Expectorants for cough for children

Cough is a common symptom of disease, so all parents experience this manifestation of ARVI, bronchitis or another disease in a child. To alleviate the condition of the baby, they resort to both folk remedies and medicines. One of the most common groups of drugs used in coughing in children is expectorants drugs.

To expectorant drugs include agents that promote the removal of sputum due to its liquefaction and easier coughing. Expectorant remedies are herbal and synthetic. They are prescribed for acute respiratory infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchial asthma.

Expectorant drugs are represented by different dosage forms. In childhood, the most in demand are sweet syrups and powders that are diluted in water. Also, children are given lozenges, drops and pills. Some expectorant drugs are produced in the form of solutions for inhalation.

Funds from the group of expectorant drugs may act as follows:

1. Reflex stimulate the production of mucus, peristalsis of smooth muscles of the bronchial tree and the activity of epithelial cells through irritation of the gastric mucosa, as a result, the mucus is better separated and excreted from small bronchioles into large bronchi and trachea. A similar effect is typical for herbal preparations, for example, on the basis of licorice root, thyme or althea.
2. Directly irritate the bronchial mucosa in order to increase the production of liquid mucus. Such an effect is noted in sodium and potassium iodides, sodium bicarbonate, anise essential oils and other means. Nowadays, they are used less frequently than drugs with a reflex effect.

In the appointment of any drug, including drugs from the group of expectorant drugs, it is important to consider the allowable age of use.

Children younger than one year old are allowed to give ivy-based preparations (GedelixProspan Herbion) or Althea. There are no preservatives and alcohol in these drugs, so they are safe for babies. From six months you can use Linkas.

Children older than a year are often given syrups. plantain, eg, Herbion or Dr. Theiss. Also from 1 year allowed the use of Tussamag - a drug containing thyme extract. At this age, the child can also be given syrups containing ivy or marshmallow.

The list of approved expectorant for children of this age is expanding. Three-year-old with a wet cough can be given syrup Pertussin, which contains thyme extract supplemented with potassium bromide. Also, from the age of 3 they start to write out syrup from 11 plants Dr. Mom and pills Mukaltin.

If a child has a wet cough, he is shown drugs with expectorant action, which will not block the cough, but will help remove the excess mucus in the bronchi. Such action has drugs based on Althea, plantain, thyme, thyme and other plants used in the treatment of cough.

If the child has a strong cough, but there is no fever or other symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, it is likely that the nature of this cough is allergic. The cause of its appearance can be allergens in food, household allergens or pollen of plants.

A popular pediatrician treats expectorant positively, but believes that their effectiveness is comparable to the non-drug methods that are available to every mother. When coughing a child, Komarovsky urges to pay attention to a sufficient amount of drinking and access to fresh air to the child. The doctor says that it is no less effective to dilute the sputum and improve its separation than syrups and potions.

If the child is wrapped up and kept in an unventilated room with dry air, this will only increase the cough and worsen the child's condition.

About what means prescribed for coughing, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

When choosing one of the expectorant drugs, parents should remember that coughing is just a symptom. However, it often performs a protective function, eliminating the children's body from excess mucus in the respiratory tract, along with which bacteria and viruses are removed.

In addition, the occurrence of cough may be associated with many other diseases, for example, allergies or infection with worms. That is why it is best to treat cough with the help of a pediatrician. The doctor will carefully examine the child, listen to the lungs and select the most appropriate means.

Traditional medicine advises to use for better expectoration of sputum different chest fees. In these collections you can see the marshmallows, chamomile, plantain, calendula, licorice, mother and stepmother, oregano, mint, wild rosemary and other herbs. Collection brew, insist and give the child to drink when you cough. Other popular folk recipes are:

• Milk and honey. Heated 250 ml of milk, add to it Art. spoon of honey, 5 g of butter and half a tsp of soda. Let's drink on an empty stomach in the morning and before bedtime in the evening.
• Radish and honey. Wash medium-sized black radish, make a recess in it, into which pour a teaspoon of honey. After 4 hours, drain the resulting syrup and give the child a tsp up to 7 times a day.

If the cough hurts a child for a long time and no folk methods do not help, be sure to show the baby specialist. He will find out the reason for the prolonged cough and prescribe the necessary treatment, which will soon ease the child's condition.