There are a lot of funds that help a child cough . Syrups, medicines and cough tablets for a child today can be purchased at every pharmacy. A huge selection of pharmaceuticals provides an opportunity for parents to select substances according to cost and composition.
Almost all respiratory diseases are characterized by a cough, which is considered a protective reaction of the body to a maturing infection. With its help, harmful secretions and microorganisms are removed from the body, due to which the respiratory process is facilitated. What helps the child well from coughing (dry or wet), we will describe below.
Syrup for babies
Children under one year old are recommended by Gedeliks. It liquefies sputum and exhibits an antispasmodic effect. The active substance of this drug is ivy extract. It shows significant effectiveness, a couple of days after taking the most viscous discharge begin to recede without difficulty. This is an excellent cough suppressant.
Prospan is considered to be a rather effective medicine; it copes with both dry and wet coughs. Baby syrup is allowed to give crumbs from the first days of life. It contains ivy concentrate, has a fruity flavor. Children take it with pleasure.
"Mucosolvan" is an excellent syrup that quickly removes sputum from the respiratory tract. It is recommended to take no earlier than six months of age.
If the baby is already 8 months old, it is recommended to use "Eucabal", which has an anti-inflammatory effect.
All these medicines should be used only in the form of a syrup.
For children over two years old
At this age, the list of approved pharmaceuticals is expanding. What will help a child cough at 2 years?
- "Herbion". It contains a concentrate of flowers of mallow and plantain.
- Ambrobene. Mucolytic and expectorant medication. It exhibits secretomotor, secretolytic and coughing effects.
- "Travisil." Another medicine that helps a child cough. Syrup of plant origin. It has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects. Recommended for pharyngitis, tonsillitis or bronchitis.
- "Dr. Tyss." It has an excellent flavor and great efficiency. Includes mint and plantain extracts. It has a mild effect on the irritated mucosa. Allocations freely begin to be expectorated shortly after administration.
Types of pills
Tablets that help cough a child can be divided into 4 main groups:
- Antitussive. They affect the brain, in particular - the cough center, inhibiting its dynamism. Such pills can have a narcotic effect (these substances are used very rarely in childhood and are not sold without a prescription) and non-narcotic (such drugs are taken after the doctor’s consultation, they are not addictive).
- Expectorant. Medicines in this category increase cough, helping to more quickly free the child’s body from unnecessary sputum, microorganisms and viruses. These can be tablets with thermopsis, marshmallow and other plant components that have an expectorant effect.
- Mucolytics. Such substances have a great effect on sputum itself, as a result of which it becomes dissolved and it is better to cough up a sick child.
- Antihistamines. Pills of this kind are prescribed in situations where the cause of the cough is associated with an allergy. Choosing the right drug is best left to the doctor.
How to pick up pills?
Since various categories of medicines in the form of tablets are used in cough therapy, it is important to consult a doctor before taking them. A children's doctor will examine the child, establish the root cause of the cough and its type, after which it will prescribe treatment taking into account age, since a child of 7 years is allowed to prescribe only substances, for a younger child the list of medicines is reduced, and for the oldest children it is expanded. We analyze the most effective pills that help the child from coughing.
Dry cough
Dry cough tablets can be used only as directed by the doctor. It is appropriate to use them only with persistent persistent coughing, which causes an emetic reaction, causes inconvenience in a dream. Effective drugs can be bought in the range of 90-250 rubles. How to help with a debilitating dry cough in a child?
- Codelac. An antitussive medication that minimizes the excitability of the cough center and simplifies expectoration of sputum. It contains thermopsis, licorice, sodium bicarbonate and codeine. Appointed no earlier than two years of age.
- Libexin. A medication against cough with peripheral effects, which reduces the susceptibility of receptors in the respiratory tract and expands the bronchi. In childhood, it is prescribed with caution and taking into account the body weight of children.
- "Terpincode." A tool in which terpinghydrate, codeine and sodium bicarbonate are combined. In a similar drug, an antitussive effect and a coughing result are recorded. It is prescribed for children over twelve years of age.
- Stoptussin. An antitussive drug that reduces the excitability of bronchial receptors and activates mucus production. It is prescribed for children over twelve years of age.
- Omnitus. A medication that effectively helps cough a child with a central effect, as well as a slight anti-inflammatory and bronchodilating effect. Tablets with 20 mg of the active substance can be prescribed for children over six years old.
- Tusuprex. The drug affects the cough organ without a narcotic result. It is prescribed in rare cases for children from the age of two.
Wet cough
If a child’s cough begins to be expectorated, the doctor will advise you to start taking mucolytics and coughing substances. How to help with a wet cough in a child? Here is a list of effective remedies:
- Mukaltin. The main active ingredient in these tablets is the marshmallow extract, which is supplemented with sodium bicarbonate. The substance has a coughing, enveloping and anti-inflammatory effect. It is allowed to use for children over three years old, while for small children the tablet is crushed into powder, and then mixed with water.
- "Thermopsol". A medicine including thermopsis herb and sodium bicarbonate. Reflectively affects the bronchi, stimulating the release of sputum and its coughing. The dose for the child is determined by the doctor.
- "Ambroxol". Such a substance has a mucolytic effect. The tablet form can be taken for children over 12 years old.
- Bromhexine. A similar drug exhibits both a coughing and a mucolytic effect. You can take children over 3 years of age.
- Lazolvan, Ambrobene and Flavamed. Ambroxol is in these substances, for this reason, the drugs are classified as mucolytics. Such a drug is allowed to be used only by those children who are already 12 years old.
- Ascoril. Combined medication with bronchodilator, mucolytic and coughing effects. It is prescribed at the age of 6 years and older.
