How to control night time cough due to asthma in children?

Question

Hello doctor,

My son is eight years old. He has dry cough for the last three weeks. The doctor prescribed him one week of Erythromycin, followed by one week of Azithromycin. But he still has no relief. The cough increases in the early morning at about 3 AM.

Please guide.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

If there is no fever or nasal discharge, then he might be asthmatic. In which case, he will need a bronchodilator and inhaled anti-inflammatory agents. The type of medicine depends on the frequency and severity of the cough, as well as episodes of night cough. His weight is also high. He needs to be evaluated for non alcoholic fatty liver disease. I suggest the following tests:

Ultrasound of the upper abdomen, including the liver, for fatty changes.
Complete blood count with peripheral smear examination.
Lipid profile.
Fasting blood sugar.

The treatment plan can be decided after the reports.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.

Thank you.