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Green Elena Stanislavovna
Otolaryngologist of the second category
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Parents who notice a cough during teething are faced with the difficult task of distinguishing the symptoms characteristic of colds: fever, cough, runny nose.
A cough is common when teething, is it possible to do something about it? Only a doctor can determine this, but it also does not hurt parents to understand the nature of the cough and etiology, providing the necessary assistance to their baby! This article is about an important period for parents - teething cough. Komarovsky talks about methods of dealing with coughs of different types: dry, wet!
Minor defect?
Grinding of teeth in a child may seem like a minor deviation from the norm only at first glance. It’s good when this phenomenon is temporary and at the age of 5–6 years, bruxism in a child goes away on its own. But if your first-grader continues to grind his teeth at night, don't hesitate to seek medical help. Otherwise, even the permanent teeth that will replace the milk teeth will be at risk.
The mechanism of the influence of high temperature on the child’s body
Under the influence of moderate fever, the synthesis of interferons is activated, the body's resistance to bacteria increases, the reaction of lymphocytes to protein structures intensifies, and their number increases. Fever reduces the ability of many microorganisms to reproduce. There is an inverse relationship between the degree of increase in body temperature and the rate of elimination of microorganisms from the child’s body. The appearance of fever stimulates the immune response necessary for adequate production of IgG antibodies and memory cells. The negative effects of high temperature include increased load on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, increased breathing, heart rate, and decreased depth of breathing, which can lead to hypoxia in infants. Fever in humans is accompanied by an increase in energy expenditure, dehydration, changes in metabolism and an imbalance of water-salt balance. At elevated temperatures, the body requires 10-12% more oxygen, the secretion of the digestive organs and appetite decrease, dry mouth and constipation appear. Therefore, it is important to give a sick baby little by little clean water at room temperature or slightly higher. There is no need to force someone to eat if there is no appetite at all.
Reference and information material
Author of the article
Belyaev Dmitry Alexandrovich
General doctor
Sources:
- World Health Organization. Cough and cold remedies for the treatment of acute respiratory infections in young children. WHO/FCH/CAH/01.02. WHO. 2001.
- Osidak L.V., Obraztsova E.V., Golovacheva E.G., Afanasyeva O.I., Drinevsky V.P., Kiseleva O.V., Pavlova E.B. “Viferon (suppositories) in the treatment of influenza and other ARIs of viral and viral-bacterial etiology in children,” 2011.
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Symptoms of childhood bruxism
- Headache in the morning
- Feeling of fullness in the ears
- Complaints of pain in the back
- Unmotivated irritability and tearfulness
- Restless sleep with frequent crying
- Lack of appetite
- Rapid tooth wear (this symptom can only be determined by a dentist during an examination!)
Attention!
A high temperature and grinding of teeth in a child may be a reaction of the body to a routine vaccination carried out the day before.
Komarovsky's opinion
Children do not worry about their teeth; parents have taken on this responsibility themselves. The most difficult thing for a doctor is to reassure parents and show that he is not able to give advice in this situation. It is necessary to prove that no drugs can completely remove pain. They only last for a while.
Teething is a process that you cannot do without, and everyone has faced it. They don't grow all at once. Most people think that from 6 months onwards, teeth are the cause of a child's tantrums. Not really. There is no need to draw hasty conclusions.
The child's supply of maternal antibodies ends at the age of 6 months, even if breastfeeding. And this may be a manifestation of a viral infection, but still, the appearance of a cough and runny nose is associated with teeth. They may give a fever, but if you have no appetite and refuse water, you should consult a doctor.
Causes of teeth grinding in children
Switching to artificial feeding
Teeth grinding in a child aged 8–10 months may be associated with early weaning from the mother's breast. This is extremely stressful for the baby. According to statistics, it is male “artificials” who most often suffer from bruxism. In this regard, increased attention should be paid to ensuring that the baby receives breast milk in full for as long as possible. To do this, the mother is advised to maintain a drinking regime, regularly express excess milk and avoid worries.
