How to cure a severe cough in a small child. Cough in a child: how to treat? What cough medicines are dangerous

Most parents worry about coughing fits in young children. Acute cough treatment is a whole complex of serious procedures that will allow improve the child's immunity with the help of vitamins, folk remedies, and medicines. A cough can occur due to inflammation of the trachea or during allergic reactions.

Experts advise to carry out treatment therapy using medicines, traditional medicine, recipes, massage and complex rubbing with aromatic oils... What parents need to do when the child has developed coughing? Is it possible to eliminate coughing attacks in a short time?

What does a child's severe cough mean?

The child's body reacts to viruses, allergies and inflammations in the body by coughing up. He tries to remove all harmful viruses, as well clear respiratory passages from purulent mucous membranes, phlegm and a large amount of microbial secretions. The cough reflex can appear due to severe inflammation of the throat mucosa and become both acute and protracted.

In some cases, the disease becomes chronic. Wet cough is usually eliminated with expectorant drugs, and dry coughs are usually who can suppress its distribution. Dust, foreign particles entering the respiratory cavity, the process of inflammation in the body, dry, as well as polluted air are all the main pathogens that cause the manifestation of coughing.

Why does the child cough violently?

A child's cough can occur due to:

  1. Either virus infection.
  2. Allergies to any subject.
  3. The development of bacteria.

At this time, the child's lungs begin to fill with a mucous substance, and the body is trying with all its might to eliminate it, provoking coughing and expectoration ... The cough can be dry or moist, 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 become protracted and cause vomiting. To avoid the development of vomiting, you can give your child cough tablets.

Violent cough at night

At night, the baby begins to cough during sleep. In this state, mucus and phlegm quickly collect in one place, do not dissolve, make it difficult for general breathing, provoke coughing attacks, and also require a longer treatment process. Climate change in the place where the child sleeps can also cause additional coughing. At night, the air in the room begins to cool, it 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, and humidified air will help well.

Cough that occurs in conjunction with gag reflexes

To avoid the development of vomiting, you can relieve the baby's attacks with the help of certain pills, inhalation, massage or applying compresses and rubbing the baby's body. Vomiting occurs due to coughing fits, and also provoke vomiting reflex may severe irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat when:

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

Dry cough development

A severe dry cough in a toddler (non-productive cough) can occur as a sore throat when the air in the room is too dry and cold. At this time, the child is best drunk with warm water, adding a spoonful of honey to it. It is also worthwhile to ventilate the room where the baby spends most of the time.

The reason for the development of cough can be irritation of receptors in the trachea, bronchi, and also in the laryngeal mucosa. Breathing at this time becomes difficult, coughing begins to take on a regular and exhausting throat shape. Dry cough is most often observed during irritation of the respiratory tract, with ARVI, allergic diseases, sore throat and colds.

Diagnosis of the disease

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

  1. Acute cough indicates the development in the body of a virus and infection in the upper respiratory tract catarrh in bronchial asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia and angina.
  2. SARS symptoms - in a child there is a deep voice, the nasopharynx is strongly blocked, and the breathing process is difficult.
  3. A lingering 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. A wet cough, 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 severe cough in a child, what to do if a child coughs badly?

If the bronchi are struck by a viral infection, and the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract is too aggravated, the process of disrupting the normal functioning of the lungs and bronchi begins in the baby's body. You can eliminate such a coughusing 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 a wet cough to remove excess mucus and phlegm when the throat is inflamed, and an increased amount of pus begins to collect in the bronchi.

  • Medicines for the patient's treatment.

Means that help to improve the process of expectoration, remove phlegm and pus from the body help to effectively treat the baby's body. For babies, such preparations are made in the form of syrups that taste good. Prospan syrup is considered the most demanded and widespread in the pharmaceutical market.

It is used during the treatment of newborns and children under one year of age. 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 to eliminate barking coughing attacks.

  • Massage.

If coughing attacks only increase, then massage should be used in treatment chest baby. During the process of inflammation, massage should be done for several days, before starting the procedure, you need to give the baby a coughing agent, apply a protective cream to the skin surface, and then begin to gently massage the baby's chest, back, shoulders, sides, rubbing and pinching well those parts of the body where phlegm and other purulent discharge accumulates most. Any adult can do a massage on their own to help combat a wet cough.

  • Aromatherapy.

When a baby has a barking cough for one month, as well as a pathological cough, which is accompanied by profuse phlegm, the aromatherapy procedure helps well. Therapy with aromatic oils should be performed during other characteristic symptoms allergies:

  1. During colds infections cure a wet cough help the child essential oils calendula and chamomile.
  2. For older children in a good way the treatment will be lemon, orange and mint oil.
  3. If a signs of bronchitis are consideredthen eucalyptus and orange oils can cope well with the mucous membranes of the throat.

Traditional medicine recipes, how to treat?

In traditional medicine, there are more effective recipes to combat cough in children:

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

Rubbing process

During dangerous diseases of the baby, most often worried about breathing complications, increase total temperature body, sometimes the disease occurs together with laryngeal edema. You can perform therapy for treating 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 heart area.
  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 treatments

Warm or hot baths with the addition of medicines are needed to treat any form of cold, as well as help remove irritation and inflammation. All herbs and inflorescences should be boiled in boiling water before use and insisted for a while.

