There is no specific therapy for this cough, which eventually goes away. To determine if this is the cause, your physician may perform tests to see if acid is refluxing up out of the stomach.Īfter having a viral respiratory infection, otherwise healthy children can have a cough lasting for weeks. Some children may develop a hoarse voice and/or choking as symptoms. This is called 'reflux' and may occur silently without heartburn. In some children, the cause of chronic cough is stomach fluid moving back up the throat. Usually other symptoms are present, but sometimes the only symptom you notice is the cough. Postnasal drip caused by rhinitis or a sinus infection (sinusitis) can produce chronic cough. But sometimes the only symptom is a cough that is made worse by viral infections, or this cough happens while your child is asleep, or may be triggered by exercise and cold air. Most children with asthma have inflamed or swollen airways, which commonly cause wheezing. There are many different causes for a persistent or chronic cough in children. See your physician quickly if you think this is possible. This may occur after an episode of choking, but sometimes the choking episode might not be noticed, especially in younger children. Infrequently, a cough occurs because of a foreign body in the airway.

Healthy preschool children in day care can have up to eight viral respiratory infections with a cough every year, each lasting about 10 days. The majority of children have brief repeated periods of coughing due to viral upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold. However, coughing that lasts more than two to three weeks should prompt a visit to your physician.Īcute Cough in Children (Lasting Two Weeks or Less) Cough protects your child's body by removing mucus, irritating substances and infections from his or her respiratory tract.Ĭhildren can cough several times a day or have coughing episodes lasting up to a couple of weeks if they have viral infections. Yet an occasional cough doesn't always mean there is a problem. As a parent, hearing your child cough may make you feel uneasy.

Nocturnal cough