Dr. James Kok Adult and Peds ENT

17/04/2026

Night cough during a cold? 😴
Here’s why it gets worse at night 👇
When your child lies flat,
mucus from the nose drips down the throat 👃➡️😮‍💨
→ triggering more coughing
On top of that,
dry air + sensitive airways at night
make the cough even worse

What helps:
✔️ Saline rinse before bed
✔️ Slight head elevation
✔️ Humidified air
✔️ Honey (>1 year old)
✔️ Decongestant sprays or drops
✔️ Vicks v***r rub

Most night coughs improve when you treat the nose, not just the cough.

If it keeps happening…
it may not be “just a cold” , do get it checked.

15/04/2026

He wasn’t overweight.
But he had severe sleep apnea.

Years of “just allergies.”
Chronic nasal blockage.
Mouth breathing.

And over time…
his airway became narrower.

This didn’t happen overnight.
This is why I take nasal allergies seriously —
especially in children.

Because what starts early…
can follow you for life.

If your child has ongoing allergies,
don’t ignore it.

There are ways to treat allergies.

Comment "ALLERGY" and I'll guide you.

14/04/2026

If your child has dust mite allergy…
you can clean all you want — it won’t be enough.

That’s why symptoms keep coming back.

And most children end up stuck on medications.

But there’s a way to actually treat the cause.
It’s called immunotherapy.

Comment ALLERGY.

13/04/2026

Allergic tests are very important if your child keeps getting sick, has frequent runny nose and nose block , snores and doesn't sleep well. They may have dust mite allergies.

12/04/2026

Save this. Most cough meds don’t do what you think.

12/04/2026

Save this for later 👆

11/04/2026

“I don’t want my child on steroids.”

I hear this almost every day.
And it’s completely understandable.

But here’s what most people don’t realise:
Nasal steroid sprays don’t behave like the steroids you’re thinking of.

They work locally.

They have extremely low absorption into the body.
And when used properly, they are safe—even long term.

The real issue?
Leaving chronic nasal inflammation untreated.

Because that’s what leads to:
• Poor sleep
• Mouth breathing
• Ongoing symptoms that never truly go away
Sometimes the fear of treatment… delays the right care.

Sometimes the fear of treatment… delays the right care.

10/04/2026

Most childhood colds are viral.
Which means…
They don’t need strong medications.

But I still commonly see:
• Sedating antihistamines
• Expectorants
• Montelukast
• Steroid nasal sprays

These are useful medications —
but for the right conditions (like allergies or asthma), not simple colds.

That’s why some children:
→ don’t get better faster
→ or parents feel nothing is working

Sometimes the best treatment is:
✔ time
✔ symptom relief
✔ proper diagnosis

09/04/2026

Most parents think something is wrong when their child keeps falling sick after starting daycare.

But often… it’s not weakness.

It’s exposure.

A child’s immune system is still learning — and daycare is like “training ground.”

That said… not everything should be ignored.

If your child is:
• always blocked
• snoring
• mouth breathing
• not sleeping well

It may be more than just daycare.

Early guidance makes a big difference.

09/04/2026

This is the part of my work that matters most.

Helping a child breathe better.

07/04/2026