  1. Raspberry leaves, chamomile inflorescences, calendula, linden flowers and mint are all plants that carry calming properties, and are also capable of comprehensively suppressing bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
  2. Water techniques, together with chamomile, mint and valerian, are able to relax the child's nervous system, help to improve the baby's sleep.

Features of baby treatment therapy

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

  1. Massage.
  2. Antibiotics and medicines that eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and viral infections.
  3. Expectorants.
  4. Inhalation during colds, sore throat inflammations, as well as sore throat.
  5. Placement of compresses on the chest and 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 techniques.
  9. Water treatment with baths, the use of herbal infusions and inflorescences.

The main principle of treating a child:

  1. In most cases, the cause of development acute forms coughs are diseases of a respiratory nature, and it is with them that treatment should be made and a symptom such as cough should be eliminated. But, as you know, many parents, even after the child recovers, the 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 diseases of the respiratory tract 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.

When a child has a strong cough (it does not matter if it is a baby or the child is already a year old or more), what should parents do?

This symptom accompanies many respiratory diseases.

But a cough can also manifest itself with other ailments.

What's the best way to deal with it?

What measures should be taken if a child has a severe cough?

The child is coughing violently. Many parents face this problem. And so that the baby does not get worse, you need to know how to cope with such a symptom. But before starting treatment, it is always necessary to find out the cause of the cough. Knowing this, you can choose the right way to deal with the symptom.

A severe cough in a child may be following reasons:
  1. Infectious diseases.
  2. If a foreign object gets into airways.
  3. Cold or respiratory viral infection.
  4. Diseases of the bronchi.
  5. At inflammatory processes on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract.

Also, with pneumonia, a severe cough in a child without fever may appear. This happens in cases where the baby has weak immunity. In such a situation, pneumonia at first does not manifest itself in any way. The baby can only have weakness. As the disease progresses, its main symptom appears - a frequent cough in a child.

Don't forget about allergies. Today many children suffer from this disease. If an allergen is nearby, it can cause a cough. In such a situation, you need to remove the irritant and consult a doctor.

How to treat a symptom if it is the result of an allergy?

Here doctors recommend the following:
  • if the allergen is known, then it must be excluded from the child's environment. It can be animal hair, any product or other irritant;
  • if the allergen is unknown, then special medications must be taken. Antihistamines can cope with many of the manifestations of this ailment. But they should only be taken as directed by a doctor. Such drugs often have many side effectsso use them carefully.

If the allergen is not identified, and symptoms in the form of a cough or rash appear, then you must definitely visit a doctor. After the conducted studies, an irritant will be identified, which means that from now on it is possible to avoid a suffocating cough, and other dangerous manifestations of the disease.

Test: Does your lifestyle provoke lung disease?

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Since almost all of us live in cities with very unfavorable conditions for health, and in addition to this we lead the wrong lifestyle, this topic is very relevant at the moment. We perform many actions, or vice versa - we are inactive, completely without thinking about the consequences for our body. Our life is in breath, without it we cannot live even a few minutes. This test will determine whether your lifestyle can provoke lung disease, as well as help you think about your respiratory health and correct your mistakes.

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  • You lead the right lifestyle

    You are a rather active person who takes care and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to play sports, lead a healthy lifestyle and your body will delight you throughout your life. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and strong emotional overload. Try to minimize contact with sick people, in case of forced contact, do not forget about protective equipment (mask, washing hands and face, cleaning the respiratory tract).

  • It's time to think that you are doing something wrong ...

    You are at risk, you should think about your lifestyle and start taking care of yourself. Physical education is compulsory, or even better, start playing sports, choose the sport that you like the most and turn it into a hobby (dancing, cycling, gym, or just try to walk more). Do not forget to treat colds and flu in time, they can lead to complications on the lungs. Be sure to work with your immunity, temper yourself, be outdoors and in the fresh air as often as possible. Do not forget to undergo scheduled annual examinations, treat lung diseases for initial stages much easier than running. Avoid emotional and physical overload, smoking or contact with smokers, if possible, exclude or minimize.

  • It's time to sound the alarm!

    You are completely irresponsible about your health, thereby destroying the work of your lungs and bronchi, have pity on them! If you want to live long, you need to radically change your whole attitude towards the body. First of all, be examined by such specialists as a therapist and pulmonologist, you need to take drastic measures otherwise everything may end badly for you. Follow all the recommendations of doctors, radically change your life, it may be worth changing your job or even your place of residence, absolutely exclude smoking and alcohol from your life, and reduce contact with people who have such addictions to a minimum, temper, strengthen your immunity as much as possible be in the fresh air more often. Avoid emotional and physical overload. Completely exclude all aggressive products from household circulation, replace with natural, natural products. Do not forget to do wet cleaning and airing at home.

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  1. Question 1 of 20

    1 .

    Is your lifestyle associated with heavy physical activity?

  2. Question 2 of 20

    2 .

    How often do you have lung examinations (eg fluorogram)?

  3. Question 3 of 20

    3 .

    Do you go in for sports?

  4. Question 4 of 20

    4 .

    Do you snore?

  5. Question 5 of 20

    5 .

