How does one differentiate sinusitis from a cold in a child?

Thank you for your question. Cough is a reflex meant to protect your airway from an irritant (e. g. mucous, foreign bodies or virus/bacteria). When persistent, it is usually a symptom of a condition. A cough lasting longer than 8 weeks is called chronic cough. Common causes of chronic cough in children include problems arising from the nose and sinuses (e. g. allergic rhinitis, sinusitis), lungs (e. g. asthma, bronchitis, foreign bodies) or stomach (acid reflux).

It can be quite common for a cough to persist for a while, after recovering from bronchitis. As for the next steps to take, you may want to check out these 2 similar questions that were previously answered by our colleagues here: How do I get rid of a persistent cough? What could be the cause of a persistent dry cough? What could be the cause of chronic cough at night and in early morning? How can I stop the cough? In most instances, your cough will gradually get better over time, with some of the symptomatic medication that your GPs would have prescribed.