My child has a severe wet cough with a lot of mucus and symptoms that seem like a sinus infection. What treatment or medicines may help relieve the cough and congestion?
A severe wet cough with thick mucus in children often happens when mucus from the nose and sinuses keeps dripping into the throat and chest. This can occur during a viral cold, sinus infection, allergy, or throat infection. Children may cough more at night because mucus collects while lying down, and some also develop a blocked nose, noisy breathing, bad breath, or pressure around the face. Warm fluids, steam inhalation, saline nasal drops and keeping the child hydrated can help loosen the mucus and relieve congestion. Doctors sometimes use mucus-thinning syrups or medicines to reduce nasal swelling, depending on the age and symptoms of the child. Honey may also soothe a cough in children older than a year. Thick yellow mucus alone does not always indicate that antibiotics are necessary, since many infections are still viral. If the child develops a high fever, fast breathing, chest pulling, wheezing, vomiting, extreme sleepiness, or a cough lasting many days, consulting a paediatrician is important to check for a chest infection or severe sinus involvement.