    Do you treat acute respiratory infections, ARVI, flu and other inflammatory or infectious diseases?

  6. Question 6 of 20

    6 .

    Do you practice good personal hygiene (shower, hands before meals and after walking, etc.)?

  7. Question 7 of 20

    7 .

    Do you care about your immunity?

  8. Question 8 of 20

    8 .

    Have any relatives or family members suffered from serious lung diseases (tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia)?

  9. Question 9 of 20

    9 .

    Do you live or work in an unfavorable environment (gas, smoke, chemical emissions from enterprises)?

  10. Question 10 of 20

    10 .

    Do you or your household use sources of strong odors (aroma candles, incense, etc.)?

  11. Question 11 of 20

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    Do you have heart disease?

  12. Question 12 of 20

    12 .

    How often are you indoors with damp or dusty conditions, mold?

  13. Question 13 of 20

    13 .

    Do you often get sick with acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory infections?

  14. Question 14 of 20

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    Do you or any of your relatives have diabetes?

  15. Question 15 of 20

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    Do you have any allergic diseases?

  16. Question 16 of 20

    16 .

    What is your lifestyle?

  17. Question 17 of 20

    17 .

    Does anyone in your family smoke?

  18. Question 18 of 20

    18 .

    Do you smoke?

  19. Question 19 of 20

    19 .

    Do you have air purification devices in your house?

  20. Question 20 of 20

    20 .

    Do you often use household chemicals (cleaning agents, aerosols, etc.)?

What to do if a child has a strong cough? How can you help him stop the attack? Of course, there are no quick ways to stop a severe cough in a child or an adult. But there are some guidelines that can help reduce the intensity of this symptom.

These doctors include the following:

  • the cough is exhausting if the child is constantly in a room where there is no fresh air supply. Therefore, you need to constantly ventilate. Of course, this should be done when the baby is in another room. Drafts can only worsen his condition;
  • even healthy man coughs if he constantly breathes dry air, and for the patient such an "atmosphere" can only aggravate the situation. To reduce seizures, you need to purchase a moisturizer. But you can also use folk remedies. It is enough to hang wet towels on chairs or on a radiator;
  • if the cough is dry, then the baby should be given plenty of fluids. Even with a productive or "wet" symptom, a large amount of fluid will only be beneficial;
  • inhalation can be used to reduce the intensity of attacks. Of course, it can be quite difficult to "force" a baby to breathe with a nebulizer, especially if he is very young. In such a situation, it is enough to add a little baking soda to a pot of boiling water and play with the child next to it. This is often enough to soften the breathing.

Of course, in any case, you must first see a doctor.

Only a specialist will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. All of these methods will only ease the symptom and help reduce the intensity of the attacks.

Most often, the treatment of a severe cough in a child should be carried out with medication or using folk remedies.

What if my child has a severe cough? Of course, first of all, visit a medical institution and consult a doctor. The specialist will carry out diagnostic actions and identify the cause of this manifestation.

But, when starting the treatment of cough in children, it is worth remembering some of the features of this process, namely:

  1. It is imperative to check whether the prescribed drug is appropriate for the child's age. A child can get sick at a year or six, and at a later age. And in each case, the drugs prescribed may be different. Some are used in infancy, others in a more adult state. In this case, be sure to monitor the dosage.
  2. Depending on the age, different forms of drug release are used. It is better to give drops a year. For children a little older, syrups are prescribed. It is better to use tablets or lozenges after ten to twelve years. At this age, children no longer choke on them.
  3. Often, a severe dry cough is treated with inhalation. If we are talking about babies, then you need to be careful with such a procedure. Inhalation works well, but the child may have a sensitive mucous membrane in the airways. In this case, it can be easily burned with steam. If this is the situation, then it is better to use a compressor or ultrasonic nebulizer. Such devices break the drug into small droplets. This increases the effectiveness of treatment and reduces the risk of burns.

How to get rid of a severe cough in a child? Almost any doctor will definitely prescribe a medication method. Do not think that traditional treatment of this problem can harm your baby. Modern drugs are made specifically for this age. They do not contain dangerous and too "powerful" means. Therefore, it is quite safe to use medication.

How to treat if a child coughs badly?

In such a situation, the doctor may prescribe a drug belonging to one of the following groups:

  • expectorant drugs. This group includes such funds as Gedelix, ACC and others. These drugs are used for productive or "wet" coughs. They help sputum to more actively leave the respiratory tract;
  • a dry cough in a child without fever or with it is most often treated with mucolytics. This group includes drugs Abrol, Ambrobene, Sinekod, Lazolvan and others. These drugs help thin the phlegm;
  • another group is antitussive drugs. Here, the active substances do not act on the problem itself, but on the center that is responsible for the symptom. This group includes Mukaltin, licorice root syrup, Pertussin. They are used in cases where the child has a very severe cough.

But do not take all the drugs at once. You need to carefully read the instructions for use. If an expectorant is used, then antitussive drugs cannot be used, even if the attack is exhausting. With a wet symptom, sputum comes out of the bronchi. If at the same time the reflex is suppressed, then this will only harm the baby.

Often, coughing in a baby is a consequence of a disease of a viral or bacterial origin. In this situation, no additional drugs can not do. In addition, a number of dangerous inflammatory ailments can only be treated with antibiotics.

