Wet cough syrup for children

A wet cough is always easier to tolerate than a dry one: it is less irritating to the throat and is less often paroxysmal. But it is also necessary to treat it - not to get rid of it with the help of antitussives, namely to treat it, in every possible way contributing to the speedy discharge of sputum. A good helper in such a situation can be a wet cough syrup for children, which can now be bought at any pharmacy.

Mechanism and causes

Any cough is an unconditioned reaction of the body, which has pathological and physiological reasons. There is no need to treat a physiological cough, it goes away on its own. An example of such a cough is the periodic coughing of babies under two years old, with the help of which they clear the nasal passages and throat of mucus that collects there. Or when the baby coughs, not having time to swallow the constantly flowing saliva.

A pathological cough is already a reflex reaction of the body to the negative effects of external or internal stimuli. It has infectious and non-infectious causes. Non-infectious include:

too hot or dry indoor air;
physical irritation of the larynx: dust, dirt, foreign bodies;
chemical irritation of mucous membranes: too acidic or spicy food, strong odors, household chemicals;
reflux disease and other chronic diseases of internal organs;
severe allergic reactions;
the presence of parasites in the lungs or bronchi;
benign or malignant neoplasms in the respiratory system.

As can be seen from the listed reasons, it will not be possible to get rid of a non-infectious pathological cough with the help of a coughing syrup, even the best one. Here it is necessary to eliminate the influence of external stimuli or an effective course of treatment of the underlying disease.

A cough of an infectious nature requires complex treatment, an integral part of which are cough remedies, including syrups. A wet cough usually does not appear immediately. An infection in the upper respiratory tract usually provokes severe irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes, to which the body reacts with a dry barking cough.

Then a defense reaction is triggered - increased production of phlegm, with the help of which the body tries to "flush" the infection from the body. At the same time, swelling of irritated mucous membranes develops, and sputum begins to accumulate in the nasal sinuses, nasal cavity, bronchi, not finding an outlet. Excellent conditions are created for the further development of microbes, as a result of the vital activity of which mucus turns into pus. That is why it is so important to rid the child's body of accumulations of fluid contaminated with microbes as soon as possible.

If a dry cough is usually tried to suppress with antitussive drugs, then, as soon as sputum appears, they should not be taken. On the contrary, it is necessary to stimulate its withdrawal by all possible means.

Types and principle of action of syrups

Wet cough syrup for children can belong to one of three groups of drugs: expectorant, mucolytic and combined. Each group has its own characteristics and indications for use. Therefore, it is highly desirable that a doctor select the medicine for the child.

Combined cough syrups are indispensable for barking cough attacks, which they can reduce, having an antitussive effect. They also contain mucolytic components that help to reduce the viscosity of mucus and thus quickly soften a cough, turning an unproductive cough into a productive one.
Mucolytic drugs are used when the phlegm has already appeared, but it is too thick and viscous, densely covering the mucous membranes of the larynx and bronchi. Such sputum provokes a paroxysmal gurgling cough, in which mucus is extremely insignificant. Mucolytics affect the consistency of mucus, thinning it, and some drugs can reduce its secretion.
Expectorants, on the other hand, increase the amount of mucus produced, while stimulating the motor activity of small cilia lining the bronchial mucosa, which push phlegm out. The liquid substance is easy to cough up, and the patient's condition quickly improves.

It is important to know for what type of cough and disease the drug of which group works most effectively. Otherwise, you can only aggravate the situation, for example, by giving a child with difficult sputum a drug that enhances the activity of the bronchi. As a result, instead of relief, you may get bouts of painful coughing.

Best cough syrups

It is important to understand that there are no good or bad cough syrups among pharmaceutical preparations. There are some that will or may not work for your child.

The high cost of a drug does not mean that the drug will work better than the less expensive one. The price depends on the manufacturer, packaging and many other factors that have no direct relation to the medicinal properties of the drug.

Therefore, it is difficult to identify the best syrups for a wet cough. The list below contains the most popular, well-established in pediatrics.

But choosing the best option often has to be done by trial and error. Moreover, most effective drugs contain extracts of several medicinal plants at once, for each of which the baby may have an individual intolerance.

"Ambroxol" and preparations based on it can be given even to the smallest. They have an excellent expectorant effect by increasing the amount of liquid sputum. At the same time, it is important to ensure that its stagnation does not form, therefore, antihistamines are often prescribed with this medicine to relieve swelling of the mucous membranes.
"Doctor Theiss", which contains about 15 extracts of various plants, has a complex effect on the child's body: relieves inflammation of the mucous membranes, relieves coughing attacks, liquefies phlegm, accelerates and facilitates its separation, stimulates the immune system.
"Herbion" is developed on the basis of plantain extract, to which the extract from mallow is added. It copes well with dry cough, transferring it to wet, and wet, increasing the expectoration of sputum.
Prospan is very popular with mothers and children due to its pleasant taste and high efficiency. Its main component is ivy leaf extract, which gently stimulates the coughing up of phlegm.
"Sinekod" is a synthetic combined preparation with a very strong effect, which can only be used as directed by a doctor. One of its components reduces the activity of the cough center, blocks coughing attacks, and the other contributes to the dilution and discharge of sputum.
"Doctor MOM" is a completely natural remedy with 15 different components, including extracts of mint, ginger, cinnamon, elecampane, plantain, etc. An excellent expectorant drug with anti-inflammatory properties and a pleasant taste. Its only drawback is the high risk of allergic reactions due to its multicomponent nature.

But these are only the most modern and well-known pharmaceutical products. If used correctly, no less effective, but much cheaper, are the familiar from childhood "Cough mixture No. 1" based on mukaltin, "Alteyka" - a talker from the root of marshmallow medicinal, syrup from licorice root.

Therefore, when buying a medicine, be guided first of all by how the drug works, and not by its price and the degree of publicity.

When syrup doesn't work

The best and most expensive expectorant syrup will not help with a serious infectious disease, unless a course of complex therapy is applied, including antibiotics and other potent drugs.

It is necessary to show the child immediately to the doctor if, against the background of a wet cough, the following symptoms are connected:

a sharp jump in temperature up to 38^OC and higher;
wheezing when breathing became audible;
blood appears in sputum, saliva or snot;
severe swelling of the larynx makes breathing difficult;
lymph nodes are inflamed and enlarged;
there is a red rash or other changes in the skin;
pus began to cough up (especially with blood);
the child complains of severe chest pain.

Most likely, the previous treatment was ineffective, and the disease was already started and complications began to develop. In this case, cough syrup can be useless and even harmful.

Cough prevention

Some mothers give their child expectorant syrups for prophylaxis, "so that they don't get even worse" at the first sign of a cold and even a slight cough. This should not be done under any circumstances. Cough syrup is not a vitamin, but a targeted drug, even if it is completely natural. Therefore, it can and should be used only for objective indications.

For colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, for preventive purposes, the baby can be given decoctions of medicinal herbs, herbal teas, homemade syrups based on natural juices: beetroot, lemon, cabbage.

Steam inhalations (soda, with decoctions of herbs or essential oils), which moisturize mucous membranes, dilate the bronchi and increase the amount of phlegm, also serve as a good prevention.

And it is even more useful to temper the child and strengthen his immune system, then you don’t have to think about what drugs for cough to give him - the body itself will cope with most viruses and infections. The best prevention of respiratory diseases and any type of cough is regular exercise, fresh air and good nutrition.