Teeth cutting or changing teeth
Teeth grinding during the day, which parents can notice by a specific sound, usually appears after the eruption of another baby tooth. The child is simply curious about new sensations, and he “plays”, deliberately creating friction between the teeth. As a rule, he quickly gets bored with this, but years later, when baby teeth are replaced with permanent ones, the picture may repeat. Read more about teething in this article.
Dental pathologies
When a child turns one year old, teeth grinding may indicate the presence of some abnormalities in the functioning of the dental system. An incorrect bite, inflammation of the jaw or pathological development of the joint are reasons to “grind” in order to more conveniently position the teeth in the mouth. Only an orthodontist can determine the specific cause. Read more about this here.
Stressful situations
If the day has come and a child of 2–3 years old does not stop grinding his teeth, this is a signal of a problem in his nervous system. In this way, the baby reacts to the stress he has experienced. The trigger for this can be both strong negative emotions (separation from a favorite toy, starting a visit to kindergarten or “eviction” from the parents’ bed), as well as positive ones that lead to strong overexcitation (outdoor games, the arrival of relatives with other children, etc.) .
Sleep disturbance
If a child has difficulty falling asleep, snores, mumbles in his sleep, suffers from enuresis or somnambulism, this may cause teeth grinding at night. Inadequate sleep negatively affects the child’s body and is a trigger for spasms of the masticatory muscles. The task of parents is to ensure that the baby gets enough sleep.
Wrong diet
Sometimes the reasons for teeth grinding in a child’s sleep lie on the surface - the parents themselves are responsible for this, having failed to create an optimal feeding regime. In order not to provoke involuntary contractions of the masticatory muscles, the last meal should be completed 2 hours before going to bed. Kefir is allowed 1 hour before bedtime.
Avitaminosis
Are you looking for reasons why your child grinds his teeth during the day? Analyze how much vitamins and minerals he receives from food during breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. A deficiency of B vitamins, coupled with insufficient intake of magnesium and calcium into a growing child’s body, can lead to overstrain of the masticatory muscles. Only a pediatrician should determine the required dosage of a particular vitamin after an examination.
Upper respiratory tract diseases
Coughing and grinding of teeth in a child along with nasal congestion are a characteristic manifestation of sinusitis or bronchitis. In this case, bruxism will go away as soon as the disease that caused it is cured. If you notice that your cough does not go away, despite all the traditional measures taken to combat it, then do not delay a visit to an infectious disease doctor.
ENT diseases
Grinding of a child's teeth at night is also one of the main symptoms of adenoiditis - inflammation of the tonsils. The complex of unpleasant sensations caused by an increase in the size of the adenoids literally forces you to grind your teeth. The first thing that should alert parents in this situation is a constantly slightly open mouth.
The famous pediatrician Komarovsky claims: bruxism in children is more likely to occur if their parents suffered from it in childhood!
Medicines for teething cough
Of course, self-medication should never be present. However, it cannot be said that there will be no complications. The treatment necessary in each individual case is prescribed by a pediatrician.
If the cause of the cough is teething, then this is the problem that needs to be addressed first.
- Relief will come from regularly clearing nasal mucus. You can use a nasal aspirator or a bulb.
- There are also recommendations for washing with a saline solution or drops (“Aquamaris”) based on sea water. Frequency of application 3-4 times a day.
- Chamomile decoction will improve the baby's condition. Rinsing removes inflammation of the mucous membrane and cleanses the nasal passages.
- The use of mucolytics (drugs that dilute sputum and remove it and eliminate dry cough) in such cases does NOT produce results.
- Also, in the fight against the root cause, you can use analgesics during teething: Dentokind, Pansoral, Kalgel, Kamistad. Before use, carefully read the instructions.
What to do if your child grinds his teeth?
- The first step is to make an appointment with a dentist and pediatric neurologist. The first will give practical recommendations on how to prevent enamel wear, the second will determine why the child has teeth grinding.
- Monitor the psychological microclimate in the family. The child should be honest about his worries and be sure that he will receive help from his parents.
- Adjust your daily routine. An hour before going to bed, the child should be occupied with a calm activity to avoid overstimulation of the nervous system.
- Balance the children's menu. The daily diet should include solid vegetables and fruits - the load on the masticatory muscles during wakefulness will lead to their relaxation during sleep.