How to help a child with a strong cough, if he is not yet a year old? Of course, and here are used medications and recipes of traditional medicine. But giving the child a medicine is one thing, and watching a debilitating cough torment the baby is another.

In this situation, the following actions can help:

  • massage. This procedure will primarily help the baby relax. In addition, massage helps to remove sputum from the bronchi. The procedure can be performed in the morning and evening, before bedtime;
  • if the child has a severe cough, it is worth using a treating scrub. To do this, you need a little honey and simple salt. Do this procedure in the evening, before putting the baby to bed. The baby is laid on his stomach. Melted honey is applied to the back, and a small amount of fine salt is sprinkled on top. After that gentle in circular motions doing massage. The procedure is completed when the salt is completely dissolved. After such a “scrub” the baby is wrapped in a warm, damp towel. And before going to bed, wipe dry with a napkin;
  • rubbing can be used. This procedure is recommended to be done from the age of six months. For grinding, animal fats, propolis, vodka, vegetable oils and so on are used.

Another method that helps with many problems, including coughing, is water procedures. Of course, only a warm bath is used. The kid is already sick, so you can’t do hardening in this situation.

But the bath should not be with plain water, but with the addition of herbs. You can use coltsfoot, chamomile, mint and other plants. In addition, a bath with the addition of essential oils helps a lot. The main thing with this procedure is that the baby should not be allergic to the added ingredients.

How to stop a strong cough in a baby? In addition to medicines, massage and grinding, you can use applications or compresses. Many drugs have contraindications, so they often resort to such methods of treating cough.

There are a lot of recipes for application and compresses, we name only the most common of them:

  • use honey. For this recipe, in addition to the main ingredient, you will need flour and water. Liquid honey in equal proportions is mixed with other components. After that, the resulting product is heated in a water bath. The temperature should not be too high so that the baby can easily withstand it. Part of the mixture is applied to the towel, and part covers the chest and sides (avoid the heart area). After this, the child is laid on a towel and wrapped in it;
  • you can use vegetable oil. It is also, as in the first recipe, heated in a water bath. Then gauze is soaked in oil. She wraps the baby's chest and back. After this, lay a layer of paper and wrap the child in a towel;
  • another recipe for the compress is made using cottage cheese. But this method of combating cough can not be used if antibiotics are present in the treatment. The cottage cheese is heated in a water bath and mixed with honey (1 tablespoon per hundred grams). The resulting mixture is laid in a thin layer on cheesecloth, which is wrapped around the chest and back of the baby. In this case, the compress does not overlap the region of the heart. Next, the baby is wrapped in a warm towel or scarf.

There are a lot of recipes for applications or compresses. Using any of them, it is worth remembering some rules. First of all, one should not forget about allergies. If a child has it, then do not use recipes that contain an allergen.

Closely monitor the temperature of the product used. The compress should not burn the skin of the baby. To stop a strong cough in a child, it is better to use those recipes that the doctor recommends.

The child coughs very much, what should I do? Be sure to follow the doctor's recommendations. But, besides this, you can be treated with folk remedies. They most often significantly speed up recovery.

These recipes include the following:

We have already talked about childhood cough, and discussed the main reasons for its development and. However, the main question that is interesting to any parent of a coughing child is how can a cough be treated, and what drugs should be taken to cough? Moreover, parents want to get a miracle cure for any cough in the pharmacy that 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” drugs are placed in a prominent place and sometimes occupy more than one shelf, but the pharmacy business is a business with the goal of making profit on the sale of drugs, and there are tricks and marketing moves. We need to understand the sea of \u200b\u200bmedicines used for coughing in children and learn how to choose the safest and most effective medicines.

Why is the phrase “cough medicine” taken in quotation marks, and why does this name for a group of drugs have a figurative meaning? The thing is that there are no cough medicines as such, as well as no cures for diarrhea or headaches. 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 is impossible to suppress or treat it. Especially, consulting on the Internet or in absentia.

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

About the treatment of cough ...

Based on the usual everyday logic - if there is a cough itself, then there must be a cure for it, it is quite logical and correct. However, from the point of view of medicine, this is not entirely correct and logical. A cough is a signal from the body about a problem, a kind of command to start eliminating the causes that cause it, and it is completely wrong to fight the cough itself as a symptom, while ignoring the causes that cause it. If the cause of the cough is eliminated, then the cough itself will quickly disappear. Yes, and drugs that are traditionally considered cough medicines, not all affect 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 that, along with the main treatment, it is just necessary to exert a certain effect on the cough itself, using drugs. This pushes parents to search for effective cough medicines, and it’s good if the drug is prescribed by a doctor, it’s worse - if the pharmacist advises the pharmacy, and very bad - if the cough medicine 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?

Work principles medicines against cough are based on the impact of both the cough center itself, located in the brain stem, and on the mucous membranes of the bronchi, as well as on the separation of sputum.

It would seem that when coughing, the easiest way would be to turn off the cough center and quench the cough itself. In this regard, drugs of the opioid group, such as codeine, turned out to be very active. 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 is non-narcotic drugs, which can be purchased in pharmacies without prescriptions. Unfortunately, these drugs have a rather dangerous effect, although it is precisely them that can be called “cough” drugs in the full sense of the word. The drugs of this group either inhibit the cough reflex at the level of the brain, or weaken the signals coming from the affected mucous membranes of the bronchial tree. Drugs of this group are sometimes found in combination drugs, which, in addition to antitussive, may also contain additional components. One of the common antitussive drugs in this group are glaucin, tusuprex, synecode. Their use should be strictly controlled by a doctor and they are used very limitedly, especially in the early childhood.

It is important to note that the use of these drugs in children without the constant supervision of a doctor can end in failure. Coughing is a way to cleanse the bronchi and lungs from the accumulation of sputum, foreign particles, viruses and germs. Disabling or inhibiting coughing creates a favorable environment for the progression of infection. And the use of these drugs with a wet cough can lead to "waterlogging" of the lungs and the development of bronchitis and pneumonia, impaired 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 it that parents try to fight most of all. The most logical solution in the treatment of cough is to transfer dry unproductive cough to wet, which is much easier to carry, sputum clears its throat and is swallowed or spit out 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, you need to work on sputum - the thicker the phlegm, 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 means for treating cough in children, namely the components of a similar action, mucolytic (dilute phlegm), mucoregulatory and expectorant are used in the treatment of cough in children. The use of each group of drugs has its own characteristics, which should be known to parents. Again - these drugs do not stop the cough, they help the child cough up sputum more gently and efficiently, which gradually reduces the cough due to cleansing the airways and relieving irritation and inflammation.

What remedies help with coughing?

An effective means to reduce dry cough is moisturizing aerosols or steam, ultrasonic inhalations, 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 expectoration of sputum.

In addition, steam inhalations with decoctions of herbs or with essential oils (only if the child is not allergic) can give additional anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Do not forget about such simple and available funds to reduce dry cough, like heavy alkaline drink (milk, alkaline mineral water). Especially they will be useful at elevated temperatures.

Enveloping agents can also help, especially if coughing 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 tickling in the throat and coughing as a result of this. These include phyto-collections and syrups, lozenges, and herbal teas. These can be extracts of eucalyptus, licorice, white acacia, and compounds with honey and glycerin. They are used every three to four hours in small portions, warm, but their effect is negligible. Young children need to use phyto-collections very carefully because of the danger of allergies.

Product Details

If a cough occurs on the background of acute respiratory viral infections, first of all, you can start treatment with expectorants plant origin - it can be a decoction of wild rosemary, coltsfoot, elecampane, plantain juice, black radish with honey, thyme or anise. These drugs are allowed in children no earlier than 3-5 years old and not allergic to various injuries and plants. The same group includes preparations based on marshmallow, thermopsis, licorice and various essential oils. Drugs help cough well for children overslept or gedelix. But remember, in allergic children at an early age, these drugs can cause laryngeal edema and laryngospasm, allergies in the form of urticaria and other complications.

The main active substance these drugs are plant saponins and alkaloids - these are substances that make the bronchial mucus more fluid, increase the amount of mucus, increase the bronchial contraction and facilitate a simple expectoration of sputum. However, do not overestimate the effect of herbal preparations - they do not last long, they must be taken often, but in small doses, since increasing the dose of drugs leads to increased toxic effects and the appearance of nausea and vomiting due to overproduction of mucus.

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

Expectorant drugs include:

- Althea root and licorice root,
- thyme, coltsfoot leaf,
- a leaf of plantain and syrup with plantain,
- Herbion syrup with plantain,
- broncholithin, solutan,
- tussin, pertussin,
- sodium bicarbonate (soda),
- potassium iodide.
- linkas, overslept, accelerated,
- Dr. IOM
- Gedelix.

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 begin treatment with drugs that help thin and sputum discharge. These drugs include drugs:

- Ambroxol (Ambrohexal, Ambrobene, Lasolvan),
- bromhexine,
- ACC (acetylcysteine, mucobene, fluimucin).

The drugs lead to active dilution of sputum, have a slight anti-inflammatory effect, have a pronounced expectorant effect, and improve the removal of sputum from the bronchi. These drugs for children are used in syrups with a pleasant taste, which makes their intake easy. The drugs are used for a short time, since their prolonged use leads to waterlogging of the lungs and overproduction of sputum. Drug withdrawal is carried out during the formation of a wet cough, and sputum in the future must be coughed up.

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

Antibiotics and bronchodilators

Do you need cough treatment antibiotics? This is a complex and controversial issue. If it is a microbial infection of the type of bronchitis or pneumonia, antibiotics will be indicated to influence the causes of the disease. But with viral infections with manifestations of coughing, they are completely inappropriate, they do not act on viruses, and can complicate the course of the disease. Therefore, when coughing, a doctor's examination and at least minimal diagnosis are necessary to determine the cause of the cough. Based on the presumptive diagnosis, the treatment regimen will be determined.

A similar remark can be attributed to such drugs used for certain types of cough, 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 remember!

  • Cough treatment should be started with heavy drinking and not medications, inhalation, phyto-collection. Discuss all cough medications with your doctor.
  • It is forbidden to use both antitussive and expectorant or mucolytic drugs.
  • It is forbidden to use antibiotics, drugs to expand the bronchi without the appointment of a doctor.
  • With a sudden strong convulsive cough, it is necessary to examine the child for foreign body in the airways.
  • If therapy is ineffective, it is necessary to consult a doctor within 3-4 days.

