Children

A chest X-ray and spirometry, at a minimum, are typically ordered to find the cause of a chronic cough in a child.

Determining the cause of chronic cough is crucial to effective treatment. In many cases, more than one underlying condition may be causing your chronic cough.

If you're taking an ACE inhibitor medication, your doctor may switch you to another medicine that doesn't have a cough as a side effect.

Medications used to treat chronic cough may include:

• Antihistamines, glucocorticoids and decongestants. These drugs are standard treatment for allergies and postnasal drip.
• Inhaled asthma drugs. The most effective treatments for asthma-related cough are glucocorticoids and bronchodilators, which reduce inflammation and open up your airways.
• Antibiotics. If a bacterial infection is causing your chronic cough, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
• Acid blockers. When lifestyle changes don't take care of acid reflux, you may be treated with medications that block acid production. Some people need surgery to resolve the problem.
• Cough suppressants. If the reason for your cough can't be determined and it's causing serious problems for you, such as keeping you from sleeping, your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant. However, there's no evidence that over-the-counter cough medicines are effective.

You should never give children under 4 years of age over-the-counter cough and cold products without checking with your child's doctor. These medicines may harm young children.