If your child is only coughing at night, it could indicate asthma or an infection from a virus or bacteria. It's scary for parents to hear an unexplained cough coming from their child's room. Coughs are common for children and are worse at night because mucus from the sinuses drains down their throat and triggers a cough. Always consult with your doctor before attempting to treat your child's cough yourself.
Identification
A cough that is only occurring at night and is not following a cold may indicate asthma as the culprit. In addition to the nighttime cough, your child may have shortness of breath and difficulties breathing. Croup is another cough that is most noticeable at night. Croup sounds like a barking seal and can last up to seven nights, although the cough is more severe during the first couple days. Croup is most common between the ages of three months and five years old and between the months of October and March.
Whooping cough, although rare, is also more noticeable at night when your child will cough so severely that vomiting may occur. The cough ends in a high-pitched whooping sound and thick phlegm is present. Coughing spells from acute bronchitis often bring up clear, yellow or green mucus. Acute bronchitis may seem like its gone away, but the nighttime cough can linger for weeks.
Causes
The airways are more sensitive and irritable at night for asthma sufferers. Environmental causes are often the trigger of asthma and common triggers include dust, pet dander, cockroach debris, cold air and mold. These are only mild irritants to someone without asthma, but a person's airways with asthma that's sleeping in a room containing a trigger will overreact to the substance by narrowing and producing excess mucus. Asthma, croup, whooping cough and acute bronchitis all cause irritation to the bronchial tree which results in coughing. Viral infections are the most common cause of croup and acute bronchitis. Whooping cough is caused by a bacterial infection that inhibits the respiratory tracks ability to remove germs.
Treatments
Asthma is treated with quick-relief inhalers or long-term control. A quick-relief inhaler is taken at the time of an asthma attack to open the airways and reduce inflammation. Long-term medications will lessen the amount of attacks, but they will not help during an attack. Croup can normally be controlled by treating the cough with steam or cold air. A cool air vaporizer in your child's room and acetaminophen can often help with the symptoms. Steroid medications may be given in severe cases. If your child is bluish in color, having difficulties breathing, fatigued or dehydrated, seek emergency medical attention.
Prevention
If you find that your child has asthma, avoid nighttime triggers by thoroughly cleaning your child's room and washing all bedding regularly. Avoid respiratory infections by washing your child's hands regularly and keeping your child away from people who are sick. Vaccinating against diphtheria, haemophilus influenza and measles protects your child from the most dangerous types of croup. There is a vaccination for whooping cough.