Most parents have a reverent attitude towards children's health. It is necessary to cough the baby at least once and the parents begin to wind up themselves and represent serious illnesses.

Less often, but it happens the other way around, when a child coughs without attention of adults and leads to the development of severe chronic diseases.

Any healthy or child can cough several times during the day and this is a kind of norm. Coughing is not an independent disease, but just one of the symptoms that can accompany various diseases and pathological processes in the body.

What can be a cough in a child:

  • Physiological.

In this case, a cough is just a protective reaction to the short-term exposure to the stimulus. Such a cough can be observed when foreign objects get into the respiratory tract or if the climate regime is disturbed (for example, dry air in the apartment).

In infants, coughing or choking can occur after feeding, when a small amount breast milk enters the trachea when burping. Sometimes mucus or sputum that accumulates overnight comes out with a cough in the morning. In children after six months, which is accompanied by increased salivation and, as a result, a cough reflex.

  • Pathological.

In various diseases, a cough from a protective reflex turns into a pathology that poisons the life of a small patient and his parents.

What processes can cause a cough in a child:

  • bacterial infection. Pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and other pathology of the respiratory tract almost always occurs with this symptom;
  • viral diseases (colds, acute respiratory viral infections, flu, etc.);
  • airborne, less commonly food allergy;
  • diseases of other organs and systems (GERD, heart defects, etc.).

In childhood, a pathological cough is more often associated with colds, Often it causes a violation of the indoor climate or allergies. In any case, a child’s cough is almost never the only symptom of a disease.

With a cold, he is accompanied by temperature, runny nose and other manifestations of general intoxication of the body. a connection with the causative allergen is clearly visible, and additionally lacrimation, rash or watery discharge from the nose.

General principles of treatment

Cough - severe symptomespecially for young children. The cough reflex involves not only nerves, but also the muscles of the respiratory muscles, which are still poorly developed in babies.

When it is difficult for a child to cough up mucus and sputum, it begins to accumulate in the lungs and cause severe complications. In addition, infants are more often in a supine position, which also contributes to stagnation of sputum and the course of the disease harder than in adults.

Treatment of cough in children is carried out by the following methods:

  • Non-drug methods and traditional medicine.
  • Drug therapy.
  • Physiotherapy.

The combination of these three methods of therapy allows you to cope with a cough in a child of any age. We consider each of them in more detail and dwell on the most effective ones.

Non-drug therapy

There are a number of specific requirements and rules regarding the regimen of a sick child and the maintenance of appropriate conditions in his room:

  • Humidification of the atmosphere.

For this, the room is regularly ventilated 4-5 times a day and always before bedtime. As a humidifier, you can use special devices (humidifiers, air ionizers), a nebulizer with saline. In the absence of such devices during the heating season, plates with mineral or salt water are placed under the battery or an aquarium is started.

  • More fluid.

The production of mucus and sputum occurs in special goblet cells. In order to strengthen the production of mucus and make it more fluid, the child is offered to drink the maximum amount of liquid (water, juices, fruit drinks). In addition, a plentiful drink helps to quickly remove the decay products of bacteria and toxins from the baby's body, which greatly speeds up the treatment of cough.

  • Nutrition and nutritional regimen.

A balanced diet during the illness will allow the baby to get everything essential vitamins and trace elements without concomitant dietary supplements and synthetic vitamins.

  • Walks in the open air.

A child with a cough, runny nose and a slight temperature of up to 37.5 degrees can and should go out. A walk helps to calm the baby, and fresh air has a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and strengthens the natural immune defense.

It is important to understand these recommendations correctly. A sick child needs treatment, attention and peace. You should not take the baby with a fever for a walk, and you should not lock the coughing child for a week at home in four walls.

Traditional medicine

It is very rare to cure a child’s cough using only traditional medicine. But the old proven methods work well in the initial stages of the disease or in combination with drug therapy.

What can be used:

  • Inhalation.

The only way to perform inhalation in a child of any age is a special nebulizer. These devices are of two types (ultrasonic and compression). The peculiarity is that the drug does not dissolve in hot water, as in the steam method, but is sprayed to fine particles.

Inhalation - what you need to know how to do it right? Tips for parents - Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

Thanks to the nebulizer active properties remain medicinal substances without risk of burning the baby’s tender mucous membrane with hot steam. The “breathe hot potato or chamomile” methods are suitable for adults and should not be used in children, especially young children. More information about choosing an effective inhaler, and about which drugs to use for inhalation, is described.

  • Mustard plasters.

Mustard plasters are not used for skin lesions, pustules or a rash on the body. Perform this procedure for children after the first year of life. Their effect is a local irritating and warming effect, due to which blood flow is increased, sputum discharge is facilitated, and the immune response is enhanced.

Mustard plaster is not placed on the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart or on the spine. For children with sensitive skin, it is best to put thin tissue or gauze between the skin and mustard. When coughing, a mustard plaster is placed on the chest area and hold it, starting from 1 minute, gradually increasing the interval to 5 minutes.


