How to treat the cough?

[glitterbiscuits]

DH can get very wheezy ( not asthma, he's just a bit prone to dust allergies etc) so I'm thinking about what I would do in the event he gets the virus.
I've read that it's best not to take ibruprofen.

Does a cough need a dry atmosphere or is using a humidifier better?

I had thought that a damp atmosphere could lead to pneumonia?

Sleep upright in a chair? Window open?

If anyone medically minded could advise please? Thanks

Slightly raised at head end of bed.

Generally warm but with fresh air circulating.

Warm drinks. Ginger tea, honey and lemon in large quantities.

If it's too bad, treat like croup and sit in the bathroom, window closed, shower running to make the air warm and moist.

A full on dustbusting cleaning schedule. Vacuum daily, including the mattress, damp dusting all flat surfaces, regular changes of bedlinen, him showering daily, if not twice daily.

Look into nasal rinsing as a way of getting as much dust and muck out as possible.

Tricky as coughs are different. I'm asthmatic but my main trigger is viruses and bugs, I wasn't diagnosed for a while and I haven't grown out of croup! The following is only my experience but from medical guidance. I'm not sure anyone especially knows yet.

A croupy type of cough responds to cool air; children often improve when they go outside (into an ambulance as both mine have ). The cool air seems to calm the inflammation. Steam and hot air worsens the condition. But obviously in asthma cold air can be a trigger so I think you'd have to see how he feels.

I'd allow fresh air in as much as possible. I need to be propped up to sleep with a cough.

I'm not sure if steaming would help; thats usually for gunk but obviously you don't in a croupy type of cough. So I really don't know there. I now know which will do well with steaming and which won't in myself; hard to explain.

I wouldn't have a damp atmosphere personally but Dh gets obsessed with bowls of water next to radiators. That can make my asthma cough worse personally. My cleaner said her son's breathing was hugely improved by a dehumidifier. I've noticed I'm worse when there's lots of showers happening in the house.

Dry coughs in my experience do well with glycerine in warm water, honey, ribena. Loads of fluids and paracetamol. Save the paracetamol doses for sleeping.

Asthma Definitely ruled out? Sounds typically asthmatic, in which case inhalers would help hugely and are my main treatment in coughs.

Croup is definitely not to be treated with steam anymore; I had a sheet from the hospital last time my son went in with croup explaining that cool air is better. Children often improve in the way to hospital due to the cold air.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup/