Infants get sick most often with the onset of a cold snap, in the off-season. It is at this time that bacteria and viruses are most active. The immune system, as a result, is subjected to severe stress. And since it is still too weak in children, there is nothing easier for the disease than to take advantage of the opportunity and penetrate the baby's body. As a result, the infection is rebuffed, which is expressed in the form of a runny nose, fever and cough.

Colds and coughs in infants are very common.

The treatment of this symptom in infants is a very complicated process, because the usual medicines for adults are not suitable for them. Therapy should be as gentle as possible and at the same time effective so that complications do not develop in a sick baby. To get rid of cough, both traditional and home methods are used.

Types of children's cough

How to treat a cough in an infant so as not to harm him? What are the ways to do this, and is it worth asking for help from specialists? To answer these questions, first you need to understand what a cough is and why it occurs in young children.

The symptom is caused by contractions of the tracheal muscles with the participation of the abdominal muscles - air is pushed with force through the respiratory tract, simultaneously freeing them from excess mucus and various foreign particles.

Often in infants, a cough is simply a defensive reaction of the body and is not associated with a cold.

Cough is of the following types:

• dry (no secretion of mucus);
• wet (accompanied by copious sputum).

This symptom, familiar to everyone, is a protective reaction of the body to irritation of the tissues of the throat and bronchi. When the epithelium is deposited by bacteria, special receptors are triggered, which is why the cough begins. In young children, the throat is much more sensitive, because the respiratory system has not yet formed. Therefore, they cough much more often.

Causes of a cough

Coughing in babies is quite common. Small children can choke while eating, inhale dusty air. The respiratory tract of a newborn contains quite a lot of mucus, which is very difficult to remove. However, it is not difficult to distinguish a painful cough from a normal one - it is often accompanied by wheezing, fever, and is systematic.

Dry air and dust in the apartment can cause coughing

The most common causes of cough in infants are:

• infectious diseases (colds and flu, bronchitis, tonsillitis, etc.);
• parched air;
• foreign bodies in the throat;
• burns and wounds.

Allergies are also a common cause of coughing. For a newly born child, all surrounding substances seem foreign, because the immune system has not yet fully developed. As a result - cough, snot and skin rashes in response to quite familiar factors (dust, small hairs, pollen, etc.).

Attention! A persistent painful cough in an infant is a very alarming sign. At the first suspicion of any ailment, it is better to call a therapist. Otherwise, parents expose their child to great danger - any illness is extremely difficult for him to endure and must be properly treated.

If the cough does not go away for a long time, then it is worth taking the child to the doctor.

Treatment of non-infectious cough

Sometimes it happens that the baby coughs, but does not get sick. This can be understood by his general well-being, the absence of high temperature and high activity. In this case, the symptom should not be ignored, because its presence indicates hidden pathologies.

Most often, such a cough develops from dried air in a house or apartment, especially if the heating season has begun - the batteries evaporate all the moisture during operation. In this case, it is better to purchase a special device - an air humidifier - and put it in the room where a small child is kept. Regular spraying from spray bottles also helps. The easiest way is to leave a well-dampened rag on the battery (but you will have to do this quite often).

When a child has a clear allergy (this can be understood by sudden coughing attacks that suddenly stop, tearing, rashes, swelling of the face and limbs), antihistamines (Suprastin, Tavigil, Fenistil) will help. However, it will be possible to completely get rid of a cough only after a visit to a specialist.

Suprastin will help to cope with allergic cough

Sometimes foreign objects get into the throat of babies - by accident or due to an oversight of the parents. In this case, a foreign object stuck in the airways causes a persistent cough. You can’t extract it yourself - you need to call a therapist or go to the clinic to an otolaryngologist who will safely perform an operation to remove a foreign body.

When your child began to cough heavily, but the reasons for the development of this symptom have not yet been fully clarified, parents should follow a number of rules to alleviate the baby's condition and improve coughing. Then the consequences of the disease will be minimal.

When coughing in a small child, you need:

• provide plenty of fluids for the baby (after 3 months);
• regularly ventilate the room;
• sometimes take the child in his arms, turn.

Let the child drink more

If the weather allows (it is not cold outside, there is no wind or precipitation), you can walk with the baby. Fresh air is good for the throat, improves expectoration and helps the immune system.

Cough preparations

How to treat a cough if it is caused by an infectious disease? Traditional methods involve the use of drugs. But not tablets, but special solutions or drops - they are harmless to babies.

Cough in infants is removed with the following medicines:

• mucolytics (Bromhexine, ACC, Ambroxol);
• expectorants (Stoptussin, Prospan, Gedelix);
• antitussives (Sinekod, Panatus, Linkas).

Children who are 2, 4 months old or more can take the above drugs. Wet coughs are given with expectorants that help clear mucus from the airways. In case of dry with severe inflammation, mucolytic drugs are suitable (they make sputum less viscous) in combination with antitussives.

Panatus is an effective antitussive

Important: with a wet cough, antitussive drugs should not be given - it causes stagnation of mucus. Also, do not simultaneously give drugs that suppress the symptom and expectorants.

This remedy is perfect for treating a small child. Onion is a very strong antiseptic, and therefore, when it hits the surface of an inflamed throat, it produces a powerful healing effect. It not only kills the infection, but also slows down its spread. Among other things, the oils contained in onions have an enveloping effect, protecting tissues from irritation.

The preparation of this remedy does not take much time - you just need to finely chop (or grate) 1-2 onions, mix with natural honey and leave for a couple of hours to infuse. If there is no honey in the house, ordinary sugar can be used. The resulting remedy is given to the patient in 1 tsp. morning, afternoon and before bed.

You can make a cough remedy with onion juice for your baby.

Rubbing with badger fat

This home treatment method is suitable even for a one-month-old baby. Animal fat helps to improve blood flow in the place where inflammation has occurred (chest, throat) and relieve excessive swelling - this helps to cough up phlegm.

Rubbing should be done like this - apply a sufficient amount of badger fat to the skin of the child's chest and spread it very gently in a circular motion throughout the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lungs to the neck. When the agent is absorbed, the patient should be wrapped up for a while. The procedure can be carried out daily, but not more than once a day. At a temperature of 38 and above, rubbing should not be done.

With the help of this method, more than one baby was cured. If the child does not feel well and coughs a lot, you can use useful herbal remedies - they are natural, do not cause allergies and side effects.

Herbal decoctions are a very popular remedy, it can also be given to babies.

If the baby is sick, the following decoctions and infusions are suitable for him:

• coltsfoot;
• licorice;
• chamomile;
• mint.

The dosage of any of the indicated herbal decoctions for babies is 1 tsp. three times a day. However, preferring home therapy to calling a therapist, it is worth remembering that no one is immune from complications - self-medication rarely leads to positive results. When a baby coughs, the best option is to trust the specialists.

In this video, you will be told how to properly treat a children's cough:

Doctors distinguish various types of cough, which becomes a frequent companion of childhood diseases. We treat a cough in a child at home, depending on the disease and the type of cough, so as not to harm and bring recovery as close as possible.

Why does cough occur?

Cough is one of the ways to protect the body from foreign bodies, pathogenic microorganisms, excess sputum, produced in the body for some reason, entering the respiratory tract.

A series of sharp, involuntary exhalations occurs as a result of irritation of the cough receptors located in the pharynx, larynx, bronchi, and lungs.

Types of cough and treatment depending on the symptoms

Experienced mothers know that a child's cough is different, and treatment should be chosen depending on the type of cough, duration, strength, productivity, type of sputum and associated symptoms.

According to the duration of the symptoms, it happens:

• acute, up to 2 weeks;
• protracted, up to 3 months;
• chronic, from 3 months

Based on strength, they distinguish:

• coughing
• expressed
• severe hysteria, to vomiting spasms

If you evaluate the outgoing sputum, then the cough can be:

• dry, characterized by itching and sore throat, raw, obsessive. Usually he greatly disturbs the child, interferes with sleep. Sputum is either not separated at all, or its discharge is difficult due to its high viscosity;
• wet - accompanied by the release of a large amount of sputum. Phlegm is a secret produced in the bronchi, lungs, therefore, with an excess of sputum, squelching, gurgling sounds are heard when coughing.

Productive wet cough is also different:

• SARS, bronchitis in the acute stage, bronchial asthma is accompanied by the separation of colorless viscous mucus from the respiratory tract;
• Chronic bronchitis and pneumonia are determined by viscous sputum with yellowish or greenish mucus and pus, in addition, in childhood it may indicate the pathology of the ENT organs;
• In a severe viral infection aggravated by a bacterial component, blood streaks may be present in the clear mucus. They appear as a result of microtrauma of the mucous membrane and capillaries of the respiratory tract;
• Serous foamy sputum indicates developing pulmonary edema. Need immediate medical attention;
• Blood clots, a shade of rust can become a messenger of pulmonary bleeding, it is required to carefully examine the child urgently

Bronchial asthma is accompanied by spasmodic attacks of coughing. Due to the sharp narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, the flow of air into the lungs becomes difficult, the exhalation becomes long, whistling, with wheezing. In a child under 2 years of age, similar symptoms indicate obstructive bronchitis.

But if there are no catarrhal manifestations, and the spastic attack began suddenly, then a foreign body is most likely to enter the respiratory tract.

How and how to treat cough in children?

Having gained experience while communicating with pediatricians and therapists, parents roughly know how to cure a child's cough at home with the help of medicines and folk remedies. However, this symptom occurs in many diseases. Therefore, you should distinguish between types of cough and know how to successfully treat at home.

Pharmaceutical cough suppressants fall into three main groups:

1. Mucolytic drugs, the purpose of which is to make sputum less viscous and facilitate its discharge;
2. Expectorant drugs for removing sputum from the respiratory tract. Such substances increase cough;
3. Drugs that act on the cough center of the brain and reduce its activity.

The main task in the treatment is to make a dry cough wet, i.e. - productive, and then rid the body of excess sputum.

SARS

The beginning dry cough with upper respiratory tract lesions is painful and intrusive. The child has a sore throat, he sneezes, sleep and appetite are disturbed.

If the disease proceeds without fever, then it should be treated with plentiful warm drinks and inhalations, including hot ones, with herbs and soda-saline solution. The child should do inhalations only under the supervision of an adult, after eating at least 30 minutes should pass.

Parents should be sure that the little patient is not allergic to natural medicines. For treatment, infusion or tea with chamomile, sage, calendula, lime blossom is most often used.

A child who coughs for a long time must be examined by specialists. It is necessary to exclude helminthic invasions, allergies.

After a complicated infection, residual cough may continue for several weeks. Treatment, with a productive discharge of sputum, consists in plentiful warm drinking and massage at home.

Tracheitis, bronchitis

The cough that accompanies these diseases is dry and unproductive. The main goal in its treatment is to achieve sputum discharge.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to take drugs that have a mucolytic effect:

• Lazolvan
• Bromhexine
• Ambrobene

As soon as sputum begins to be produced, expectorant preparations are indicated for 4-5 days, and then the child should be given warm fruit drinks, dried fruit compote, diluted juices and chest massage.

If the child has a temperature, then hot foot baths, warming up are contraindicated for him.

Obstructive bronchitis

Accompanied by shortness of breath and cough with prolonged exhalation. The sputum that forms in the bronchi is too viscous, and therefore is not expectorated. It is very important to achieve its liquefaction, and after discharge.

It is important to drink plenty of water for the child. If the condition worsens, shortness of breath increases and spasms become more frequent, emergency medical attention is needed.

Whooping cough

Cough treatment with folk remedies

Traditional medicine is replete with recipes to help get rid of a cough. With a dry cough, thinning of the mucus is necessary, making it easier to cough it up. With a wet cough, effective sputum removal is required so that it does not "flood" the child's lungs.

Leaning towards any of them, it is worth making sure that the child is not allergic to the components of the medicine. What can be recommended to a child of 5 years old is not always suitable for a baby in a year.

So, what can you give a child with a cough?

Eggnog

A safe and very useful remedy - cough mogul for home treatment - is prepared from sugar or honey with the yolk of a chicken egg (or quail).

It is necessary to wash the shell, before breaking it, make sure that the product is fresh, the protein and yolk are free of foreign inclusions, do not blur.

The yolk is beaten with sugar to make a homogeneous mass. Give the remedy to the child 3-4 times a day, one teaspoon.

Oil rubs and compresses

Cacao butter cough for children is used as a massage - rubbed into the chest and upper back. For rubbing children older than two years, add 4-10 drops camphor oil in melted unsalted lard or goat fat; you can add the same amount of honey.

Plant elecampane suitable for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory processes, infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract. A decoction is prepared from the dried roots, which has an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect.

Herbal remedies for coughing remove sputum, relieve swelling of the mucosa. Tea with sage, anise and thyme, inhalations with these herbs help to thin viscous mucus and expectoration.

anise drops cook at home or buy at a pharmacy. The drug causes an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, well tolerated by children.

Anise-ammonia drops in pharmacies are made from anise oil, ammonia and ethyl alcohol. At home, the remedy is diluted with boiled water, 3–5 drops per 50 ml of water for a child of 3–5 years.

It is important for parents to understand that herbs and medicines from them are not harmless. They can provoke a deterioration in the condition, so you need to approach the choice carefully.

Home recipes for cough relief in babies are complemented by other measures that do not require much effort. Sometimes it is enough to raise the child's head higher during sleep to help drain the mucus and clear the airways. Place an extra pillow under your head and shoulders or a terry towel between the mattress and the pillow.

Cough in children is different, so the treatment should be directed, removing the cause, and not just affecting the symptoms. In each case, parents should consult a pediatrician. However, self-education allows you to evaluate the prescribed treatment and will not be superfluous.

Most parents worry about coughing fits in young children. Treatment of acute cough is a whole range of serious procedures that will allow improve the child's immunity with the help of vitamins, folk remedies, as well as medicines. Cough can occur due to inflammation of the trachea or in the process of allergic reactions.

Experts advise to carry out treatment therapy using medicines, traditional medicine, recipes, massage and complex rubbing with aromatic oils. What should parents do when a child develops a severe cough? Is it possible to eliminate coughing fits in a short time?

What does a strong cough mean in a child?

The child's body reacts to viruses, allergies and inflammation occurring in the body through coughing. It tries to remove all harmful viruses as well as clear the air passages from purulent mucosa, sputum and a large amount of microbial secretions. The cough reflex can appear due to severe inflammation of the throat mucosa and acquire both acute and protracted character.

In some cases, the disease becomes chronic. Wet cough is usually eliminated with expectorants, and dry - with means who can suppress its distribution. Dust, the ingress of foreign particles into the respiratory cavity, the process of inflammation in the body, dry, as well as polluted air - all these are the main pathogens that cause coughing.

Why is the child coughing a lot?

A cough in a child can occur due to:

1. Infection or virus.
2. Allergies to any object.
3. The development of bacteria.

At this time, the lungs of the child begin to fill with a mucous substance, and the body tries with all its might to eliminate it, provoking coughing and expectoration. . Cough can be dry or wet occur only during the day or only at night. The main cause of the disease can be a simple cold. When the human body is infected with viruses and infections, it can acquire a protracted form and cause vomiting. To prevent the development of vomiting, you can give the child cough tablets.

Severe cough at night

At night, the baby begins to cough during sleep. In this state, mucus and sputum quickly gather in one place, do not dissolve, make general breathing difficult, provoke coughing attacks, and also require a longer treatment process. Climate change in the place where the child sleeps can also cause coughing. At night, the air in the room begins to cool, becomes dry, which has a bad effect on the mucous membrane of the throat and nose, irritating it. In this case, warm water, a ventilated room, as well as humidified air will help well.

Cough that occurs in conjunction with gag reflexes

To avoid the development of vomiting, it is possible to alleviate the attacks of the baby with the help of certain tablets, inhalation, massage or applying compresses and rubbing the child's body. Vomiting occurs due to coughing fits, and also provoke vomiting reflex can severe irritation of the mucous surface of the throat when:

1. There is a dry type of cough, as a result of which the child begins to cough strongly. The gag reflex occurs due to increased tension in the throat and irritation of the mucous membrane.
2. There is a cough of a wet nature, the child's respiratory system is so laid down that mucus and sputum act as provocateurs of vomiting (symptoms of the development of bronchitis).

The development of dry cough

A strong dry cough in a baby (cough of an unproductive type) can occur in the form of a sore throat when the air masses in the room are too dry and cold. At this time, it is best to give the child warm water to drink, adding a spoonful of honey to it. It is also worth well ventilating the room where the baby spends most of the time.

The cause of the development of a cough can be irritation of receptors in the trachea, bronchi, and also in the mucous membrane of the larynx. Breathing at this time becomes difficult, coughing begins to take on a regular and exhausting form in the throat. Dry cough is most often noted during irritation of the lining of the respiratory tract, with SARS, allergic diseases, sore throats and colds.

Diagnosis of the disease

Usually, from the very beginning, a specialist listens to both the bronchi and lungs of the patient. When determining the disease, the doctor uses a special tapping, and in a situation where there is a special severe degree of the disease, applies x-ray, bronchoscopy. When diagnosing a cough, the doctor takes into account many circumstances:

1. Acute cough indicates the development of a virus in the body and infection in the catarrh of the upper respiratory tract with bronchial asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia and tonsillitis.
2. SARS symptoms - in a child there is a low voice, the nasopharynx is strongly stuffed up, and the breathing process is difficult.
3. A persistent cough that lasts longer than 10-12 days is most often characteristic of acute bronchitis and indicates the presence of a virus in the respiratory tract.
4. Cough of a wet nature, which manifests itself mainly at night, develops in the case of purulent processes in the lungs and bronchi, most often accompanied by a strong secretion of sputum, pus and mucous membranes.

How to treat a strong cough in a child, what to do if a child coughs a lot?

If the bronchi are affected by a viral infection, and the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract is too aggravated, the process of disruption of the normal functioning of the lungs and bronchi begins in the baby's body. It is possible to eliminate such a cough, using medicines and medicines that can reduce the severity of the disease and restore healthy immunity to the child.

The specialist prescribes certain medications, depending on the weight and age of the baby, his physical condition and the stage of the disease. Antibiotics are prescribed during the development of wet cough to remove excess mucus and sputum when the throat is inflamed, and an increased amount of pus begins to collect in the bronchi.

• Medicines for the treatment of the patient.

Means that help to improve the process of expectoration, remove sputum and pus from the body help to effectively treat the baby's body. For babies, such drugs are produced in the form of pleasant-tasting syrups. Prospan syrup is considered the most popular and widespread in the pharmaceutical market.

It is used during the treatment of newborns, as well as children under the age of one year. The antibiotic is used for purulent sputum in the bronchi and nasopharynx. Eliminates pain, helps a quick recovery and is not able to cause any allergies in the baby. Ampiox is a remedy that helps to reduce coughing and helps eliminate barking coughing attacks.

• Massage.

If coughing attacks only increase, then chest massage of the baby should be used in treatment. During the inflammation process, massage should be done for several days, before starting the procedure, you need to give the baby an expectorant, apply a protective cream on the skin surface, and then start gently massaging the child’s chest, back, shoulders, sides, rubbing and pinching well those parts of the body where sputum and other purulent discharges accumulate the most. Any adult will be able to independently conduct a massage that will help fight a wet cough.

• Carrying out aromatherapy.

When a baby has a barking cough for one month, as well as a pathological cough, which is accompanied by copious sputum discharge, the aromatherapy procedure helps a lot. Therapy with aromatic oils should also be performed during other characteristic allergy symptoms:

1. During cold infections cure wet cough essential oils of calendula and chamomile will help the child.
2. For older children, lemon, orange, and peppermint oils are a good treatment.
3. If signs of bronchitis are considered, then eucalyptus oils, as well as orange oils, can do well with the mucous membranes of the throat.

Recipes from traditional medicine, how to treat?

In folk medicine, there are more effective recipes for cough control in children:

1. In acute bronchitis and signs of pneumonia, experts recommend using milk with honey at night.
2. Regular bouts of coughing will help eliminate black radish with honey. Radish juice helps well when a child is severely tormented by a nocturnal cough.
3. During complications, the mucous membrane of the larynx is well affected by a decoction of various herbs of the medicinal type - linden flowers, chamomile and calendula. They will help to quickly eliminate the attack, as well as disinfect the diseased area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mucous membrane.

Rubbing process

During dangerous illnesses of the baby, most often concerned about breathing complications, an increase in the overall body temperature, sometimes the disease occurs in conjunction with laryngeal edema. It is possible to perform therapy for the treatment of a child using a special rubbing technique:

1. Rubbing with goose, bear fat has a good effect on the disease, which can improve the baby's immunity and prevent the development of dangerous diseases. Rubbing the chest, back, legs, feet and sides of the child should be done. When rubbing the chest, do not touch the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart.
2. Honey or vodka can very effectively cope with diseases, helps the baby's body to warm up to the desired level. After the rubbing process, the child should be covered with a warm blanket or blanket. The procedure can be performed on children from the age of six months.

Water procedures

Warm or hot baths with the addition of medicines are needed to treat any form of cold, and also help to remove irritation and inflammation. Before use, all herbs and inflorescences should be brewed in boiling water and insisted for some time.

1. Raspberry leaves, chamomile blossoms, calendula, lime flowers and mint are all plants that have soothing properties, and are also able to comprehensively suppress bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
2. Water techniques, together with chamomile, mint and valerian, are able to relax the nervous system of the child, help to improve the baby's sleep.

Features of therapy for treating a baby

The treatment process until the moment of complete recovery and elimination of the urge to cough has its own characteristics and should take place along with:

1. Massage.
2. Antibiotics and medicines that eliminate pathogens and viral infections.
3. Expectorants.
4. Inhalation during colds, inflammation of the mucous throat, as well as with tonsillitis.
5. Installation of compresses on the chest area and on the back for general warming up of the child.
6. Rubbing procedure to improve blood circulation in the baby's body.
7. Aromatherapy.
8. Application of traditional medicine methods.
9. Water treatment with baths, the use of infusions with medicinal herbs and inflorescences.

The main principle of the treatment of the child:

1. In most cases, the cause of the development of acute forms of cough are respiratory diseases, and it is from them that treatment should be carried out and a symptom such as cough should be eliminated. But, as you know, many parents, even after the recovery of the child, cough can remain with him for a long time, so for the full course of treatment it is worth using special drugs.
2. During treatment, the baby should dress warmly. It has long been noted that socks or a blouse made of goat, sheep wool have a good effect on the child and retain heat for a long time. They are also able to protect against many diseases, including the development of coughing fits.

In case of respiratory diseases that go along with a cough, it is usually necessary to create inhalations with mineral water, for which it is worth purchasing a special inhaler. This helps to alleviate the general condition of the child.

A strong cough in a child is a sign of a weakened body or the presence of foreign bodies in the airways.

Ignoring cough urges leads to complications: shortness of breath, inflammation in the airways and other problems. The task of parents is to take timely measures, which will be discussed in the article.

In contact with

Causes

A very strong frequent cough in a child with fever is a clear sign of the disease. This is acute respiratory infections, tonsillitis. In any case, before taking action, a doctor's examination is mandatory.

If it bothers you at night

The causes of a strong incessant cough in a child at night are determined depending on the age of the baby. If a newborn coughs, it is possible that mucus from the nose got into the throat during sleep. Also, the option of finding allergens in breast milk is not ruled out if the reflexes began after feeding. This is not a harbinger of the disease. During the day, the baby will clear his throat and the urge will pass, and it is advisable for the mother to give breast milk to a special laboratory to check its composition. Also, wheezing in a child at night is a sign that a small body is fighting an infection.

Why persistent cough in the morning?

The reason for a strong cough in a child in the morning is that the sick child lay in a horizontal position all night.

If the baby's body is struggling with any disease, mucus accumulates during sleep and is not able to go outside. On awakening, the small body tries to get rid of a large amount of phlegm, and this succeeds with great difficulty.

Leading to vomiting

A constant strong cough in a child with bronchitis or any other disease leading to vomiting is a reflex.

Emetic receptors are located at the root of the tongue and in the pharynx. During strong urges, the walls of the pharynx are irritated, due to which an erroneous initiation of vomiting occurs. The body receives a false signal to reject food from the stomach. In this case, the baby does not feel any nausea or chills. Vomiting is also observed in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and whooping cough.

Barking

When coughing urges are accompanied by a rough barking sound, this is a sign of laryngitis. Along with this, the child feels pain in the chest, suffocates and wheezes.

no temperature

A very strong cough in a one-year-old child without fever is a sign of allergies, airway obstruction, inhalation of a poisonous substance, or swallowing a foreign body. In such cases, the baby's skin changes color, headaches appear, cases of loss of consciousness become more frequent.

How to treat expectorant cough?

Every parent should know how to remove and treat a strong expectorant. The cough reflex is not a disease, but its cause. Therefore, it is not enough to suppress the urges, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of their appearance.

How to help quickly?

Before you save a child from coughing and strive to help him quickly, you need to make sure that the urge does not carry any danger - for example, a common cold was discovered. In this case, it is enough to provide the baby with a warm, plentiful drink, put ½ teaspoon of honey under the tongue twice a day, and give vitamins that restore immunity. It is advisable to limit the child from contact with people for several days: no kindergarten and circles until complete recovery.

So that the baby does not get sick, do not forget about prevention. It is necessary to ensure that he eats properly, drinks enough water (100 ml per 1 kg of body weight per day) and does not overcool.

Regular intake of vitamins is important - natural and tableted (in the latter case, consultation with a doctor is required). To strengthen the immunity of a healthy body, you need to teach your baby to sports, regular hygiene and hardening.

What else to do to stop?

The complete elimination of a strong cough in children depends on how and with what to treat the child (with what intensity!). Ideally, therapy should be complex: using medicines, massage, preventive measures and, of course, positive emotions.

How to remove a strong cough in a child by massaging the back:

1. Put the patient on the stomach.
2. Within 10 minutes, lightly tap on the back of the baby with the rib side of the palms in the direction of the “shoulder-belt”.
3. Help the patient to cough every 2 minutes.

Young parents are advised to trust massage to a doctor. To massage children at home in order to rid them of a strong cough, special training is needed. Many medical centers conduct training courses for young parents, the program of which includes therapeutic massage.

Are antibiotics needed?

Antibiotics for severe cough in children are prescribed by a pediatrician. Antibiotics are useless in viral diseases. This type of medicine is appropriate if the cause of coughing is a bacterial attack on the body.

Common antibiotics prescribed for children: Ampiox, Lorakson, Cefpir, Sumamed, Klabaks, Ofloxacin. Children are prescribed antibiotics in the form of syrups and suspensions.

What to give from medicines to remove dry attacks?

Folk remedies are the first thing that adults resort to when treating children. If they do not help, parents are lost because they do not know how to alleviate and how to stop a strong cough in a child.

What can be given to a child with a strong cough:

• Butamirat;
• Codterpin;
• Glycodin.

The listed drugs, as a rule, do not require long-term therapy, tk. can lead to stagnation of bronchial secretions and the progression of the infectious process.

How to relieve the chest?

The causes of a strong cough in an infant are not always related to diseases. A strong cough in infants is caused due to overdried nasal mucosa - this will help the usual saline solution in the form of drops.

To weaken the coughing urge in infants, you can add liquid honey to strained breast milk. Also, do not forget to regularly humidify the air in the children's room and often walk with the baby in the fresh air (but not in cold weather!).

Features of treatment in adults

The course of treatment in an adult is accompanied by medication. An adult treats a protracted dry cough with tablets, sprays, syrups, antibiotic injections.

As for folk remedies, an adult is allowed to apply red-hot salt wrapped in paper and a thick layer of towel to his chest. You can’t experiment like that with kids, because you can inadvertently burn his thin sensitive skin.

An adult is more likely to drink herbal infusions, while babies resist this method of treatment due to the unpleasant aftertaste of the drink.

Useful video

For treating a child's cough with a nebulizer, see the following video:

conclusions

1. The removal of a cough attack at night is carried out with antitussive drugs.
2. Morning attacks should not be stopped forcibly. The child should cough up what has accumulated in the airways during the night.
3. Cough treatment involves an integrated approach. Only the doctor will tell you what to do and how to help the child if he has a strong cough. The course of taking medications and other aspects related to the state of health of the patient are coordinated with him.
4. The information contained in the article is provided for informational purposes only.