Warm baths (water temperature 38-40 degrees) effectively treat children's cough in the early stages of the disease and are good for its prevention. In the acute period, at high temperature, foot baths are contraindicated. Contraindication is the presence of pustules, abrasions, eczema on the legs.

  • Compresses

There are several types of compresses: dry, wet, alcohol, etc. When coughing, dry warming compresses are usually used, where alcohol or dimexide acts as the heating component.

How to make a compress: gauze is impregnated with the active substance and applied to the throat, covered with a layer of polyethylene (for example, cling film), and a warm scarf on top. Hold from 15 minutes to half an hour.

  • Decoctions and tinctures.

Medicinal expectorant herbs (marshmallow, licorice, thyme, ivy, etc.) are used with great caution in children. Due to the high reactivity of the children's immune system, there is always a risk of complications in the form of an allergic reaction.

Drug therapy

If preventive measures and methods alternative medicine If they were ineffective, then you need to select drugs under the supervision of a doctor. We will analyze in more detail how to cure a cough in a child with the help of drugs.

Antitussive drugs

Drugs in this group are designed to suppress the cough reflex. They are prescribed for cough, which is associated with central irritation nervous systemwhen a cough is caused not by sputum, but by irritation of nerve receptors. In children, they are often prescribed for measles, whooping cough and some other infectious diseases.

Antitussive drugs are used to suppress dry cough without sputum. Assign only with the consent of a specialist, after preliminary diagnosis.

What are they:

  • Central action (narcotic and non-narcotic). Narcotic drugs are rarely used, only for severe pathologies and according to strict indications in a hospital setting. Non-narcotic drugs of central action (Sinekod, Stoptussin, Broncholitin) for young children are released in the form of drops and syrups, there are also tablet forms.
  • Peripheral (Libexin). It exists both in the form of syrup and in tablets. For dry treatment baby cough it is permissible to use only as directed by a doctor.

A feature of drugs in this group is that they are not prescribed together with expectorants and mucolytics. This is because with the simultaneous dilution of sputum and the use of an antitussive, stagnation of mucus and sputum and the development of complications (for example, congestive pneumonia) will occur.

Mucolytics and expectorants

With a wet cough and cough with thick sputum that is difficult to separate, this group of drugs is chosen.

What these drugs do: they break down the disulfide bonds in the sputum, so that it becomes more fluid.

In addition, they enhance the activity of the respiratory muscles, due to which the mucus quickly detaches from the walls and leaves the bronchi and lungs. Some mucolytics have a mild anti-inflammatory effect.

Recall the most famous drugs of this group and dwell on their features:

  • Lazolvan. The active substance is ambroxol. Available in syrup form. It is recommended to use for the treatment of cough with sputum that is difficult to separate in children after 2 years.
  • ACC (acetylcysteine). It is prescribed for acute and chronic diseases lungs, which are accompanied by the formation of viscous mucus. Assign to babies after 2 years. When applying, it is recommended to drink more fluid.
  • Gedelix. Plant syrup based on ivy leaf extract. It is approved for use in children from the first days of life after consulting a doctor.
  • Fluimucil. As part of acetylcysteine. It has the ability to thin viscous sputum. It can be prescribed to children from the first days of life after consulting a doctor.
  • Bromhexine. It has an expectorant and mild antitussive effect. Stimulates sputum discharge and reduces its viscosity. Recommended for use in children after three years. Use with caution in patients with hepatic and renal failure in the anamnesis.

The baby coughs, and this is always bad. If it's not a cold or infection, then you can eliminate this unpleasant phenomenon at home in proven ways that our grandparents used. Parents, of course, are interested in how to cure a child’s cough at home quickly, but they should be warned that it is impossible to do this in one or two days. All the same, it will take some time, because the components used for this should be, first of all, safe for children.

The coughing process is quite physiological, as it is protective in nature, protecting the airways from the accumulation of dust particles in them, microscopic foreign objects, as well as mucus. If the child periodically coughs during the day, this does not mean a serious illness. Breasts in this way get rid of getting into the respiratory system of mother's milk or saliva.

It is important for parents to pay attention to whether other unpleasant symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, accompany cough headache. Sometimes even the lack of heat in a child does not guarantee that coughing is not a sign of certain disorders of the body.

It could be:

  • pneumonia;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • inflammatory process of the trachea and other diseases of the respiratory system;
  • respiratory diseases;
  • disorders of the digestive organs;
  • reaction to allergens of plant, animal origin, chemical substancesif the child is taking any medication.

In all these cases, there is usually a wet cough, the symptoms of which are the quality of sputum. It is this biological substance that can indicate the origin of cough:

  • if it is watery, practically transparent, this indicates inflammation of the mucous tissues of the respiratory canals;
  • when there are bloody impurities in it, most likely, in the presence of tuberculosis or functional heart failure;
  • with asthma and inflammation of the bronchi - sputum is heterogeneous, viscous, containing clots and lumps;
  • when sputum has a putrid odor and contains pus, this is an indicator of abscess.

Dry cough can occur with diseases such as diphtheria, false croup, flu, inflammation of the pharynx and larynx, whooping cough. Usually it is jerky, resembling a dog barking.

