Increased night time cough

My son is 10 years old and has been suffering from asthma for the last couple of years. He normally only has asthma in the late spring/ early summer brought on by hayfever, however this year his asthma has been pretty constant and the recent cold weather has aggravated his asthma dramatically. My son's asthma presents itself mainly as a dry irritating cough, he does not have any wheezing generally although can complain of a slightly tight chest. In the morning or during the day his cough is manageable and at times unnoticeable. However over the last couple of weeks his night time cough has been much worse, although once he has fallen asleep he seems fine with only the occasional cough during the night. He is on a preventer and a reliever, takes citerizine as and anti allergy relief and recently has been given a nasal spray as well. Could anyone advise me why his night time cough seems so bad at the moment and give me any tips of ways I can help to relieve it and why does it seem to subside when he is asleep. Most grateful for any suggestions or advice.

[Hidden]

I think you need to take your son to his GP/asthma nurse for a reveiw, a night time cough is one of the signs that his asthma is not well controlled so he may need his treatment adjusting.

[Hidden]

HI

,Have you tried lifting his bed up at the head with books etc might help.

Also with the cold weather have you noticed if central heating or just by going

up to bed with a different temp in his room sets him off?

Think an asthma med review at the docs would be a good idea also to help him ,love Glynis xxx

[Hidden]

Hiya Mandy, we have the same going on here. I've had him bolt upright with pillows galore and have had lots of sleepless nights hoiking my lad back up onto them when he slips down. He's gone on to develop a chest infection which was picked up today and we have some antibiotics. Might be worth taking your lad along? Hope he's feeling better soon. lx

[Hidden]

you can work on his breathing to alleviate his cough, hayfever and asthma

If your son coughs through his nose rather than his mouth then it can reduce the number of follow coughs. The cough is irritating and there is no sputum. When he coughs he irritates the already irritated part further. You should work with him to try not to cough, to cough through his nose (reduces volume of cough out and next breath in, if he coughs through his mouth then to hold his breath on out breath for 1,2 or 3 secs (reduces breathing volume and tendancy to cough), tips to stop coughing are to hold your breath for 3-5 secs (or 1,2 or 3 if not able to do 3-5) on outbreath ever 20 secs or so. THis slowly reduces volume that he is breathing and relieves irritated area, to swallow or take a sip of water.

By working on his breathing during the day then he will get releif at night. It is bad at the moment as his CP has fallen slowly and this has resulted in a cough (its a buteyko measure for how long you can comfortably hold your breath on teh out breath while nasal breathing). He may have had a chest infection and the cold weather affects us all (but nose warms air to body temperature so the effect for nose breathers of cold weather is lessened).

It subsides when he sleeps as his body gets a chance to relax (as he has switched off). Relaxation reduces heart beat and breathing rate.

By working on his breathing during the year then he can get relief from his hayfever/asthma in spring/early summer. He needs to start breathing exclusively through his nose and at lower volumes.

Then the body does not inhale the pollen deep into the lungs but filters it using the nose (funnily enough its what our nose is for).

Good luck.

[yaf_user681_15459]

We're having the same here too. As Wheels has said, my daughter also has a chest infection now too. We are on day 4 of an 8 day pred course along with antibs.

Id take your son along to the GP or Asthma nurse to get some advice and review meds.

Good luck, I hope he feels better soon.

Emily.

[Hidden]

hi, we have the same problem aswell. Lots of night time coughing and vomiting my son is 6 and on 2puffs seretide morning and night and singulair tabs. When he is at his worst we find getting fresh air is always a help (though not done it when this cold so don't know if would help). William says he is swopping his poorly air for good air. lol. Waiting for a sweat test at the moment so fingers crossed.

xxx