My seven-year-old grandson is staying with us and has got a persistent cough, which I am now getting worried about. I have given him some cough medicine, which does not seem to be helping in any way. Could you please give me some advice, as I am concerned?

I am sorry to hear that your grandson has not been well. There could be two main reasons for his persistent coughing:

1.       He could have a low grade viral infection (ie. cold) affecting his upper airways. This can sometimes just linger for days or weeks, particularly in younger children as their immune systems are still developing

2.       He might have a mild form of asthma which does not manifest as wheezing or difficulty in breathing, but simply as a cough.

It will be important to find the cause for this and I would suggest that a visit to his GP will be the best step to take next – this will also help rule out other health conditions causing his cough.