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What to give a 4 year old child for a cough. How to treat a child’s cough - why should the symptoms not be eliminated? Cough decoctions

Coughing is a reflex process aimed at clearing the airways. This is a certain defense of the body against the penetration of infections. The article will tell you how to treat a cough, what to give to a four-year-old child for a cough.

Drug treatment for cough is not always indicated. As a rule, drug treatment is not required if the cough causes a runny nose. Snot moves down the back of the throat, causing a cough. In this case, it is necessary to treat a runny nose, then the cough will stop. If a child is 4 years old and a severe cough torments him, then how to treat it is a pressing question. Unproductive obsessive cough requires treatment with antitussive therapy. This type of cough is characterized by an abundance of viscous sputum. In this case, a cough suppressant for four-year-old children should help thin the mucus.
Intense cough, which causes a gag reflex and disrupts sleep, should be suppressed with antitussive drugs.
Children's cough is treated with drugs aimed at a specific effect:

Mucolytics - thin sputum (bromhexine, ambroxol, mucaltin);
expectorants - provoke increased coughing;
sedatives reduce coughing.

Some drugs have a combined effect, i.e. they help transform the cough from dry to wet for abundant sputum production. These drugs include: Doctor Mom and Codelac Phyto. A dry cough is much more difficult to tolerate than a cough with sputum production. Treatment of dry cough requires the use of the following drugs: herbion, robustussin, delsim, guaifenesin. Herbion, a syrup for dry cough that can be given to a four-year-old child, has proven itself well.

Most parents have a reverent attitude towards the topic of children's health. As soon as the baby coughs at least once, the parents begin to stress themselves out and imagine serious illnesses.

Less often, but it happens the other way around, when a child’s cough goes unattended by adults and leads to the development of severe chronic diseases.

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

What kind of cough can a child have:

Physiological.

In this case, coughing is simply a defensive reaction to short-term exposure to an irritant. Such a cough can occur when foreign objects enter the respiratory tract or when the climatic conditions are disrupted (for example, dry air in an apartment).

In infants, coughing or choking may occur after feeding when a small amount of breast milk enters the trachea during belching. Sometimes with a cough in the morning, mucus or phlegm that has accumulated during the night comes out. In children after six months, which is accompanied by increased salivation and, as a result, a cough reflex.

Pathological.

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

What processes can cause a child to cough:

bacterial infection. Pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and other pathologies of the respiratory tract almost always occur with this symptom;
viral diseases (colds, ARVI, flu, etc.);
air, less often food allergies;
diseases of other organs and systems (GERD, heart defects, etc.).

In childhood, pathological cough is more often associated with colds; it is often caused by a violation of the microclimate in the room or allergies. In any case, a child’s cough is almost never the only symptom of the disease.

When a cold occurs, it is accompanied by fever, runny nose and other manifestations of general intoxication of the body. the connection with the causative allergen is clearly visible, and additionally watery eyes, a rash or watery discharge from the nose appear.

General principles of treatment

Cough is a serious symptom, especially for young children. The cough reflex involves not only nerves, but also the respiratory muscles, which are still poorly developed in babies.

When a child has a hard time coughing up mucus and phlegm, it begins to accumulate in the lungs and cause serious complications. In addition, infants are more often in a supine position, which also contributes to stagnation of sputum and the course of the disease is more severe than in adults.

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

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

The combination of these three therapy methods can cope with cough in a child of any age. Let's look at each of them in more detail and focus on the most effective ones.

Non-drug therapy

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

Humidification of the atmosphere.

To do 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 solution. In the absence of such devices, during the heating season, place plates with mineral or salt water under the radiator or start an aquarium.

More liquid.

The production of mucus and phlegm occurs in special goblet cells. In order to enhance mucus production and make it more liquid, the child is asked to drink the maximum amount of liquid (water, juices, fruit drinks). In addition, drinking plenty of fluids helps to quickly remove bacterial breakdown products and toxins from the baby’s body, which significantly speeds up the treatment of cough.

Good nutrition and food regimen.

A balanced diet during illness will allow the baby to receive all the necessary vitamins and microelements without accompanying dietary supplements and synthetic vitamins.

Walking in the fresh air.

A child with a cough, runny nose and a low temperature of up to 37.5 degrees can and should go outside. A walk helps calm the baby, and fresh air has a beneficial effect on the mucous membranes 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 rest. You shouldn’t take a baby with a high fever out for a walk, and you shouldn’t lock a coughing child at home within four walls for a week.

Traditional medicine

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

What you can use:

Inhalations.

The only way to perform inhalation in a child of any age is a special nebulizer device. These devices come in two types (ultrasonic and compression). A special feature is that the medicinal substance is not dissolved in hot water, as with the steam method, but is sprayed into small particles.

Inhalation - what you need to know, how to do it correctly? Advice for parents - Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

Thanks to the nebulizer, the active properties of medicinal substances are preserved without the risk of burning the child’s delicate mucous membrane with hot steam. The “breathe over hot potatoes or chamomile” methods are suitable for adults and should not be used in children, especially younger ones. Read more about choosing an effective inhaler, and what medications to use for inhalation are described.

Mustard plasters.

Mustard plasters should not be applied to skin lesions, pustules or rashes on the body. This procedure can be performed on children after the first year of life. Their effect is a local irritating and warming effect, due to which blood flow increases, sputum discharge is facilitated and the immune response is enhanced.

Mustard plaster is not placed on the heart area or on the spine. For children with thin, sensitive skin, it is better to place a thin cloth or gauze between the skin and the mustard plaster. When coughing, a mustard plaster is placed on the chest area and held, 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 first stages of the disease and are good for its prevention. During the acute period, at high temperatures, foot baths are contraindicated. Contraindications are also 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 a warming component.

How to make a compress: gauze is soaked in the active substance and applied to the throat, covered with a layer of polyethylene (for example, cling film), and a warm scarf on top. Keep for 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 alternative medicine methods are ineffective, then you need to select medications under the supervision of a doctor. Let's take a closer look at how to cure a child's cough with medications.

Antitussives

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

Antitussives are used to suppress a dry cough without phlegm. Prescribed only with the consent of a specialist, after preliminary diagnosis.

What are they?

Central action(narcotic and non-narcotic). Narcotics are rarely used, only in cases of severe pathologies and for strict indications in a hospital setting. Non-narcotic drugs of central action (Sinekod, Stoptussin, Bronholitin) for young children are produced in the form of drops and syrups, there are also tablet forms.
Peripheral(Libexin). It comes in both syrup and tablet form. For the treatment of dry children's cough, it is permissible to use only as prescribed by a doctor.

A peculiarity of drugs in this group is that they are not prescribed together with expectorants and mucolytics. This happens because with the simultaneous liquefaction of sputum and the use of an antitussive, mucus and sputum will stagnate and complications will develop (for example, congestive pneumonia).

Mucolytics and expectorants

For wet coughs and coughs with thick, difficult to separate sputum, this group of drugs is chosen.

What these medications do is they break down the disulfide bonds in the sputum, causing it to become thinner.

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

Let's remember the most famous drugs in this group and dwell on their features:

Lazolvan. Active substance ambroxol. Available in syrup form. It is recommended to use for the treatment of cough with difficult to separate sputum in children over 2 years of age.
ACC (acetylcysteine). Prescribed for acute and chronic lung diseases, which are accompanied by the formation of viscous mucus. Prescribed to children after 2 years. When using, it is recommended to drink more fluid.
Gedelix. Plant syrup based on ivy leaf extract. Approved for use in children from the first days of life after consultation with a doctor.
Fluimucil. Contains acetylcysteine. Has the ability to thin viscous mucus. It can be prescribed to children from the first days of life after consulting a doctor.
Bromhexine. It has an expectorant and weak antitussive effect. Stimulates the discharge of sputum and reduces its viscosity. Recommended for use in children after three years of age. Prescribe with caution to patients with a history of liver and kidney failure.