We have already talked about children's cough, and discussed the main reasons for its development and. However, the main question that is of interest to any parent of a coughing child is how can a cough be treated, and what drugs should be taken to stop the cough? Moreover, parents want to get a miracle cure for any cough in the pharmacy, which can be used at any age of the child and it will literally cure everything at once. Unfortunately, such a cough medicine will never be invented, and moreover, it is completely unnecessary.

Where to begin?

Of course, in any pharmacy, cough medicines are placed in the most prominent place and sometimes occupy more than one shelf, but the pharmacy business is a business with the aim of making a profit on the sale of drugs, and there are tricks and marketing moves. You and I need to understand the sea of ​​​​medications used for coughing in children, and learn how to choose the safest and most effective medicines.

Why is the expression "cough medicine" in quotation marks, and why is this name of a group of drugs given a figurative meaning? The thing is that there are no “cough” medicines as such, just as there are no “diarrhea” or “head” remedies. There are drugs to influence the causes or mechanisms of coughing, and not the cough itself - this is a protective reflex of the body, it cannot be suppressed or treated in any way. Especially, consulting on the Internet or in absentia.

No self-respecting doctor would recommend drugs to influence a cough without hearing exactly how the child coughs, without finding out where this cough came from, and how long and often it lasts. In order to choose the right drug, you need to know a lot about cough, take into account all its characteristics, which were discussed.

About treating cough...

Based on the usual everyday logic - if there is a cough itself, then there must be a cure for it, this is quite logical and correct. However, from a medical point of view, this is not entirely correct and logical. Cough is the body's signal of trouble, a kind of command to start eliminating the causes that cause it, and it is completely wrong to deal with the cough itself as a symptom, while ignoring the causes that cause it. If you eliminate the cause of the cough, then the cough itself will quickly disappear. Yes, and the drugs that are traditionally considered cough medicines, not all of them affect the cough, most of them have application points that are not related to the cough reflex itself.

However, despite its origin, sometimes a cough is so unpleasant for a child, it is so poorly tolerated by him that, along with the main treatment, it is simply necessary to have a certain effect on the cough itself, using drugs. This pushes parents to look for effective cough medicines, and it’s good if the remedy is prescribed by a doctor, it’s worse if the pharmacist at the pharmacy advises it, and it’s really bad if the cough remedy is selected on the advice of girlfriends, neighbors, forums and so on. Let's discuss the principles of choice and the main effect of drugs.

How do funds work?

The principles of operation of cough medicines are based on the effect both on the cough center itself, located in the brain stem, and on the mucous membranes of the bronchi, as well as on sputum.

It would seem that when coughing, it would be easiest to turn off the cough center and extinguish the cough as such. In this regard, drugs of the opioid group, such as codeine, turned out to be very active. The drugs of this group have a powerful effect on the cough center, and inhibit its action, thereby suppressing the cough. Such drugs are contraindicated for children, and for adults in modern conditions their sale is limited, they are shown only by prescription in special cases. They have a kind of narcotic effect.

The second group of drugs are non-narcotic drugs that can be purchased in pharmacies without prescriptions. Unfortunately, these drugs have a rather dangerous effect, although it is they that can be called in the full sense of the word "cough" drugs. The drugs of this group either inhibit the cough reflex at the level of the brain, or weaken the signals from the affected mucous membranes of the bronchial tree. Preparations of this group are sometimes found in the composition of combined agents, which, in addition to antitussive, may contain additional components. One of the common antitussive drugs in this group are glaucine, tusuprex, sinekod. Their use must be strictly controlled by a doctor and they are used very limitedly, especially in early childhood.

It is important to note that the use of these drugs in children without constant medical supervision can end in failure. Coughing is a way to clear the bronchi and lungs from the accumulation of sputum, foreign particles, viruses and microbes. Disabling or suppressing cough leads to the creation of a favorable environment for the progression of the infection. And the use of these drugs with a wet cough can lead to "swamping" of the lungs and the development of bronchitis and pneumonia, a violation of the ventilation function of the lungs and other major troubles.

What's better?

Usually the most unpleasant is a dry cough, it can be so unbearable that it is with him that parents try to fight the most. The most logical solution in the treatment of cough is to transfer a dry, unproductive cough into a wet one, which is much easier to tolerate, sputum is coughed up and swallowed or spit by the baby. This is important in order to clear the airways of germs or viruses, excess mucus and foreign particles as soon as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to act on sputum - the thicker the sputum, the more difficult it is to cough up.

The second way to relieve cough is to activate the bronchial mucosa. These are today the most used remedies for treating cough in children, it is the components of a similar action, mucolytic (thinning sputum), mucoregulatory and expectorant used in the treatment of cough in children. The use of each group of drugs has its own characteristics, which parents should be aware of. Again, these drugs do not stop coughing, they help the child cough up sputum more gently and effectively, which gradually reduces coughing due to airway cleansing and relieving irritation and inflammation.

What remedies help with coughing?

