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Child Has Cough And Stuffy Nose. Is This Cold Or Allergy? Should I Give Ambroxol?
Question: Hi my baby(1 YERAR OLD) is suffering from cold or allergy(rhinitis?) from past 6 days(have not given any medication, using sterimar saline drops) , kind of settled as i could see , gp has given amborxol and acified syrup yesterday when we went to check up to see if chest is clear (he said chest is clear).. once in a while she coughs(may be 5-10 coughs a day), otherwise ok, she has a stuffy nose at night but sleeps ok(though with a small voice at times ass nose is blocked), should i give ambroxol at this stage or go without medication
Also if cold / allergy condition is ok for rhinitis is to advisable to go with antihistamines or as long as baby is ok , is it good not to take any medicine ..also how do I differentiate if it is cold or allergy ...
Also if cold / allergy condition is ok for rhinitis is to advisable to go with antihistamines or as long as baby is ok , is it good not to take any medicine ..also how do I differentiate if it is cold or allergy ...
Hi,thanks for using healthcare magic
Ambroxol is a mucolytic and would be useful in situations where there is a wet/chesty cough or if there is alot of nasal discharge.
Nasal congestion can be due to increased size of the nasal turbinates or as a result of nasal discharge. If the cough is dry and the nasal congestion is not secondary to discharge then there is no reason to use the ambroxol and you can use the saline drops only.
Infections are usually associated with fever, loss of appetite, fatigue/decrease in activity, there may also be involvement of the ears with ear infection.
Allergies would not usually be associated with these symptoms (the person feels well otherwise) and also , in a person with allergies, the symptoms start when exposed to a particular substance. For example , exposure to dust or animals or pollen from plants results in an acute episode of sneezing and nasal congestion.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Ambroxol is a mucolytic and would be useful in situations where there is a wet/chesty cough or if there is alot of nasal discharge.
Nasal congestion can be due to increased size of the nasal turbinates or as a result of nasal discharge. If the cough is dry and the nasal congestion is not secondary to discharge then there is no reason to use the ambroxol and you can use the saline drops only.
Infections are usually associated with fever, loss of appetite, fatigue/decrease in activity, there may also be involvement of the ears with ear infection.
Allergies would not usually be associated with these symptoms (the person feels well otherwise) and also , in a person with allergies, the symptoms start when exposed to a particular substance. For example , exposure to dust or animals or pollen from plants results in an acute episode of sneezing and nasal congestion.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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