Chest elixir for children: instructions for use

Parents often face such a problem as coughing in children. Some of the moms and dads immediately run to the pharmacy for advertised medicines, which should “immediately get rid of annoying cough,” but a large part of adults want to use not natural products for the treatment of their karapuz, but natural products. One of such effective medicines is “Chest elixir.” Can we give it to children and how to do it correctly, we will tell in detail in this article.

The drug called "Chest elixir" is a combination. It contains both natural ingredients and chemical compounds.

Licorice effectively destroys many types of bacteria, has anti-inflammatory effect, has a relaxing effect on the bronchi, strengthens the immune system. It contains a specific substance - glycyrrhizin, which promotes active secretion of the upper respiratory tract, thus, at a faster rate, mucus forms in the bronchi, which we call sputum. Together with it, when expectorating, the pathogenic microorganisms, which became the cause of the disease, are “evicted” from the body.

The second most important component of the “Chest elixir” is anise oil. This is a pleasant taste and smell product derived from anise seeds. It has a systemic anti-inflammatory effect, having a beneficial effect not only on the respiratory organs, but also on the whole organism. Anise is an excellent sedative, a natural anti-depressant that improves mood, gently soothes the nervous system and makes the child’s sleep more sound and healthy.

At this plant components end and begin chemical compounds. In the composition of the drug is ammonia. It is not used in its pure form, therefore, the substance was introduced into the “Chest elixir” in the form of a 28% solution with liquid ammonia. This mixture is able to stimulate those areas of the brain that are responsible for normal breathing. Ammonia is a strong antiseptic, so the pathogenic bacteria can not resist, in addition, it irritates the bronchial epithelium, nerve endings, which is an important incentive for removing the formed and already liquefied bronchial secretions.

In addition to the main active ingredients, in the "Chest elixir" there are auxiliary. Nothing extra, just ordinary purified water and ethyl alcohol.

Instructions for use prescribes to give this tool for various respiratory ailments. The drug shows high efficacy in laryngitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis of various forms (including chronic). The tool is also prescribed in combination with the main therapy in such conditions as tuberculosis, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis. The drug significantly alleviates the manifestations of asthma.

Usually "Chest elixir" is recommended for dry cough, when it is important to start the process of formation and discharge of sputum as soon as possible. In some cases, the drug is prescribed to patients with a productive wet cough, if the sputum is too thick, and its discharge is substantially difficult.

"Chest elixir" is equally respected by both pediatricians and parents of frequently ill children. This remedy can and should be given to children for coughing. True, if they have already turned 2 years old. Till this age the medicine is not prescribed. The fact is that during the neonatal period and up to 24 months the human bronchi are weak, the diaphragm is imperfect, and therefore the increased secretion can lead to the fact that the child simply chokes on his own sputum.

In addition, the drug contains alcohol, which is undesirable for young children. And licorice root and anise can cause a strong allergic reaction in infants.

"Chest elixir" is available in the form of a thickish sweet solution for oral administration. The product is sold in glass bottles, the lid of which acts as a measuring cap, which is convenient for dispensing the product:

• Children from 2 years to 6 years give no more than 15 drops of the elixir three times a day.
• For children from 6 years to 10 years a single dose can be up to 20 drops, the multiplicity of reception is the same.
• Adolescents from the age of 12 are prescribed an adult dose, which ranges from 20 to 40 drops per dose three times a day.

This method of use is specified in the official instructions to the drug. But quite often doctors recommend determining children's dosage, starting from the age at the rate of one drop of money for each year of life after 2 years. For example, if a child is 3 years old, he should be given 3 drops at a time, if 5 years - five drops, etc.

The course of treatment is determined by the doctor, but on average it is from 5 to 7 days. Take the elixir should be 30 minutes after a meal or an hour before it. Children are encouraged to dilute the drug in a small amount of water or unsweetened tea (not milk!). After the baby swallows the medicine, let it drink with enough water.

Only optimists and poorly informed adults are sure that herbal preparations do not harm the children's organism. In reality, this is not at all the case. Instructions to the "Chest elixir" indicates a few points that are desirable to avoid when taking the funds. One contraindication - intolerance to any of the substances in the composition.

There are several possible side effects:

• Digestive disorders. Against the background of admission, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting may develop, the child may begin to complain of abdominal pain.
• Allergy. If, after a dose of medication, the child began to develop a rash, itching, coughing, a burning sensation in the throat area, then a mouth, tears began to flow, breathing was difficult.
• Edema. If the drug is taken longer than the deadline indicated by the doctor or it is done uncontrollably, whenever it pleases, accumulation of fluid in the body tissues may begin.
• Heart rhythm disorder. Such a consequence can occur when an overdose of the drug or the simultaneous use of "chest elixir" and other cough remedies based on licorice rhizomes.

In all these cases, you should immediately stop taking "Chest elixir", inform your doctor.

The drug should be given with caution to children with impaired brain function, liver and kidney diseases, if the child has recently suffered a cranial injury.

"Chest elixir" can be taken simultaneously with antivirals, with antibiotics. However, it cannot be combined with taking corticosteroids, as well as antitussive drugs with codeine in the composition, the task of which is to “silence” the signals from the cough center in the brain, to reduce the cough reflex. The remedy we are considering will form sputum, liquefy it, and another drug will forbid the child to cough. There will be no secret, will begin a strong inflammatory process - pneumonia.

In order to recover faster, it is usually recommended to apply different cough remedies at different times. For example, in the morning, in the afternoon and in the afternoon, you give your child to drink “Breast Elixir” in the prescribed dosage by age, and at night just before bedtime you give the expectorant “Bromhexin”. In this alternate way, you can combine a cough elixir with "Mukaltin».

"Chest elixir" refers to the category of inexpensive drugs available to all segments of the population. The average cost of a bottle in Russian pharmacies for 2017 is 20-30 rubles. In addition, the drug is available in online pharmacies, where its price starts from 16 rubles.

Many of the adults “Chest elixir” have been familiar since their childhood, because it was with this drug that our grandmothers and mothers treated us. Over the past decade, little has changed, the tool continues to be popular. Most of the reviews about it are positive. Only an insignificant part of mothers complains about small allergic manifestations in a child and stool disorders.

Do not trust the numerous reviews on the Internet, which are proposed for a stronger effect "mix" Chest elixir "with tablets"Mukaltina"Or bubbly"ACC". Above we have told why this can not be done.

See the transfer of children's doctor Komarovsky, from which you will learn the rules of cough treatment in children.