A habitual cough in children persists long after other symptoms and is often characterized by a dry, barking sound. It is psychological and can interfere with daily activities. Treatment involves psychotherapy and visualization techniques, and medical causes should be ruled out first.
A habitual cough, also known as a psychogenic cough, is one that appears in children following a cold or the flu but persists long after the other symptoms. Generally, there is no real medical cause for a cough, but it occurs every few seconds when the child is awake and is often characterized by a dry, barking type of sound. Once it becomes a habit, it’s very hard to break and can go on for months or, in some rare cases, years. Cough suppressants don’t help habitual coughing because it is psychological, not caused by medical reasons.
In many children who develop this problem, a habitual cough can be very severe. As long as your child is awake, he will probably cough every few seconds, or at least a few times for every minute of the day. This can start to interfere with schoolwork or any other activity the child participates in. It can also make it difficult for your child to fall asleep at night, but once he’s asleep, the coughing will stop. This is one way a habitual cough can be differentiated from a cough caused by an actual health problem.
Treatments for vicious cough typically involve psychotherapy and perhaps even hypnosis to get your child to break the habit. In therapy, the child will learn to visualize techniques to stop coughing. He or she may start by holding the breath for a few seconds and gradually increasing the amount of time the breath is held, in order to stop the cough response. Other visual tools, such as visualizing a switch that can be flipped to turn off the cough, have proven useful in some cases.
For children who have developed a cough habit due to deeper psychological issues, such as a need to get more attention from parents or carers, or due to high levels of stress or anxiety, it may additional therapy may be required to overcome the cough. In most other cases, however, children who are successfully taught self-hypnosis and visualization techniques are able to overcome their coughing habit. Regular coughing usually won’t cause any sort of lasting harm, but while it’s still ongoing it can cause throat and chest pain and affect concentration, so it’s important to address this as soon as possible. A child’s usual pediatrician is often the best starting point, so that medical causes can first be ruled out and an appropriate specialist can be recommended.
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