- Pectusin. At the heart of this substance is eucalyptus oil and menthol, for this reason the drug has a distracting, antitussive and anti-inflammatory effect. It is prescribed for children over 7 years of age.
Inhalation
A symptom of many diseases that are common in children is coughing. There are many effective methods to cure a cough. One of them is inhalation. This is a way that helps the child well from coughing, dry or wet, will also help to reduce inflammation of the throat and lungs, thinning sputum, and also improve coughing. All this is the key to a speedy recovery.
It is worth noting that this method of treatment is not suitable for everyone. There are a number of contraindications:
- age up to a year;
- in acute inflammation of the components of the lymphatic pharyngeal ring;
- with the release of blood or pus during a cough;
- at elevated temperature.
Inhalation is recommended for the following diseases:
- inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords; bronchitis;
- asthma;
- tuberculosis;
- cough caused by SARS.
Inhalation:
- this procedure is preferably done shortly before a meal;
- when treating a throat, it is worth breathing in through the mouth, and exhaling through the nose;
- in the treatment of the nasal cavity, it is necessary to do the opposite;
- recommend conducting no more than 10 procedures;
- the duration of the procedure should be no more than 10 minutes.
You can make a solution at home to improve the condition of the mucous membrane of the respiratory system. These include solutions of salt and water, soda and water. Ordinary mineral water is also very useful; medications with an antitussive effect (Lidocaine) are also used.
Anti-inflammatory drugs against edema and various inflammations. These include Rotokan and Pulmicort. With a cough caused by an allergy, these drugs can accelerate recovery. Also, these are effective ways for those who do not know how to help with coughing from snot in a child. Since inhalation (steam) helps to cure not only a cough, but also a runny nose.
To eliminate problems with the respiratory tract, it is recommended to use "Ventolin", "Berotek", "Berodual".
Use herbs:
- chamomile;
- St. John's wort
- sage;
- peppermint.
Essential oils are used to soften the mucosa. Natural eucalyptus or sea buckthorn oils are also recommended.
There are several types of inhalations. When conducting steam inhalation, steam inhalers are used. As an alternative, you can take a large container into which you need to pour boiling liquid. Various substances, such as herbs and essential oils, are often added to it.
When treated with a nebulizer, the drug is sprayed through the respiratory tract. Particles of the drug reach the respiratory system faster, their effect is more effective. Due to the rapid spread of the medicine, the patient begins to feel better after several procedures. The necessary solutions are poured into a special container of the nebulizer, most often these are special saline solutions.
Despite the speed and effectiveness of the nebulizer, for a child's body, a method of treatment with steam inhalations is better, since only pure organic substances are used.
Folk remedies
Not all medications are approved for use in treating children, so folk remedies and methods very often become a panacea for mild diseases in children. This fully applies to the treatment of such a problem as coughing in children.
The following are the most famous and used folk remedies that have proven effective.
How to help a child with dry night cough?
A recipe for a folk remedy for dry cough in children is very often found and recommended, which consists of seemingly simple available products, but it is very effective for bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis. You can make this folk remedy as follows:
- boil 1 liter of milk, add one spoonful of honey and butter (cream) there;
- honey must be added before cooling the milk slightly so that it does not lose its medicinal properties;
- add baking soda to the yolk (on the tip of a teaspoon), beat and introduce into the resulting composition. It should be noted that a sick child takes such a composition quite easily thanks to a neutral habitual taste.
Treatment for a child aged 3 years and older
Children older than three years with a cough are advised to give a composition based on a lemon with honey. It is prepared as follows:
- squeeze the juice from the lemon boiled for 5 minutes;
- introduce 2 tablespoons of pharmacy glycerin into the resulting juice;
- add honey in such an amount that the volume of the resulting composition was about a glass;
- insist this composition throughout the day in a dark place.
In addition to expectorant and antitussive effects, this recipe has a restorative, antibacterial effect.
The traditional recipe with the use of black radish and honey is quite traditional:
- in the washed root of the radish, a deepening (pit) is made;
- one teaspoon of honey is poured into the recess;
- you need to drink juice, which is formed quite quickly in this recess.
Such a folk remedy is perceived by many kids as a delicious dessert, which greatly facilitates the process of using the medicine.
Remedies for wet cough
What helps a child cough wet? In order to cope with a wet cough in a child, to ease the inflammatory process and relieve irritation, such a tasty medicine as raspberry jam (tea with raspberries) is suitable. Freshly rasped raspberries with sugar are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.
To speed up the process of sputum discharge during a wet cough, a mixture of honey, lingonberry juice and pulp from grated aloe leaves in equal quantities is suitable.
In addition, our grandmothers are advised to use this method: before going to bed, the child needs to put chopped fresh garlic or baked onions in his socks.
When treating cough with folk remedies for children of different ages, medicinal herbs and fees are widely used, among which the following should be noted:
- a decoction of pine kidneys has an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, healing effect, strengthens children's immunity;
- infusion from a medicinal plant thyme, which helps relieve inflammation, has an expectorant effect, very rarely provokes an allergy.
This infusion is made as follows:
- a tablespoon of the crushed plant is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour;
- a decoction of linden blossom also has an expectorant effect;
- tea with the addition of ginger root is suitable for children over 2 years of age, this is an excellent anti-cold, anti-inflammatory agent;
- for children older than 3 years, medicinal expectorant infusions from the petals of violets and medicinal anise are suitable.
In any case, before using folk remedies for coughing in children, it is recommended that you consult a doctor.
Before using any medication, you need to consult a specialist and read reviews. What will help a child cough best? All of the above funds are very effective and have received a large number of positive reviews from parents whose children suffered from coughing. The main thing is never to self-medicate, so as not to harm your own child.