The question: “How to quickly cure a child’s cough at home” worries every mother in the winter. In order not to go on sick leave, we’ll find out how to quickly get rid of a cough at home using folk remedies, and more.

Each mother has her own methods, in my group on VK I conducted a survey and found that rarely anyone now uses mustard plasters and warming cakes; babies are no longer kept above the steam from potato peelings. Basically, to my surprise, they resort to antibiotics and, believing advertising, they give expensive syrups.

Few mothers know that there are approximately 200 types of viruses that lead to coughing. There are also completely harmless types of cough - to cleanse the lungs of dust, for example.

The most popular folk recipes and methods for treating cough in children have long been known. It is not uncommon for local doctors to advise mothers of babies to use natural ingredients as part of complex therapy during treatment. For a long time, our grandmothers knew and used home remedies for coughs, which completely replaced drug treatment. It is worth considering that modern viruses are usually so ferocious that in case of serious diseases (such as pneumonia) accompanied by cough, decoctions, infusions and other types of home treatment for cough can only be an auxiliary remedy.

General rules for treating cough in children

Most often, cough in children is associated with colds, so the general rules for treating cough at home can be reduced to the basic rules:

Drink as much fluid as possible. It is clear that not all children are water drinkers, and some have to be persuaded to drink at least a little water. Be cunning. My princess, for example, drinks little water, but loves milk with honey. Knowing the benefits of cranberries, I grind them with sugar and give my daughter a teaspoon of this “yummy.” Unfortunately, she refuses to drink fruit drinks. Organize access to fresh air in the room. In order not to jump ahead, I describe everything in order. After all, there is so much on this list.

How to quickly cure a child's cough at home quickly

The key word is "fast". for working mothers this means over the weekend. An integrated approach is important here. And it is important to combine drinking, external treatment in the form of rubbing, inhalation with a nebulizer (who has one), and even the air in the room itself should be healing.

I have a very popular article about how putting onions in your feet relieves fever and quickly cures colds. This method has been tested on myself and my daughter, it always works without side effects. In addition, at night I place chopped onions in the room right at the head of the room - even at night the treatment continues. I think that you can tolerate the peculiarities of the smell for a day for the sake of your baby’s health, so as not to ruin his tiny liver with chemicals.

Access to fresh air is very important, especially in winter. Moms underestimate the importance of ventilation. The heating is bad, it’s cold in the apartment, what kind of ventilation is there? And in vain, in such a room the air is filled with germs after coughing and sneezing, and your baby inhales it again and again. Take the baby into the next room and literally ventilate for a minute. no one talks about 5-10 minutes, it’s clear that it’s not summer. Let it be a minute of ventilation, but 3 times a day.

If you have central heating, then most likely the air is too dry, which can also be the cause of a child’s cough. If your lips are dry, this is a sure sign. Allow yourself the luxury of an air humidifier, because you can fill it with mineral water and even a decoction of herbs. If this is too expensive for you, then a few bowls of water will also solve the problem of dry air. It is important here that these bowls stand in places where your treasure cannot reach them. Under the sofa, on the closet, on the chest of drawers in the very corner, under the radiator (between the chest of drawers and the curtain).

I also received from my mother a miracle lamp that glows blue - an analogue of quartz treatment and a miracle thing for warming up the bronchi during a child’s cough. You can warm up your baby with it even when he is sleeping, the main thing is to maintain the correct distance so as not to overdo it and not burn the delicate skin.

Types of quick treatment for a child’s cough at home

inhalation
decoctions
external remedies for children's cough
Useful products against coughs in children, and of course, I will add you a video on this topic

Inhalation against cough in children

The method is good, but personally, my Anechka begins not only to cry, but also to struggle when trying to cover her with a terry towel and try to hold her over a bowl of medicinal steam. At the same time, I know children who even laugh and go through similar procedures with their grandmothers. I tried to persuade her, even using the trick that Simka from her favorite cartoon was sick and needed inhalation for a cough - the number did not work. I put a bowl, filled it with herbs, poured hot water, and let it cool a little. I’m waiting for my Anechka to start breathing over the bowl together with Simka using the game method. Naive mother. Anya handed me the toy, told me how it needed to be treated and ran into the room at the first attempts to cover it with a towel.

The simplest recipe for inhalation with soda for children's cough

Pour hot water into the basin, not boiling water (preferably enameled metal, it retains heat longer). Add a teaspoon of soda and 2 drops of iodine per liter of water. The baby should breathe in the steam for 10-15 minutes. If you have a very little one, you can hold it yourself. The steam immediately penetrates the bronchi and thins out thick mucus, which then facilitates the process of coughing (removal of phlegm).

Medicinal herbs for inhalation against dry cough

A regular breast mixture is suitable here, but you can also buy separately such herbs as:

sage and chamomile
mint and calendula with eucalyptus
oregano and mother-and-stepmother
St. John's wort and thyme
oregano and linden

It’s great that all the usefulness of the resulting decoction immediately goes into the bronchi. Herbs and decoctions made from them are an excellent remedy for the strong immunity of your treasure.

Popular method of inhalation over potatoes

Personally, I don’t remember breathing steam from freshly cooked mashed potatoes. My mother did it simpler - she boiled a few jacket potatoes, mashed them with a fork, and I breathed. Most often, she simply poured boiling water over well-washed potato skins, and when they cooled a little, she added a pinch of herbs, and I covered myself with a towel and looked at how funny these potato samples were swimming in grains of herbs. At the age of 10, my mother began to say that after such procedures the skin of my face would be incredibly beautiful, this helped significantly.

The main rule is that after inhalation you should not go anywhere, but it is advisable to even wrap the baby warmly. An excellent procedure before a nap.

Cough decoctions

Nature has given nursing mothers a huge abundance of herbs from which they can prepare herbal decoctions against coughs in children. Useful infusions and decoctions should be prepared only strictly following the instructions. If you are preparing a herbal decoction for a child, carefully read at what age this herb can be given to infants. Many herbs are allowed for children only after 3 years of age.

Herbal decoction prepared separately can be added to tea by teaspoon. In addition to drinking, I personally make such concentrated decoctions and infusions in half-liter jars and on the cabinet, let the air in the nursery be humidified not with ordinary water, but with a medicinal decoction. It is clear that even if the dose is small, but when the baby inhales air, it will benefit him.

The most effective, of course, are various warming rubs, homemade ointments, and compresses.

External cough remedies for children

This is the most popular way among mothers and grandmothers to quickly cure a child’s cough at home. I noticed that sometimes only these methods are enough to cure an incipient cough in 2 days. What do I mean by external cough remedies for a child:

Salt compress
Mustard plasters
Onion therapy (onion in socks at night)

Personally, having tried types 3-4 from pharmacy ointments, I settled on the rub in a jar from Doctor Mom. Even after a year of unpacking, it still warms up the back well and has not lost its aroma. Such ointments should always be in the house. As soon as the disease process begins, you rub the baby’s back at night and, in combination with other procedures, you will be able to quickly cure a cough at home, without going to the hospital. As you know, employers do not like mothers whose children are often sick.

Homemade rubs

If you have free time, then of course it is better to make your own homemade cough rub. Usually, badger fat is taken as a basis and mixed with cedar essential oil, or eucalyptus, pine. Mink oil is also popular. In the summer, you can simply buy washed leaves, grind them in a mortar to a slurry and mix it with fat and put it in the refrigerator.

The advantages of such homemade cough rubs are that they are completely natural and you know their composition. The disadvantages are that if the temperature is not maintained, the fat quickly begins to smell like old fat. By the way, I personally was also fed this fat, since I was always stuck with pneumonia. If anyone is interested, the food recipe:

Mom melted half a faceted glass (125 g) of fat in a steam bath
I added the juice of the bottom aloe leaf, ground and squeezed through gauze.
5 tablespoons cocoa (for taste)

They shoved all this into me in the morning before school and in the evening before bed. It was difficult to swallow a tablespoon, so they gave me 2 heaped teaspoons.

Let's get back to rubbing. They are usually applied before bed after bathing, avoiding the heart area. After bathing, the body is most receptive to such procedures, which will allow us to get rid of a cough, even a very strong one, as quickly as possible. After rubbing the little one with ointment or your own homemade rub, wrap him well.

Sea salt compress for cough

This salt compress is considered very effective. I emphasize that it is sea salt, rich in minerals, that is used. Dissolve 50 grams of salt in 0.5 liters of hot water. We wet a towel, gauze (cloth for a compress) and place it on the chest, again avoiding the area of the heart, which is located slightly to the left of the center, and not somewhere in the left direction, closer to the armpit. This method is good for summer, since in winter you don’t really want phlegm.

Mustard plasters

Well, this method of fighting cough is known to every mother. You need to hold them for no more than 10 minutes, but the problem is that they can be held at a temperature no higher than 37.2, and also that if the baby is very small, it will be difficult for him to lie quietly and let his mother understand that his back is burning badly .

In my opinion, it is better to use mustard plasters for a child over 7 years old, and for those who are younger, make a warming mustard cake as an analogue.

Warming cough cake recipe for children:

A warming cake will also effectively help get rid of a child’s cough at home. It prepares more than quickly, considering that we have tiny children. All four ingredients: flour, honey, mustard, heated butter. No matter how strange it may sound, try the mustard for freshness. For what? To determine its future burning strength. Fresh is so oh-oh-oh, but you may not even feel the old one. We need to mix everything in a 1:1 ratio. Flour with mustard powder, then add heated oil to knead the flatbread, and at the end add honey. In the form of gameplay, all children agree to a similar procedure. Personally, I make this flatbread on my back before going to bed during the day, but I take a teaspoon of mustard, not a tablespoon, as in the original recipe.

As you can see, using onions in socks at night, herbal decoctions, air humidification with ventilation, warming rubs and that’s it... this is the answer to the question: “How to quickly cure a child’s cough at home.” Don’t forget to include apples and other vitamins in your toddler’s diet.
Black radish in honey is also good for coughs. Wash the radish, cut out the core and pour mustard honey inside. Our radish acts as a filter; it will give juice mixed with honey. A teaspoon three times a day.

Cranberries, grated with sugar, as well as black currants should be handy in the refrigerator, this is clearly healthier than any candy!

And here is the promised video

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Cough in children 4 years old always occurs suddenly. It would seem that just yesterday he was walking around healthy, but today the first signs of a cold are already beginning, the main one being a cough. How to effectively cure cough in children aged 4 years?

Types of cough and causes of its occurrence

As mentioned above, the main cause of cough in children aged 4 years is hypothermia during a walk or airing the room. If a 4-year-old child also has a weakened immune system, a cough will occur instantly and will have to be treated immediately.

At the first stage of the disease, the cough is always dry. Its symptoms are a sore throat and rawness of the mucous membrane. To treat such a cough, sedatives are used.

From the first stage of a dry cough, it develops into a wet cough. Its main symptoms are the accumulation of sputum in the lungs and its expectoration along with a cough. To treat such a cough, expectorants and mucolytics are used.

It is important to remember that when treating cough in children aged 4 years, there is no need to self-medicate. Visit a pediatrician who will competently prescribe you treatment and write out the necessary prescriptions.

How to deal with a dry cough

Pharmacy products

To effectively treat a dry cough, you can give a 4-year-old child the following remedies:

Sinekod or Glauvent for cough suppression;
means “Codelac”, “Stoptussin”, “Glycodin” to alleviate the condition;
means "Levopront", "Libexin" for targeted action;
remedy “Bronchicum”, “Linkas”, “Gerbion” for a painful cough that interferes with sleep.

Inhalation is good for treating dry cough in children aged 4 years. They can be carried out both by standard methods familiar to everyone, and by modern ones - nebulizers. In the case of using the latter to cure cough in children 4 years old, it is important to use them correctly: rinse after each inhalation and make sure that the child breathes directly in the vapor. When using standard inhalations, use baths with essential oils, such as eucalyptus. But under no circumstances should steam inhalations be performed as an adult - over a bowl of hot water - otherwise the child may get burned.

The following medications are ideal for use in nebulizers:

"Ambrobene", "Lazolval" from pharmaceutical medicines;
"Rotokan", calendula extract or ready-made mixtures of natural medicines.

Traditional methods

To prevent the cough from turning into a wet one, it is necessary to give children 4 years of age plenty of fluids. The following are ideal treatments for 4 year old children:

berry fruit drinks (from cranberries, currants, raspberries);
decoctions of medicinal herbs (plantain, coltsfoot, licorice, sage, rose hips or ready-made breast mixtures);
hot tea (with lemon, honey, raspberries);
warm milk (with honey);
black radish juice;
warm mineral water.

An excellent treatment for cough in children 4 years old at home is rubbing and massage. Massages and rubbing must be carried out correctly: do not rub the heart area, but only the back, chest and heels. Do not use rubs and massages with allergic agents or during fever. After rubbing, you need to dress the child in warm clothes and let him fall asleep. It is best to perform rubbing and massage at night. Then the cough will subside and the baby will be able to fall asleep.

The following products are suitable as rubs or ointments for massage:

ointment "Doctor Mom" or any other with camphor and menthol;
ointments “Badger”, “Pulmex” and “Evkabal”;
badger or bear fat.

Compresses will also help relieve the symptoms of dry cough in children 4 years old. To use them, it is necessary to use natural materials, for example, linen fabric, which is soaked in a compress, applied to the lung area, and additionally laid with oilcloth on top and wrapped in warm clothes.

Especially good for compresses:

saline solution;
vodka infusion;
mustard compress or mustard plasters;
honey solution or pure honey, if you are not allergic to it.

How to deal with a wet cough

Pharmacy products

Of the drugs used to treat wet cough, the most popular for treating cough in children aged 4 years are:

synthetic agents “ACC”, “Mukodin”, “Bromhexine”, “Ambroxol”;
syrups “Doctor Mom”, “Alteyka”, “Pectusin”, “Bronchicum” from plants.

Just as in the case of dry cough, classic inhalations with essential oils of eucalyptus or pine are useful for wet coughs.

In nebulizers for inhalation use mineral water, herbal decoctions or dissolved ACC agent should be used.

Folk remedies

give plenty of warm drinks (rosehip decoction, fruit drinks, tea with raspberry jam);
viburnum syrup;
decoction of elderberry, linden, chamomile;
milk with mineral water;
potato or mustard compresses;
onions with honey and lemon;
rubbing with badger or bear fat.

Massage for wet coughs is especially indicated, as it improves expectoration and facilitates the removal of mucus.

As in the case of a dry cough, you can rub with Doctor Mom or Pulmex ointments, as well as make compresses.

At the first sign of a cough, contact your pediatrician and begin treating it immediately. Remember: the earlier a cough is detected, the faster it can be cured, and the fewer complications or consequences it threatens.

If a child is sick, ease his condition: you need to give him plenty of fluids, regularly ventilate the room to prevent air stagnation, buy an air humidifier or make one yourself. When sick, you need to give your child light food that does not cause heaviness.
Try to cure the disease. Typically, cough treatment takes 2-3 weeks with complete cure. However, signs of improvement may appear within a week. It is important not to give up treatment at this stage, but to continue using the products prescribed by the doctor. This way you are guaranteed to cure the child and prevent the cough from developing into bronchitis or pneumonia.
To prevent coughing in children aged 4, take regular walks with your child and strengthen his immunity with simple hardening. Under no circumstances douse your child with cold water, only cool water, alternating it with warm water.
In the summer, let your child run barefoot on the grass, and in the winter, apply salt wraps to the heels. They will also help harden and stimulate nerve cells.
Pay attention to the nutrition of children aged 4 years. Food should be balanced in minerals and vitamins, healthy and tasty.
If the infection is spreading in the city, do not visit crowded places with your child, and start taking medications to maintain normal immunity.
Do not try to prescribe cough medications and their doses yourself: only a qualified doctor can do this. Self-medication poses an even greater threat to the child’s body from allergies or side effects.
If you have a wet cough, monitor your expectoration and sputum status. If it is transparent and light, you are on the right track, and the cough gradually goes away. If there is a lot of it, or it is thick, or has acquired an uncharacteristic shade, consult a doctor immediately. This state of sputum is not typical for a simple cold, which means that pathogenic microorganisms are developing in the lungs, and the child needs to be urgently examined and treated.
Also monitor your child's temperature. Some medications should not be taken during a fever, or their dose should be reduced. Also, at elevated temperatures, it is not recommended to treat a child with compresses or wraps.

