How to cure a child's cough - general recommendations

The question of how to cure a child's cough often enough confronts most parents. It is clear that the pediatrician should deal with the treatment of childhood illnesses, but often there are situations when it is better to try to do it yourself (for example, on vacation or on holidays), and not always want to call a doctor because of a slight cough. Therefore, parents who want to quickly cure a child's cough should know that this can and should be done to do so, and what not to do is strictly not recommended.

Let's start with the main thing. Before thinking about how to cure a child's cough with drugs, rubbing and compresses, one must think about the following questions. In most cases, the child's body is able to cope with the cough itself, if it is to organize the right conditions for existence. It is necessary that the temperature in the room does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is at least 45%. The child should be constantly watered, then the mucus in the nasopharynx and bronchi will not become excessively viscous and dense. Especially important is the drinking regime in case the cough is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Not the essence is important, what exactly will the child drink: juice, water, compote, tea - the main thing is the total amount of liquid.

There are many pharmacological agents designed to cure a dry coughing to a child. However, it must be taken into account that cough medicines are divided into two groups: some dilute sputum and promote its coughing, while others have antitussive effect. At first glance, the effectiveness of funds from the second group is much higher, because after taking such a medicine, the child literally ceases to cough or does it much less often. However, such treatment can be fraught with serious consequences, because in case of suppression of cough reflexes, sputum accumulated in the airways does not clear, but stagnates, and bacteria begin to multiply in it. As a result, an innocuous cough can develop into bronchitis or pneumonia. Therefore, antitussives should be prescribed exclusively by the attending physician and only after examination and listening to the child. Expectorants do not cause such complications, but excessive use of them contributes to the fact that the cough takes a protracted character. Therefore, they should be taken until sputum begins to go away well, and then switch to a plentiful drink. Sometimes a cough can be caused by the mucus running down the back of the throat from the nose. This is typical for both colds and viral infections, as well as for sinusitis and adenoiditis, so if the child coughs and the pediatrician says that in the airway is clean, then it makes sense to go to a consultation with an ENT doctor.

Often parents want to learn how to cure a child's coughing with herbs. For some reason, most of the population considers folk methods of treatment very easy and safe, so without fear and doubt gives children different teas, tinctures and decoctions. However, one should be aware that herbs often cause allergic reactions, so use folk remedies should be extremely cautious, and not too addicted to such treatment. In the treatment of cough, compresses, rubbing and mustard are very popular, but pediatricians increasingly say that these methods are not as effective as many people think. And if the child has allergic manifestations, put him mustard plasters and rub it with strong-smelling means is strictly not recommended!

There is a situation where parents should not think about how to cure a child's cough alone, but seek medical help. If there is at least one of the following symptoms:

- coughing does not go away for a week (and there is not even a tendency to improve);

- the child becomes worse and (or) his fever rises;

- cough accompanied by severe pain behind the sternum;

- wheezing is heard or the child complains that it is difficult for him to inhale or exhale air;

- cough became much less common, but then intensified again,

Then you should not hesitate to call a pediatrician or go to the clinic. It is also unacceptable to engage in self-treatment in case of cough treatment in infants under 6 months of age.