changed by the Pediatricians. Diagnosis of asthma nowadays include cough(with or without wheezing) that is Recurrent, cough that is induced by exertion like running, crying, laughing etc and cough that aggravates during night and in the morning hours. It doesn’t mean that all kids who have such kinds of cough will eventually be termed as asthmatics. There are other aspects to it too. Other symptoms of allergies, family history for asthma or allergies, reaction to weather changes or changes during allergy seasons and the causative factors for the onset of cough are taken into consideration while making the diagnosis of asthma

In small kids wheezing might not be heard until they are at least 18 to 24 months old. Other symptoms such as cough that is of rattling in nature, rapid breathing and frequent chest colds are the indicators for asthma.

What is asthma?

In asthma the airways in our lungs get inflamed producing excessive mucus, swelling and contraction; this causes an obstruction in the normal flow of the air (that we breathe) through our airways. These changes produce cough, wheezing and shortness of breath.

What causes asthma?

The asthmatic changes in lungs occur mainly due to three main reasons. - Allergy, viral respiratory infections (syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus) and airborne irritants (like smoke, fumes etc.).

Certain factors make it more likely that the child will develop asthma. Hereditary factor plays a very important role. Kids are more likely to have asthma if someone in their family (parents, grandparents, brother sister) has asthma or other allergies. Presence of other allergies like skin allergy or nasal allergy also predisposes the child to have asthma.

Homeopathy for childhood asthma.

Homeopathic philosophy believes that asthma can be completely cured; for asthma to be completely eliminated from the body the disease needs to be treated in two different stages. Firstly whenever there is an acute episode of an asthmatic attack, homeopathic treatment needs to be given according to the symptoms presented by the child. Secondly between the periods of attack when the child seems fine, homoeopathic medicines that build up the child resistance towards such asthma attack and eradicate the disease in totality , needs to be given. This kind of treatment is also called as constitutional treatment. Homeopathic medicines that have been found very useful in eradicating the tendency towards asthma are Natrum Sulphuricum and Bacillinum. In ‘cough variant asthma’, homoeopathic medicines Drosera and Coccus Cacti can work wonders.