And one last tip about compresses. Remember that baby's skin is thin and sensitive. Do not rub or rub it too hard to cure the cough. Use soft, light strokes, never touching the heart area. Coughs should be treated with careful treatment of children.

Be healthy!

Moms and dads worry when their children suffer from a cough; if they can’t cope, they rush to see a local doctor or call an ambulance. 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 medications and folk remedies. However, this symptom occurs in many diseases. That's why you should distinguish between the types of cough and know how to successfully treat it at home.

Common symptom of diseases

When germs, dust, or foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract, a sharp reflex exhalation occurs through the mouth. This is a protective reaction of the body that is useful for children and adults, saving it from infection. There are harmless types of cough that are necessary to clear the airways. Other forms occur with colds and acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI).

Warm cough tea for children with honey, herbal baths, compresses - these remedies and procedures begin an extensive list of home remedies for colds, respiratory viral infections, and flu. Most often, during seasonal infections, pediatricians diagnose children attending children's institutions with ARVI. There are about 200 types of viruses that penetrate the respiratory tract and cause the cough reflex.

If a child who is less than 2 months old coughs, it is necessary to quickly contact a pediatrician, get recommendations and begin specific treatment.

Features of cough in a child with certain diseases:

pneumonia - fever, cough, first dry, then with the release of mucous sputum;
asthma - dry, scanty, viscous sputum, wheezing, nocturnal attacks;
ARVI, acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis - at the beginning dry, sharp, then wet;
diphtheria - barking cough, hoarseness and difficulty breathing;
chronic bronchitis - shortness of breath and cough in the morning, bronchospasm;
reflux of the esophagus and stomach - dry, chronic;
whooping cough - spasmodic, paroxysmal;
cystic fibrosis - dry, whooping cough;
pseudo-croup - dry, barking cough;
pleurisy - dry, irritating.

If we treat a child’s cough at home, then we need to treat the underlying disease, combat its manifestations and prevent complications. For ARVI and weakened immunity in infants, the doctor prescribes antiviral, immunomodulatory drugs based on interferon. Derinat drops activate the child’s immune system.

A prolonged cough in infants is often accompanied by vomiting, because the contents of the stomach rise up from the lungs along with the shocks of air. In addition, a prolonged cough exhausts young children and depletes the body.

In case of a viral infection, sulfonamide drugs and antibiotics will not help; symptom-based treatment is recommended. When a child coughs during acute respiratory viral infections and colds, it is necessary to thin the viscous mucus, soften the airways and remove sputum from them along with germs and toxins. At high temperatures, suppositories with paracetamol are administered or antipyretic syrup (paracetamol, ibuprofen) is given. The pediatrician prescribes antibacterial therapy for bronchitis and pneumonia.

Cough in a child - treat at home

There are a fair number of remedies and procedures that relieve one of the main symptoms of colds and bronchitis. With a dry cough, it is necessary to thin the mucus, making it easier to cough up. With a wet cough, effective removal of sputum is required so that it does not “flood” the child’s lungs.

Dry or nonproductive cough in children is treated with Sinekod. However, it is not recommended to take cough suppressants without consulting your doctor.

A safe and very useful remedy - eggnog for cough for treatment at home - is prepared from sugar or honey with the yolk of a chicken egg (or quail). You need to wash the shell before breaking it, make sure that the product is fresh, the white and yolk are free of foreign inclusions, and are not blurry. Beat the yolk with sugar to obtain a homogeneous mass. Give the product to the child 3-4 times a day, one teaspoon.

A simple cough eggnog for children effectively eliminates throat irritation. A spoonful of the finished product is dissolved in half a cup of warm milk and given to the baby to drink. Honey is added if the child is not allergic to bee products. Cocoa powder is added to eggnog for children over 3 years old.

Adding honey to the beaten yolk improves sleep and speeds up recovery.

Cocoa butter for coughs for children is used as a massage oil - rubbed into the chest and upper back. To rub children over two years old, add 4–10 drops of camphor oil to melted unsalted lard or goat fat; you can add the same amount of honey.

After using camphor oil for a cough, the child immediately experiences relief. Rub the chest and back, cover with cotton napkins. The remaining product is removed after 3 hours with a cotton pad, and the skin is wiped dry. Compresses with potatoes, low-fat cottage cheese, as well as massage of the chest, feet, and hands have a calming effect on the respiratory tract.

Propolis is an excellent cough remedy for children

Honey, zabrus, propolis contain antibacterial and antiviral substances, vitamins, and mineral elements. For acute respiratory viral infections or colds, the child is given a lump of propolis or a honeycomb cap to chew for 15 minutes, if there is no allergy to bee products. Then they ask you to spit out the gum. The procedure can be repeated several times during the day.

To rub children, use an ointment based on badger or bear fat. Propolis is added in a ratio of 1:5, heated in a water bath until completely dissolved. Propolis tincture at home is prepared with 60–70% medical alcohol (1:10). Infuse the product for 10 days, filter, add 10 drops of the product to a cup of warm milk and give it to the child to drink.

Relieving a child's cough

Burnt sugar candies are easy to make at home. A small amount is obtained by melting sugar in a tablespoon over the fire of a gas burner. The liquid mass must be cooled and then given to the child for resorption when coughing. It is recommended to give young children melted sugar dissolved in boiled water (1:20). At one time, give a tablespoon of syrup after meals. In addition to the main ingredients, honey, juice of healthy berries and medicinal plants are added.

Home remedies used for coughs with viscous, difficult-to-discharge sputum: boiled still warm milk with Borjomi is mixed in a 1:1 ratio and given to the child to drink;
fennel fruits are infused with honey (1:10) for 10 days, add 1 tsp. a teaspoon in a cup of warm water;
turnip or radish juice, preferably black, with honey, drink 1–2 tsp. several times a day;
do inhalations and steam baths with chamomile or mint;
drink 1.5–2 liters of warm liquid per day.

Parents doubt whether a child with a cough can go to the bathhouse; they consider the procedure harmful for a sick child. Moist warm air improves the condition of the mucous membranes; steam with essential oils from herbal teas penetrates deep into the respiratory tract and thins mucus. Use bath brooms carefully when coughing; select plants with anti-inflammatory properties (birch, chamomile, oak, linden).

You cannot take babies under 1 year of age, children with high temperature, fever, or epilepsy to the bathhouse.

Herbal remedies for the treatment of cough and ARVI

There are many home remedies for an irritating dry cough without phlegm. In such cases, tea, juice, syrup or extract of marshmallow, coltsfoot, mallow, and plantain are used. The elecampane plant is suitable for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory processes, infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract. A decoction is prepared from dried roots, which has an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect.

Herbal cough remedies remove mucus and relieve swelling of the mucous membrane. Tea with sage, anise and thyme, and inhalations with these herbs help thin out sticky mucus and expectoration. Anise drops are prepared at home or bought at the pharmacy. The drug has an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect and is well tolerated by children. Anise-ammonia drops in pharmacies are made from anise oil, ammonia and ethyl alcohol. At home, dilute the product with boiled water, 3-5 drops per 50 ml of water for a child 3-5 years old.