Moisturizing aerosols or steam, ultrasonic inhalations are an effective means to reduce dry cough, which can reduce irritation and dryness of the respiratory tract, they reduce the viscosity of sputum, help relax the muscles of the bronchi and stimulate sputum expectoration.

In addition, steam inhalations with herbal decoctions or essential oils (only if the child is not allergic) can provide additional anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Do not forget about such simple and affordable means to reduce dry cough as a plentiful alkaline drink (milk, alkaline mineral water). They will be especially useful at elevated temperatures.

Enveloping agents can also help, especially if the cough occurs as a result of irritation of the mucous membranes of the throat and pharynx. They create a protective layer on the surface of the mucous membranes, which prevents the formation of sensations of perspiration in the throat and cough as a result. Such remedies include herbal teas and syrups, lozenges and herbal teas. These can be extracts of eucalyptus, licorice, white locust, and compositions with honey and glycerin. They are used every three to four hours in small portions, warm, but their effect is insignificant. For young children, phytocollections should be used with extreme caution because of the risk of developing allergies.

More about drugs

If a cough occurs against the background of SARS, first of all, you can start treatment with expectorants of plant origin - these can be a decoction of wild rosemary, coltsfoot, elecampane, plantain juice, black radish with honey, thyme or anise. These drugs are allowed in children not earlier than 3-5 years old and not allergic to various injuries and plants. This group also includes preparations based on marshmallow, thermopsis, licorice and various essential oils. Good cough medicine for children prospan or gedelix. But remember, in children with allergies at an early age, these drugs can cause swelling of the larynx and laryngospasm, allergies in the form of urticaria and other complications.

The main active ingredient of these drugs are saponins and plant alkaloids - these are substances that make bronchial mucus more liquid, increase the amount of mucus, increase bronchial contraction and contribute to easier expectoration of sputum. However, one should not greatly overestimate the effect of herbal preparations - they act for a short time, they need to be taken often, but in small doses, since an increase in the dose of drugs leads to increased toxic effects and the appearance of nausea and vomiting due to hyperproduction of mucus.

These drugs should not be used in young children, not only because of the high risk of allergies, but also because of the sharp increase in the amount of sputum that babies may simply not have time to cough up. This, as a result, leads to a significant deterioration in the drainage functions of the bronchi.

Expectorants include:

- marshmallow root and licorice root,
- thyme, coltsfoot leaf,
- plantain leaf and plantain syrups,
- Gerbion syrup with plantain,
- broncholithin, solutan,
- tussin, pertussin,
- sodium bicarbonate (soda),
- potassium iodide.
- linkas, prospan, ascoril,
- Dr. MOM,
- hedelix.

If after three or four days the child's cough does not become wet, if expectoration of sputum is very difficult, it is important to start treatment with drugs that help thin and sputum discharge. These drugs include drugs:

- ambroxol (ambrohexal, ambrobene, lazolvan),
- bromhexine,
- ACC (acetylcysteine, mucobene, fluimucin).

The drugs lead to active liquefaction of sputum, have a slight anti-inflammatory effect, have a pronounced expectorant effect, improve the removal of sputum from the bronchi. These preparations for children are used in syrups with a pleasant taste, which makes them easy to take. The drugs are used for a short time, since their long-term use leads to swamping of the lungs and hyperproduction of sputum. Cancellation of drugs is carried out with the formation of a wet cough, and sputum must be coughed up in the future.

Since inflammation is one of the mechanisms for the development of an unpleasant symptom when coughing, taking anti-inflammatory drugs can have a fairly pronounced effect. So, one of the additional remedies for coughing and runny nose in children is fenspiride (Erespal drug). This drug improves sputum production and helps fight inflammation in the respiratory system.

Antibiotics and bronchodilators

Is it necessary in the treatment of cough antibiotics? This is a complex and ambiguous question. If it is a microbial infection such as bronchitis or pneumonia, antibiotics will be indicated to address the underlying cause. But with viral infections with manifestations of cough, they are completely inappropriate, they do not act on viruses, and can complicate the course of the disease. Therefore, when coughing, it is necessary to examine a doctor and conduct at least a minimal diagnosis to determine the cause of the cough. Based on the presumptive diagnosis, the treatment regimen will be determined.

A similar observation can be applied to such remedies used for certain types of coughs, such as bronchodilators. These are drugs for relaxing the muscles of the bronchi and expanding their lumen, which is important for obstructive bronchitis and bronchial asthma. In this case, special drugs prescribed by the doctor will be used.

Must be remembered!

• Cough treatment should begin with plenty of fluids and non-drugs, inhalations, herbal teas. Discuss all cough medicines with your doctor.
• It is forbidden to use simultaneously antitussive and expectorant or mucolytic drugs.
• It is forbidden to use antibiotics, drugs for expanding the bronchi without a doctor's prescription.
• With a sudden strong convulsive cough, it is necessary to examine the child for a foreign body in the airways.
• If therapy is ineffective within 3-4 days, you must re-consult a doctor.