- Teach self-control. In the form of a joint game, practice every day following the simple rule: “Lips are closed, teeth are apart.” This way, the baby will not form the bad habit of clenching his teeth during the day, even at the moment of strong excitement.
The effect of the drug VIFERON on the results of treatment with a repeated increase in temperature
Overall Impact
Studies have shown that the inclusion of the drug VIFERON in the treatment program for ARI of both viral and viral-bacterial etiology has a positive effect on the clinical and immunological status, which was expressed in:
– reduction of the total duration of the disease (on average by 2 days);
– reducing the number of complications;
– reducing the number of subsequent ARVI diseases per year;
– alleviating the course of an acute viral infection, reducing the period of fever, runny nose, cough, weakness;
– increasing the level of secretory immunoglobulin A on the surface of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract;
– restoration of the ability to produce interferon alpha by immunocompetent cells;
– reducing the period of release of viral antigens, which leads to a decrease in the risk of ARI in persons in contact with the patient (preventive effect), incl. superinfections in hospitalized patients [2].
Effect in cases where the temperature rises again
However, in the case of, for example, delayed or inadequate treatment, a repeated increase in temperature is indeed possible. Most often, this indicates the addition of another virus, as well as the depletion of its own interferon reserves. In other words, the virus is so active that the body’s own defenses can no longer cope with it. That is why experts can recommend the administration of additional interferon from the outside, for example, in the form of suppositories, since it has a systemic (on the body as a whole) effect.
Prevention measures
Of course, when a child grinds his teeth, parents are interested in whether it is possible to somehow prevent the development of the disease? Unfortunately, today there is no specific prevention of bruxism. But if you follow simple rules, it is quite possible to minimize the risk of its occurrence.
- Pay attention to hygiene
The banal advice is not without common sense. Judge for yourself: a common cause of bruxism is a defensive reaction to the eruption of a new tooth. During the process, the gums become inflamed and mild itching may occur. It is advisable to give your child special teethers made of safe materials so that he does not rub his teeth against each other. Also, do not ignore brushing your teeth with special fingertips.
- No stress!
Do you want your child to avoid grinding his teeth all night long and then all day long? Eliminate any nervous stress from his life. It is generally accepted that only what happens directly to him can have a negative impact on the baby’s psyche. In fact, your quarrel with your spouse or a loud conversation on the phone with a work colleague can negatively affect his mood.
- Fight bad habits
Today, any doctor will tell you that the causes of teeth grinding are both an incorrect bite and a fixed pathological reflex, for example, sucking a pacifier to calm down in a stressful situation. Therefore, it is worthwhile to gently but decisively fight childhood bad habits and promptly consult an orthodontist if necessary.
Why does cough and runny nose appear during teething?
There is a lot of joy after the baby’s first tooth appears. But, unfortunately, teething causes restlessness in the child and poor appetite. Characteristic is a large amount of saliva and high temperature. This is the time when the body's defense system weakens and this provokes various diseases. According to Komarovsky, the mother’s immunity no longer functions and the baby’s body, when teething, is more sensitive to viral and bacterial infections. It is easy to confuse the disease with the period when teeth are being cut. The baby obliges you to pay attention to him, especially at such a time.
A runny nose in children during teething occurs due to increased productivity of the glands in the nasal passages. The mucus secreted is clear and lasts a maximum of 4 days!
Cough during teething in children can be different in nature. Komarovsky notes that the cause of a wet cough is an excessive amount of sputum, provoked by an inflammatory process. If you are unsure of the cause of the cough, you need to look at the area around the mouth. If irritation appears, you can determine that this is the natural cause of the cough. Its appearance indicates that sputum and saliva are coming out. This cough is paroxysmal, lasting from five minutes. At night it becomes more frequent due to the horizontal position and increased outflow of mucus. But the child’s cough does not last more than three days. The addition of shortness of breath and frequent cough with wheezing indicates the need to contact a pediatrician
According to the observations of Dr. Komarovsky, coughing attacks without discharge often occur due to crying. The reason is the lack of normal breathing, which results in a dry throat, irritating the receptors and causing a cough reflex. When the mucous membranes of the larynx return to their original state, the cough often stops after two days.