Helping children with acute respiratory viral infections, bronchitis, and pseudo-croup is not only about solving problems, such as treating a cough or reducing the temperature. The main measure is to ensure optimal temperature and humidity in the room (18–20°C, 60%). Above the crib or next to the pillow, you can place a linen bag with lavender flowers, sea salt, sprinkled with infusion of eucalyptus, thyme or mint.

Homemade recipes for cough relief in children are complemented by other measures that do not require much effort. It is enough to raise the child's head higher during sleep to help the viscous secretion drain and better clear the airways. Place an additional pillow under the head and shoulders or a terry towel between the mattress and pillow. The cough can persist for up to four weeks, during which time the symptoms gradually disappear with adequate treatment.

As a rule, parents, when their child begins to cough, take all possible steps to get him back on his feet as soon as possible. At the same time, practice shows that first of all they try to help with the available means, and only when they are convinced that such treatment does not provide an adequate result, they consult a doctor.

It must be admitted that this approach cannot be called correct. Of course, if the cold started in the evening, there is no point in immediately running to the hospital without urgent need, but sometimes delays can be very costly.

To determine what exactly caused the cough in a child who turned 4 years old, it is necessary to have at least a general understanding of such diseases.

What causes a cough

It is worth noting that often this symptom is of a physiological nature. Children cough when they get into the larynx:

dust;
water;
food.

The baby may also react in a similar way to very cold air during a walk. A characteristic feature of the cough in this case is its episodic nature, that is, the child, having cleared the throat of the irritant, subsequently feels quite normal.

If it is summer, then a physiological syndrome occurs against the background of increased air dust in urban conditions.

In other cases, most likely, the problem arises against the background of acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections. Here, in addition to coughing, the following is usually also observed:

elevated temperature;
general weakness;
headaches;
inflammation of the nasopharynx;
runny nose.

How to treat cough in a 4 year old child? You will need various medications - syrups, tablets, and home remedies that you prepare yourself may also help.

But it all depends on the underlying disease.

Why does this unpleasant symptom occur?

Coughing is a reflex process. When the body tries to cleanse itself of microorganisms, dust and other irritants, a coughing attack occurs. The reasons for the appearance of this symptom are different. It could be:

mechanical impact;
chemical exposure;
allergy;
infectious and non-infectious diseases;
foreign body;
influence of worms.

Infectious and non-infectious diseases can cause cough

Allergies are a common disease in children of this age. It manifests itself not only with a cough, but also with itching, redness of the eyes and many other symptoms. Reactions may occur to the following stimuli:

wool;
food;
dust;
pollen;
medicines.

As for chemical or mechanical effects (strong perfume, smoke), it causes only a short-term cough. No treatment is required here. You just need to get rid of this influence. But sometimes the mucous membrane needs to be moistened by inhalation.

A substance or object that gets into the respiratory tract can also cause a cough - this is very dangerous. It is necessary to urgently seek help, otherwise the child’s health may be in serious danger.

Allergies are a common disease in children of this age.

Non-infectious diseases - obstructive bronchitis, pulmonary obstruction - these are also not very common disorders, and they arise against the background of other diseases in the form of complications. Therefore, treatment should begin at an early stage when the first alarming symptoms are detected.

Infectious diseases are the most common cause of cough. Children are susceptible to such diseases more often than adults, since their immunity has not yet developed. In addition, children usually regularly visit children's groups, where they can easily become infected, because the main route of transmission is airborne droplets. Such diseases include:

laryngitis;
tracheitis;
bronchitis;
pharyngitis;
ARVI.

Bronchitis can cause cough in a child

How to treat cough in a 4 year old child? After diagnosing the disease, the specialist will select the necessary medications. They must be taken regularly and in the dose prescribed by the doctor. Home remedies can also help.

Important! Before giving any home remedies to your child, you should consult your doctor.

Treatment of seizures in a child

Since coughs can be wet or dry, different medications are needed. At the beginning of the disease, dry attacks are usually a concern. The throat becomes inflamed, there is severe soreness and pain - this leads to coughing. As for a wet cough, it occurs after a dry cough and helps clear the bronchi and lungs of phlegm.

Treatment of a child is aimed at transforming a dry cough into a productive cough with mucus discharge. The therapy is aimed at softening the throat and getting rid of inflammation. For very frequent and severe attacks, a specialist may also prescribe antitussives.

How to treat cough in a 4 year old child? Here are the main drugs:

Mucolytic - drugs that help thin thick mucus.
Anti-cough – to reduce severe coughing attacks.
Expectorants are drugs that accelerate the removal of mucus from the bronchi and lungs.

Lazolvan helps make mucus more liquid and remove it faster

Mucolytic agents are used for dry coughs to turn them into wet ones. That is, when taking such medications, the mucus becomes more liquid. For children of this age, both syrups and tablets can be prescribed. Here are the main drugs allowed from 4 years of age (mucolytics):

Glycodin;
Lazolvan;
Stoptussin.

Glycodin helps thin mucus without suppressing cough. The form of the drug is syrup. Use for children from 1 year. An allergy to the drug may occur. Contraindications for use are bronchial asthma and hypersensitivity to the components.

Lazolvan helps make mucus more liquid and remove it faster. The drug is available in the form of syrup. When taking it, you may experience a dry throat and nausea. If you are allergic to any of the components, you should not take the medicine.

Stoptussin is a tablet that is used to get rid of dry attacks and transform them into a wet productive cough. A specialist will prescribe the exact dose for the child. Hives and drowsiness may occur. Do not give the drug to a child with bronchial asthma or respiratory failure.

The exact dose of medication for the child must be prescribed by a specialist.

The dosage of any drug depends on age. All recommendations for taking medications are given by the doctor.

Antitussives are prescribed only for debilitating cough. It often bothers you at night and makes it difficult for the child to sleep. A 4-year-old child with a severe cough, how to treat it? Here are effective remedies:

Libexin;
Glaucine;
Sinekod.

Libexin is available in tablets. This is a remedy for attacks, used for severe coughs. Children can consume depending on body weight. The product may cause vomiting and itching. Contraindicated for children under 3 years of age.

Libexin is used for severe cough

Fact! Libexin has a local anesthetic effect, so the medicine will help if, in addition to coughing, there is a sore throat.

Sinekod also relieves severe attacks. The medicine acts on the center responsible for the development of the cough reflex. Side effects: diarrhea, allergies. Not recommended for use in case of hypersensitivity.

Glaucine is produced in the form of dragees and syrup. The medicine helps with dry frequent attacks to alleviate the condition. Contraindication: low blood pressure.

Expectorants are used when the cough becomes wet and it is necessary to remove mucus from the body. Popular drugs include:

Gedelix;
Fluimucil;
Pertussin.

Gedelix helps remove mucus from the body faster

Gedelix is a herbal remedy in the form of syrup. Helps remove mucus from the body faster. Since this is a herbal medicine, an allergic reaction may occur. If you are intolerant to fructose, you should not take it.

Fluimucil is produced in the form of granules and effervescent tablets. In childhood, granules can be consumed. Side effects - vomiting, tinnitus. The medicine is contraindicated in case of excessive sensitivity to acetylcysteine.

Pertussin is a syrup that softens and helps remove mucus. The doctor will prescribe the exact dose. Side effects may include weakness. The drug is prohibited in case of intolerance to the components and anemia.

It is worth remembering that you cannot independently prescribe the dosage of any medicine, even following the recommendations from the instructions for use. Any drug is prescribed by a doctor based on indicators such as the patient’s age, weight and the disease that needs to be treated.

Pertussin is a syrup that softens and helps remove mucus

Treatment with folk remedies

In addition to special medications, you can and should use folk remedies. For any form of cough, it is necessary to give the child plenty to drink. These can be different teas and herbal infusions, as well as compotes. If the child likes mineral water, you can give it, but the drink should be warm.

A 4-year-old child has a dry cough - how to treat it? An excellent cure for such attacks is milk. Products based on it are prepared in different ways. You can add a piece of butter or 1 tsp. honey, you can use mineral water (mix in a 1:1 ratio). In any case, the drink will help soften the throat and thin the mucus faster.

The child will probably like milk with banana. You will need 1 ripe banana, which needs to be mashed, and 1 glass of hot milk. This mixture is tasty and healthy. If your child likes chocolate flavor, you can add honey and cocoa powder.

Onions will help with a wet cough

Nuance! It is imperative to monitor the body’s reaction to foods to avoid allergies.

Onions will help with a wet cough. One onion must be chopped and covered with sugar (1 tbsp), then the mixture must be left overnight. Use 1 tsp. several times a day. You can add lemon, minced in a meat grinder or crushed in a blender, to this mixture.

The following mixture helps well: 300 g of honey should be mixed with 0.5 kg of chopped walnuts, 100 g of aloe juice and the juice of 4 lemons. Take this mixture several times a day, 1 tsp.

When treating a child, you should use all available means, the use of which has been approved by the doctor. This will speed up recovery and help get rid of the unpleasant symptom.

Types of cough and causes of its occurrence

At the first stage of the disease, the cough is always dry. Its symptoms are a sore throat and rawness of the mucous membrane. To treat such a cough, sedatives are used.

How to deal with a dry cough

Pharmacy products

To effectively treat a dry cough, you can give a 4-year-old child the following remedies:

Sinekod or Glauvent for cough suppression;
means “Codelac”, “Stoptussin”, “Glycodin” to alleviate the condition;
means "Levopront", "Libexin" for targeted action;
remedy “Bronchicum”, “Linkas”, “Gerbion” for a painful cough that interferes with sleep.

The following medications are ideal for use in nebulizers:

"Ambrobene", "Lazolval" from pharmaceutical medicines;
"Rotokan", calendula extract or ready-made mixtures of natural medicines.

Traditional methods

To prevent the cough from turning into a wet one, it is necessary to give children 4 years of age plenty of fluids. The following are ideal treatments for 4 year old children:

berry fruit drinks (from cranberries, currants, raspberries);
decoctions of medicinal herbs (plantain, coltsfoot, licorice, sage, rose hips or ready-made breast mixtures);
hot tea (with lemon, honey, raspberries);
warm milk (with honey);
black radish juice;
warm mineral water.

The following products are suitable as rubs or ointments for massage:

ointment "Doctor Mom" or any other with camphor and menthol;
ointments “Badger”, “Pulmex” and “Evkabal”;
badger or bear fat.

Especially good for compresses:

saline solution;
vodka infusion;
mustard compress or mustard plasters;
honey solution or pure honey, if you are not allergic to it.

How to deal with a wet cough

Pharmacy products

Of the drugs used to treat wet cough, the most popular for treating cough in children aged 4 years are:

synthetic agents “ACC”, “Mukodin”, “Bromhexine”, “Ambroxol”;
syrups “Doctor Mom”, “Alteyka”, “Pectusin”, “Bronchicum” from plants.

Just as in the case of dry cough, classic inhalations with essential oils of eucalyptus or pine are useful for wet coughs.

In nebulizers for inhalation use mineral water, herbal decoctions or dissolved ACC agent should be used.

Folk remedies

give plenty of warm drinks (rosehip decoction, fruit drinks, tea with raspberry jam);
viburnum syrup;
decoction of elderberry, linden, chamomile;
milk with mineral water;
potato or mustard compresses;
onions with honey and lemon;
rubbing with badger or bear fat.

Massage for wet coughs is especially indicated, as it improves expectoration and facilitates the removal of mucus.

As in the case of a dry cough, you can rub with Doctor Mom or Pulmex ointments, as well as make compresses.

If a child is sick, ease his condition: you need to give him plenty of fluids, regularly ventilate the room to prevent air stagnation, buy an air humidifier or make one yourself. When sick, you need to give your child light food that does not cause heaviness.
Try to cure the disease. Typically, cough treatment takes 2-3 weeks with complete cure. However, signs of improvement may appear within a week. It is important not to give up treatment at this stage, but to continue using the products prescribed by the doctor. This way you are guaranteed to cure the child and prevent the cough from developing into bronchitis or pneumonia.
To prevent coughing in children aged 4, take regular walks with your child and strengthen his immunity with simple hardening. Under no circumstances douse your child with cold water, only cool water, alternating it with warm water.
In the summer, let your child run barefoot on the grass, and in the winter, apply salt wraps to the heels. They will also help harden and stimulate nerve cells.
Pay attention to the nutrition of children aged 4 years. Food should be balanced in minerals and vitamins, healthy and tasty.
If the infection is spreading in the city, do not visit crowded places with your child, and start taking medications to maintain normal immunity.
Do not try to prescribe cough medications and their doses yourself: only a qualified doctor can do this. Self-medication poses an even greater threat to the child’s body from allergies or side effects.
If you have a wet cough, monitor your expectoration and sputum status. If it is transparent and light, you are on the right track, and the cough gradually goes away. If there is a lot of it, or it is thick, or has acquired an uncharacteristic shade, consult a doctor immediately. This state of sputum is not typical for a simple cold, which means that pathogenic microorganisms are developing in the lungs, and the child needs to be urgently examined and treated.
Also monitor your child's temperature. Some medications should not be taken during a fever, or their dose should be reduced. Also, at elevated temperatures, it is not recommended to treat a child with compresses or wraps.

Be healthy!

A child’s cough can occur either during illness or on its own due to growth processes occurring in the body. However, in terms of the degree of danger, this symptom, even in the absence of fever, is not much different from an infectious one. In the absence of timely help, it quickly develops into a more severe chronic form, which is many times more difficult to get rid of. At the same time, the risk of complications increases many times over.

If a child is 4 years old and has a cough, this symptom cannot be ignored.

How to treat a cough in a child if he is already 4 years old? To answer this question, it is necessary to use only safe methods of recovery and take into account many factors, which will be discussed further.

Features of cough treatment in children

As you know, children more often than mature patients suffer from a severe cough. This is due to the characteristics of a growing organism. The child’s respiratory organs are still in the process of formation, and therefore any deviations from the norm in their functioning lead to irritation, leading to a cough reflex.

To treat a cough in a sick child aged 4 years and older, it is necessary to select effective, but as safe as possible methods so as not to harm the little patient during therapy. Many medications have strong side effects and can cause allergic reactions; giving such medications to children is highly discouraged.

You must choose medications very carefully, as they have contraindications and not everything can be given to small children

At the same time, the presence of this symptom during illness is a sufficient reason to begin immediate treatment. The lack of qualified assistance can cause further abnormal development of the child’s body and burden the entire future life of the little patient. That is why parents should be very sensitive to the health of their child and, at the first signs of illness and cough, begin health-improving procedures.

Treatment of cough should begin with providing comfortable conditions for the patient. Even the most potent drugs may not have the desired effect if the correct temperature conditions are not maintained in the room where the child is located, or the patient himself often puts himself at risk by being excessively active.

If your child has a cough, you should give him more to drink.

In order for the treatment of cough in a child to have the desired effect, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

provide the patient with bed rest (reducing physical activity allows you to direct all the body’s forces to fight the disease and reduces the possibility of picking up an additional infection);
Give the baby water often (water is necessary to improve the discharge and formation of mucus inside the respiratory tract; in large quantities it can improve blood circulation);
frequently ventilate the room (this helps clear the room of dust and small particles that can cause additional irritation and worsen coughing);

Buy a humidifier to ensure optimal conditions in your baby's room.

humidify the air (for this, air humidifiers are usually used, however, in their absence, ordinary sprayers can be used);
in favorable weather, provide walks (both in summer and winter in the absence of low temperatures outside the home, strong wind or precipitation).

Attention! Home treatment does not imply a lack of supervision from specialists. Ensuring children's health is an extremely difficult task, so if any problems arise, it is better to immediately call a therapist at home - he will conduct an examination and give recommendations to begin the healing process.

If you are concerned about your child's condition, it is better to call a doctor at home

Cough medicines for four year olds

How else can you cure a cough in a 4-year-old child, if not with drugs? Syrups are best suited to eliminate symptoms in a child - unlike tablets, they do not have a negative effect on the digestive system and have virtually no side effects. Most often they are produced using natural ingredients - extracts of medicinal herbs. Special lozenges, solutions and lozenges are also used.

The most effective cough remedies for a child:

Gerbion syrup with plantain;
Doctor MOM (syrups, lozenges, ointments);
overslept;
Gedelix;
Bronholitin;
Ambrobene.

You can give your child Prospan plant-based syrup when coughing.

Important: you should not give your child antibiotics without the direct instructions of the attending physician - these drugs have a strong effect on the body depending on the specific name and can harm the patient, especially if the cough is non-infectious.

Milk medicinal drinks

Milk is the first cough remedy for children. It has a softening and enveloping property and helps relieve inflammation. Products based on it in most cases have a pleasant taste, which is liked by young patients, which is why they willingly take such medications. Below are some of the most effective recipes for children aged four years and older.

Milk with figs

To prepare, you will need 3 ripe fruits, as well as a glass of milk. The figs are washed to eliminate the possibility of infection. Then it should be dipped in milk and placed on the stove.

Milk with figs is a tasty and healthy remedy for cough

The strength of the fire does not matter; the main thing is to bring the liquid to a boil and boil the fruits until they are completely softened. Then they are removed, ground into a paste (with a blender or spoon) and mixed with milk. The resulting product should be divided into 3-4 servings and given to the child throughout the day.

Honey with milk and butter

Helps with severe coughs, usually used to relieve an attack. 200-300 ml of milk should be boiled, then cooled until warm (so that the child does not get burned when drinking), add natural honey and a small amount of butter.

You can also add baking soda on the tip of a spoon. It is better to give the drink before bedtime - it calms well and relieves cough, so that the little patient can fall asleep peacefully.

Milk with honey and butter will help relieve sore throat and relieve sore throat.

Milk brew from cedar cones

You will need 1 package of full-fat cow's milk, as well as an intact cedar tree cone. The latter must be washed before starting the process. Milk is poured into an enamel container, after which a cone is lowered into it and boiled for an hour and a half. During this time, the liquid will be saturated with beneficial oils and other substances contained in cedar and acquire healing properties.

Before drinking, the milk should be strained and a certain amount of honey added - this will give it a pleasant taste for children. You should drink the product throughout the day, giving it three times, 50-60 grams each.

Glycerin with lemon and honey

Another effective remedy that helps fight cough in people of any age. It is universal and can be used in dry or wet form with the same positive effect. If it is difficult to choose what to give your child for a cough, it is better to use this one.

You can also use a mixture of lemon, honey and glycerin for coughs.

To prepare the composition according to this recipe, you need to take 1 whole lemon and, without removing the peel, make several punctures in it with a knife. Then the fruit should be cooked for about five minutes. The next stage is spinning. You can squeeze lemon juice into a separate container (mug, glass) by hand or use a juicer for this. The main thing is to end up with as much acidic liquid as possible. Then add the next ingredient to the juice - glycerin (its amount should be 2 tablespoons) and stir well. Next, the container will be filled to the brim with natural honey. If it is too viscous, it can be preheated in a water bath. Again, the product must be mixed and left to infuse for two to three hours.

To eliminate a cough in a sick 4-year-old child, the dosage should be half a tablespoon. Usually it is taken three times a day, however, with severe attacks, the frequency of administration can be increased to 5-6.

Infusion of coltsfoot and oregano

A standard remedy given to relieve a cough. It helps remove mucus and relieve inflammation in the throat and bronchi. Used for coughing or chronic respiratory diseases.

A decoction of oregano and coltsfoot will help ease expectoration

You need to take 10 g of each dry herb, and then pour 350 ml of freshly boiling water. Then you should leave the product to infuse. Any saucepan with a lid is suitable as a container, however, if you have a thermos in your home, it is better to use it. After 2 hours, you can start using the product. The dosage is a third of a glass, the frequency is 3-4 times a day, depending on the severity of the symptom.

How to properly treat children's cough, you will learn about this from this video:

With various diseases and some physiological processes occurring in the baby’s body, the lumen of the respiratory tract narrows, since mucus collects in them, which in such cases is produced in large quantities.

The body gets rid of these secretions with the help of coughing, but sometimes it greatly exhausts the patient without bringing relief, so parents should know what to give their child for this phenomenon if he is 4 years old.

This process is a reflex, and it occurs in order to remove the provocateur of the disease from the body.

The main types of the phenomenon, which is a symptom of the disease, are dry and wet cough. In the first case, the sputum is practically not separated, and the phenomenon is accompanied by soreness, irritation in the throat, and a feeling as if something is scratching it.

A 4 year old child has a hard time with this type of cough. The problem is aggravated by the fact that it can strike with attacks at night, not allowing the baby to rest properly.

A dry cough needs to be moistened to make it easier for the baby to cough up, which will allow the baby to feel better.

A wet cough is easier to tolerate, but copious mucus production can also bother the child, so medications should be used that will speed up the process of removing mucous secretions.

This phenomenon does not represent an independent illness, being only a sign of some disease. However, if a child coughs, this does not always indicate the development of the disease.

In addition to dry and wet, this phenomenon comes in several other varieties:

Physiological. Both an adult and a 4-year-old child may not even notice this phenomenon, since it is everyday, does not cause discomfort, and is designed to cleanse the mucous membrane of dust, various elements, and microparticles that enter the throat. Nevertheless, when a child coughs, this causes concern for parents, even if the phenomenon is physiological and does not pose a danger to the baby, nor does it indicate the development of any illness. To make sure that such a cough is harmless, observe the child, see if there are any symptoms of illness such as fever, nasal voice, runny nose, sneezing;
Pathological. In this case, it acts as a symptom of a disease, of which there are many, and which are accompanied by the listed symptoms.

A 4-year-old child may experience this problem in a number of cases.

Here are the most common ones:

It is necessary to choose the right anti-cough remedies. To do this, you need to know the reason for its appearance. For example, if the phenomenon is caused by worms or the fact that a foreign body has entered the baby’s respiratory tract, there is no point in taking antitussive drugs.

If the problem is a consequence of diseases of the respiratory organs, you should select a medication depending on the nature of the symptom.

Some folk remedies can also be used to successfully treat a 4-year-old child who has a cough.

The product will help with the dry appearance of the phenomenon.

It helps to liquefy mucus and accelerates the process of its removal from the respiratory system.

Chop a medium sized onion.
Combine the resulting mass with sugar in the amount of 2 tbsp. l.
Let the mixture sit overnight.
We give the baby the product in small quantities several times a day.

The duration of treatment with this medicine is about 4 days. Instead of sugar, you can use honey if your baby is not allergic to it.

This remedy not only helps to get rid of the debilitating symptom, but also allows you to quickly get rid of the disease that accompanies it.

This treatment method can be used daily and it is advisable to do it at night.

Medicines for a 4-year-old child who coughs must be selected extremely carefully, because his body is susceptible to the components of many of them. It is advisable that the baby’s medications be prescribed by a doctor.

Respiratory diseases are often accompanied by a cough. If the inflammation is localized in the small bronchi, cough is a mandatory symptom. In case of disease of the middle respiratory tract (larynx, hypopharynx), a cough is also obligatory and most often appears from the first days. Cough remedies for children will help cope with the illness.

Recognizing the type of cough in babies is sometimes a difficult task for parents. In order not to get confused yourself and not to confuse the pediatrician, to find out the type of cough, you should ask the child to cough.

Cough can be divided into 2 types:

dry;
wet.

Separately, a barking cough can be distinguished.

If you can clearly hear the child coughing up sputum, this is a wet cough. And vice versa, if there is no sputum, the cough is dry. Sometimes a mother may notice that the child coughs in the morning, but no sputum is produced during the day. In this case, the cough is still considered wet, although with the caveat that the sputum comes out better in the morning.