Such a cough in a child does not go away, but can develop, while the larynx swells and it becomes difficult for the baby to breathe. Children starting infancy and up to five years, often suffer from this type of cough with false croup. This disease cannot be treated at home - it is better to consult a doctor right away.

In some cases, even the absence of heat in the child does not guarantee that coughing is not a sign of certain disorders of the body.

When a child needs medical attention

Even with the discharge of sputum with a wet cough, self-medication can aggravate the well-being of the child.

Parents need to know in which cases it is impossible to do without a doctor:

  • if after coughing the child begins an attack of vomiting;
  • if a cough occurs in a dream and such attacks cannot be stopped;
  • in addition to the fact that the baby coughs, he can hear vultures and wheezing during his breathing;
  • pain in the chest of a child on the background of a cough - a dangerous combination;
  • sputum has a greenish tint or the presence of blood in it;
  • the baby develops shortness of breath;
  • cough remains long time (15-20 days) with intensive treatment.

As for the phenomenon of coughing after sleep, which occurs in the morning, in infants it is a natural action to get rid of mucus, tears, but in other cases, the prerequisites for it can be nasopharyngeal diseases, bronchial asthma, disruption of the gastric pylorus, allergic body response to stimuli.

Coughing often becomes a residual symptom of past illnesses, however, if you ignore this pathology, various variants of complications are possible. That’s why it’s important to consult a doctor for any infectious and catarrhal diseases, especially when it comes to children, the immune system which is not yet perfect.

However, quite often, the baby simply clears its throat from “garbage” that is unnecessary in its lungs or this phenomenon remains after suffering laryngitis. How to cure a child’s cough at home quickly, and with what means, which will be harmless to him?

There are several such methods of treatment and all of them are worthy of the attention of parents, since it is desirable to act in an integrated manner.

It is important for any infectious and catarrhal diseases to consult a doctor, especially when it comes to children.

How to cure a child's cough at home quickly

When a child has a coughing fit, his parents can very well help him cope with this trouble, and sometimes even prevent his onset. There are several methods for quickly getting rid of a cough at home.

To do this, you can take some useful actions:

  • the air in the nursery should not be too dry, as the reason for the cough is insufficient humidity, for this you can put a three-liter jar of water in the corner of the room or buy a special fountain;
  • when laying in bed, it is necessary to ensure that the upper body of the baby is at a certain elevation, compared with the legs - so it will be easier for the child to breathe.

When coughing, the baby should be put face down on her knees and a light massage of the back, kneading and tapping gently on it. Sometimes it is enough to cause an emetic instinct by touching a spoon to the inner wall of the pharynx - so the attack will be suspended.

Many do not know how to treat a child's cough. For these purposes, various procedures and folk remedies are suitable.

It can be compresses, inhalations and wraps.

  1. It is convenient to carry out inhalation at home, and this method is extremely simple - the child inhales steam over a basin of hot water, into which plant esters, herbs, special medicines prescribed by a doctor can be added.
  2. For warming the nasopharynx, herbs such as linden with oregano, chamomile and sage, or eucalyptus with menthol and calendula are excellent.
  3. A simple way - to mix a few drops of iodine tincture and a spoonful of soda in hot water - the recipe is suitable for thinning sputum and greatly facilitates the baby's breathing.

But mothers and fathers need to know - this procedure can not be carried out if the baby has a high fever, heart and vascular disease, an allergy to herbs or ethers. Also, you can not use this method for children who have a tendency to bleed or suspected bronchitis.

For infants, wraps with a diaper or towel, previously moistened in diluted mustard, are used. Squeeze the solution, and wrap the breast and back of the baby with a cloth. Then you need to wrap the baby with a warm blanket or blanket. The whole procedure takes about four minutes, after which the mustard is washed off the skin, wiped dry, and the child is laid in bed. Preschool and older children can simply put mustard plasters on top of gauze to prevent burns.

As a compress, potatoes cooked in their uniforms, mashed to a puree state and mixed with turpentine, alcohol and any vegetable oil one spoon for three medium potatoes. Two flat cakes are molded from a cool mixture and placed in a warm form on the chest and back. Keep them at least 60 minutes.

How to cure a child's cough with folk methods:

  • chamomile brewed with honey or a drink prepared on the basis of warmed milk with the addition of natural honey and baking soda helps well from coughing;
  • you can give children who are one year old a mass of grated onion pulp with honey or a small piece of butter mixed with it - this softens the mucous membranes of the throat, the onion disinfects the tissues of the pharynx, and attacks quickly pass;
  • the same positive effect is observed if you insist on radish juice, placing it inside the vegetable and letting it stand for half a day in the dark, the children drink the resulting juice in a small spoon three times a day;
  • half an hour before each meal, children can be advised to drink a tablespoon of a steamed sheet of plantain, infused for five hours.

Video: Treating cough in children quickly at home


To find out how to cure a child’s cough at home quickly is not difficult, the main thing is that this or that remedy is suitable for the baby. Before you engage in such treatment, it makes sense to get a pediatrician consultation, what is needed and useful, and what is better to refuse, so as not to provoke complications.

All articles are tested by practitioners.

Gomzar Anastasia Sergeevna
therapist Experience more than 20 years Education: FSBEI HE Far Eastern State Medical University

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