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long term coughing in 4 year old

My granddaughter turned 4 march 6, 2005. She had a fever and her cheeks were very red on her birthday. She got over the fever but continues to cough quite often every day and night. She takes clariten, 2 times daily per the dr. Also triamedic cough syrup, and one other liquid medicine. She takes everything like a good girl.  She is lethargic, pale, and is getting really tired of coughing after 3 and 1/2 months. She has been to the Dr 2 times for this problem and we have gotten no help. There is smoking in the house, dogs and a cat, an old house with I am sure mold and dust mites. The home is multigenerational also. I have ordered the ionic breeze air filtering machines, but need to know if we should suspect coughing asthma, or some other problem. Right now, she is taking too much medication that does no good, and complains of a tummy ache fairly often. The latter is my opinion. Thanks,
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, viral cough was started.
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Avatar universal
Thank all of you for your comments.  After reading all of them, I am inclined to believe it is the sinus problem. She has suffered from sinus problems and sinus headaches.  Sinus problems seem to run in the family.  As to the smoking problem. I don't smoke, the house is not mine, There are 3 adults in the house who smoke, two are the house owners and the other is the father of my (great) grand daughter. I purchased an ionic breeze air purifier for each room that my great grand daughter spends time in. I haven't turned any of them to the ozone part yet as I don't under stand it. The ions are supposed to cleanse the air of virus, bacteria, smoke, and pet dander as well as mold. She seems to be not coughing as hard since I got all of them in place. PS These are all the $129 Ionic air purifier, but I got them all on ebay at much less.
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251132 tn?1198078822
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This is a common problem in children.  There are several possible causes of the long-term coughing.  One of the most common is that this infection was/is a sinus infection, which persists in the sinuses.  Most of the time this does not cause a continued fever, but can cause exactly what you have described for your granddaughter.

A second common cause is that this is indeed the beginning of asthma.  This can present with coughing that is increased at night, with playing hard and early in the morning.  There may or may not be wheezing at the beginning.

The last of the common causes is the smoke.  This irritant can be even more irritating following a sensitization of the airways after the infection.  No matter what the cause, it is for sure that the smoking in the house will make the condition worse.

I would suggest, no smoking in the house at all.  Discuss this more with your family doctor.  These are fairly easy conditions to diagnose.  A CT of the sinus may be the next step in the process.
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Avatar universal
my 9 year old son has had a severe cough for 8 weeks now he do suffer with asthma and hay fever so was treated for that during the last 8 weeks he has had 4 courses of antibiotic 3 courses of steroids 2 refurals 2 hospital diff antihistamines and nothing really made a difference he had a full blood test taken and chest xrays that didnt show anything was really wrong although he did have large numbers of lymphocytes with the blood test that the doctor assured me it was nothing 2 worry about.Anyways cut a long story short my 6 year old daughter who suffers no asthma or hayfever have come down with the same cough. Weeks ago i asked my doctor about whooping cough he didnt say a lot on the subject at all really kinda snubbed my question. but when my daughter came down with it i did my own research on pertussis (whooing cough) and was amazed by my findings every symptom n sign was there i went back 2 my gp n i told him my 2 children have whooping cough now finally the right tests have been taken. my son was rushed in last night with suspected pnumonia im happy 2 say hes fine its just the last 8 weeks have taken its toll n left him very exhausted. i post this comment because most people think if ur child has been immunised they wont get it both of my children were immunised against whooing cough. i get the test results back soon but im 100% certain already that my children have it i post this comment as it may be of some help 2 any1 who has gone though weeks months maybe of heart ache while ur child suffers belive me i know how it feels xxxxx
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Avatar universal
i suugest you consider food allergies and celiac disease. I had years of post nasal drip causing continuous coughing. Turned out for me the problem was wheat, gluten and soy. I had to find that out myself though - years of approaching doctors didn't help. They tried to control the symptoms through antihitamines and steriods but changing diet is the onyl thing that really solved the problem. Good luck!
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Avatar universal
HI.MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SICK SINCE DECEMBER WITH CHRONIC COUGH,DOCS AROND HOME TREATED FOR ASTHMA AND COLD AND THATS IT,ALOT OF STEROIDS THAT MADE HER GAIN WEIGHT,TOOK HER FINALLY TO LEBONHEUR CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN MEMPHIS,THEY RUN VERY TEST YOU COULD THINK OF,SHE HAD ACID REFLUX WHICH WILL GIVE YOU A BAD COUGH AND A TUMMY ACHE,SHE HAD SINUS DISEASE WITH ALOT OF POST NASAL DRIP WHICH CAUSES COUGHING,SHE HAD AN INFECTED ESOPHIGUS MAINLY FROM STEROIDS SO LONG,SHE JUST HAD SINUS SURGERY AND DOING ALOT BETTER,SHE DIDNT EVEN HAVE ASTMA AT ALL SO PLEASE GET A SECOND OPION,COUGHING COULD BE FROM SO MUCH MORE BESISES ASTHMA AND MY DAUGHTER ALSO TOOK THAT CLARITAN FOR A LONG TIME ALSO FOR NO REASON,DOCTORS SEEM TO ALWAYS BLAME COUGHING ON ALLERGIES OR ASTHMA,OH WE ALSO LIVE WITH ANIMALS AND AN OLDER HOUSE SO I THOUGH IT WAS SOMETHING THERE BUT THE GOOD SPECILISTS WE HAD TESTED HER FROM EVERYTHING FROM CYCTIC FIBROSIS,TB,WHOOPING COUGH,PERTUSSIS,THEY DIDNT STOP UNTILL THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH ALL TOGETHER WE SPENT  OVER 2 WEKS THERE BUT IT WAS WORTH IT,HOPE ALL GOES WELL,KEEP ME POSTED,THANKS LITTLEVICK0
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Avatar universal
im sure lebonheur would except medicare,my daughter is on tenncare,thats what it is called here its like the same thing,where are yall located?this hospital is for children and they have some of the best specilist in the world and they dont stop untill they find the problem and the kids are treated like angels there,its a wonderful place and i meant to tell you,her lung specilist said a old house or animals shouldnt make them have severe systoms like that unless they were allergic to mold and animals and she wasnt,i asked about an older house having invisible mold in walls and he said if that was the problem,she would of had these syptoms years ago because we have lived here every since she was born so please get a second opion,hes really young to be having all these symtoms this long-keep me posted and good luck and god bless,littlevick0
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for your comments. It does sound all very similiar.  My little grand daughter has no medical insurance, other than medicare. Would this place accept it do you think?
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