This is explained by several points:

The horizontal position of the body contributes to the accumulation of sputum. During the night, enough sputum is collected to make the child cough.
The sputum is too viscous and thick, making it difficult for the child to cough up.
Cough during rhinitis. If the baby’s nose is constantly cleaned during the day, then there may be no cough at all. But during sleep, mucous discharge is not removed through the nose, but collects in the throat area. The result is a productive cough in the first minutes after waking up.

A barking cough as a manifestation of laryngitis can be classified as dry. During such a cough, phlegm is not coughed up or only a small amount is coughed up. The main problem with such a cough is the child’s difficulty breathing. Because of this, the sound of a cough actually sounds like a bark. It is important for parents, especially children under one year of age, to remember that this condition is an emergency and requires urgent consultation with a doctor.

Classification of cough medicines

Let's use the most common classification.

Antitussives:

Central action - they cause inhibition of the cough reflex (affect the center in the brain stem) and, as a result, reduce attacks of painful, obsessive cough. The group of central antitussive drugs is also divided into narcotic (codeine-based drugs, drugs containing morphine) and non-narcotic.
Peripheral acting agents. This group reduces irritation and excitability of mucosal cells. Has an enveloping or anesthetic effect. This includes a wide range of herbal preparations.

Expectorants. This group of drugs can reduce the viscosity of sputum. Promotes easy coughing and cleansing of phlegm from the bronchial tree.

Expectorant drugs include a group of mucolytic drugs. They have a slightly different mechanism of action - the molecular bonds in the sputum complexes are destroyed, but the result is the same - the sputum is liquid and comes out easier with a cough.

A special place in the classification is occupied by drugs that relieve bronchoconstriction or bronchospasm. This group is most often used in the treatment of bronchial obstruction.

Combined drugs. In any of the above groups there are drugs containing 2 or more active ingredients that can work as synergists. There may also be combinations from different groups of drugs.

Cough medicines for children under one year of age

For children under one year of age, it is difficult to choose a suitable cough medicine. Many medications are contraindicated at this age. Therefore, if a child gets sick, a doctor’s participation in treatment is mandatory.

After consultation with a specialist, children under one year of age may be prescribed the following medications for cough:

Ambroxol, or its analogue (Flavamed, Ambrohexal, Ambrovix) in syrup. Dosage – 2.5 ml twice a day.
Lazolvan is prescribed to children over 6 months, ½ teaspoon in the morning and evening.
Linkas. Cough syrup for children over six months old. Take 2.5 ml 1-2 times a day.
Bronchicum from 6 months. Dosage – 2.5 ml twice a day.
Sinekod. Approved for use in children over 2 months of age. The dosage from 2 months to 1 year is 10 drops four times a day.
Gedelix. Can be taken from birth. ½ teaspoon 1 time per day. Be sure to dilute with water.

Due to the constant horizontal position of the body, it is difficult for children under one year to clear their throat. Therefore, parents should carry the baby in an upright position and raise the head end of the crib. In addition, to improve the discharge of sputum, it is worth performing a special massage in the form of tapping. With this massage, the baby's head should be slightly lower than the chest. You need to tap with your fingertips very lightly on the baby's back.

Medicines for children over one year old

Children over 1 year of age can take all the same medications as children under one year of age. Only the dosage will be higher; instructions are attached to each drug.

There are a number of other drugs that are approved after 1 year:

Overslept. Children's cough medicine in the form of drops based on ivy leaves. Give to children 3 to 5 times. One dose is no more than 10 drops.
Syrup Doctor Theiss with plantain. Orally, ½ teaspoon three times a day.
Sirespa can be used from 2 years of age. This is a combination drug. Take a dessert spoon, namely 10 ml at a time. Total – 2-3 doses per day.
Baladex. 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day.
Clenbuterol. The prescription drug is prescribed for a long course of the disease and for chronic forms. Dosed based on the child’s body weight. From 1 year to 2 years, give 1 teaspoon twice a day.
Joseth. Cough remedy for children from 4 to 6 years old, take 5 ml, 3 times a day.
Gerbion. Cough syrup. From the age of four you can take 1 scoop orally, 3 times a day.
Insti. Children's cough tea. Packaged in sachets in the form of granules. Can be used by children from 4 years of age.
Dry cough syrup. Can be used in children over 12 years of age. The dry mass is diluted with water and can be stored in this form for up to 10 days. The composition includes marshmallow, anise, licorice, etc.
Children's cough patch. It can be warming or peppery. Cannot be used at high temperatures. The cough patch is used for children over 1 year of age, because younger children have too sensitive, dry skin.

From the age of 7, the dosage of medications increases; parents must read the instructions.

Children's cough tablets can be used from the age of 4 years. It is important for parents to remember that they should not force their child to take a pill. If the baby categorically refuses, it is better to give him syrup to avoid accidental ingestion of the tablet into the respiratory tract.

Children's cough tablets:

Bromhexine. Can be used from 3 years old, ¼ tablet 3 times a day.
Ambroxol in tablet form can be used by children over 6 years of age. Dosage: ½ tablet 2-3 times a day.
Halixol. It is dosed similarly, half a tablet 2-3 times a day, starting from the age of six.
Falimint. For children over 5 years old. For the best therapeutic effect, it is necessary to dissolve the tablet in the mouth.
Mukaltin. For children over 1 year old. For children under 6 years of age, the tablet should be dissolved in water. Depending on age, take from 2 to 4 tablets per day.
Cough tablets. The basis of the drug is thermopsis. Allowed for children over 12 years old. Half a tablet 2-3 times a day.
Cough lozenges. Basically it is a complex of medicinal herbs in the form of lozenges. They contain plant components - sage, eucalyptus, menthol, etc. You can eat from 1 to 6 candies per day, depending on weight and age.

Herbal cough syrups

Herbal syrups can help treat a variety of coughs. It all depends on the components. Some herbal remedies are better for treating dry coughs, while others are better for wet coughs.

Vegetable syrups:

Gerbion. The drug is available in several versions. Herbion with plantain extract is used for dry cough. Herbion with ivy or primrose extract acts as an expectorant.
Linkas. Contains a whole herbal mixture (marshmallow, licorice, long pepper, cordia, etc.). It has moderate antitussive and expectorant properties.
Licorice root syrup. It primarily has an expectorant effect. It also has the effect of an antispasmodic, regenerating drug. Increases immune functions.
Marshmallow syrup. It is an expectorant and local anti-inflammatory.
Dr. MOM. The syrup contains a complex of medicinal herbs: licorice, ginger, turmeric, basil, ginger, elecampane, menthol, etc.

Synthetic products for the treatment of wet cough

Treatment of cough accompanied by sputum production includes several points:

Reduce the viscosity of sputum.
Make it easier for her to cough.
Reduce bronchospasm.

Task No. 1 (to make sputum easy to cough up) is best accomplished by a group of mucolytics. The main representative of the group is ACC. The drug breaks down long chains of sputum molecules, resulting in a decrease in viscosity. But the number is increasing. Contraindicated for children under 12 months. A small child cannot cough up such a large amount of sputum, and as a result, the drug may cause a negative effect.

Expectorants make coughing easier - Ambroxol, Bromhexine, Flavamed, Ambrobene, Halixol, etc.

Bronchospasm is eliminated by drugs that have targets on bronchial receptors. This group is used for obstructive diseases (asthma or bronchitis). For example - Salbutamol, Berodual, Pulmovent.

Dry cough medications

To quickly overcome a dry cough, you need to “make” the cough wet.

Herbal preparations can be used for treatment:

Linkas.
Dr. MOM.
Syrup with plantain leaves extract.
Gerbion, etc.

And drugs that do not contain herbs:

Siresp.
Sinekod.
Stoptussin.
Tussin plus, etc.

Inhalations

Inhalations help a child with a cough. They can only be performed at normal body temperature. After completion, you cannot leave the room for at least an hour.

The dry mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is moisturized, mechanical irritation goes away, and secretion improves.