How to calm a cough

This never-ending irritated cough, which stretches your nerves to the limit or forces caregivers to send a child out of the kindergarten home, does not always have to be stopped. This annoying noise with a cold can be a better friend. The discharges accumulating in the lower respiratory tract include a cough reflex to eliminate the infected mass, as a strong wind clears the roads. Without coughing, secretions would form mucous plugs that would block access to air and serve as a nutrient medium for bacteria. Remembering these facts, treat this special chest defender in a friendly manner. If the cough is bothering the child, try the following.

Allocations must be fluid and in motion. To help the child cough up mucus, apply home remedies, which we described in "How to make discharges more fluid."

Knock on the child. This is the

the so-called physiotherapy of the thorax. Tapping on the back of the child at least ten times on each side of about four

times a day can help separate mucus from the airways and knock it out of them. If, during the examination, the doctor determines the exact location in which the airways are blocked, he can instruct you to knock predominantly in a place that he marks with a cross.

Clean the air. Allergens or irritants present in the air, especially in the room where the child sleeps, can cause chronic coughing or aggravate an existing cough caused by infection. Demand strict adherence to the "Do not smoke!" Rule when there is a child in the house or in the car.(See also "How to clean the bedroom of allergens".)

Choose the right cough remedy. There are three types of cough remedies: antitussives( suppressors that suppress cough), expectorants, to which the similarity results in the attachment of mucolytic agents, and the combination of the former with the second. These are completely different means for different types of cough, and their incorrect application can complicate the situation.

Cough during the day usually does not bother the child and usually requires only the remedies listed above. However, if the cough does not allow the baby to eat, sleep and play, give him medications containing only for refreshing substances. If the cough still interferes with the child

throughout the day, try giving a combination of expectorant with antitussive, following the dosage indicated on the package or prescribed by the doctor.

At night, if the cough does not disturb the baby's sleep, just turn on the vaporizer( evaporator) and do not give any medications. If the cough stops the baby from falling asleep or awakens it, try to give the same thing as in the daytime: give a combination of expectorant with antitussive for half an hour before sleep and repeat after four to six hours if the child wakes up with a cough. It is best to give the child a cough during the day, and at night provide a good sleep. Unlike combinations of decongestants with antihistamines, which do not have any scientific evidence of their effectiveness for infants, cough medicines, if given competently and cautiously, can help a child sleep.

• Antitussives stop cough by inhibiting the reflex, regulated by the cough center located in the brain. The most widely used non-prescription drug is dextromethorphan, which can be recognized by the suffix -DM added to the trade name. If the doctor does not give you any other directions, buy a cough syrup containing only dextromethorphan and no antihistamines or decongestants( which can be recognized by suffixes - amine or - drin).Since the package insert does not contain the dosage of dextromethorphan for children under two years of age, we give a safe dosage: 2.2 mg per 5 kg of body weight.(For example, if a child weighs 10 kg, he needs 4.4 mg of DM).The dose can be repeated after four or six hours, if the child constantly wakes up at night. In rare cases, cough syrups containing dextromethorphan give such side effects as nausea, dizziness and drowsiness. The most effective cough suppressant is prescription narcotic codeine, which most doctors do not accidentally prescribe to children very reluctantly - it gives such side effects as drowsiness and increased irritability.

• Coughing and mucolytic remedies facilitate coughing, as liquefaction of mucus is made, making it easier to cough. Mediately, they can reduce the cough due to the diluting effect on the mucus, but they do not directly stop coughing. They are safe, sometimes effective and sold in pharmacies without a prescription, with active substance gu-ayfenesin, or prescription - iodine-containing drugs. They usually do not give side effects.

• Mixtures. Some cough medicines that are available without a prescription or prescription contain three ingredients: decongestant and / or anti-histamine, cough and cough. Except when cough is caused by an allergy, a coughing child does not need to give anti-edematous or anti-histamine drugs, as they can thicken the mucus, and as a result, the mucous plug will be harder to cough out. That's why you should always consult a doctor before giving the child a cough remedy that you bought at the pharmacy without a prescription or which you were given.