The choice of natural cough medicine for children that is safe and effective

Coughing in children is quite common, especially when the child has the flu. The cough will usually heal as the body recovers from the disease. Even so, parents need to pay attention to the type of dry cough or phlegm, so that they can provide the right medicine for their child. Here are some cough medicines for children ranging from medical to natural.

Natural cough medicine for children

To relieve cough in your little one, parents can try various treatments. Starting from natural cough medicines to medicines from doctors for children.

Before giving medical cough medicine, it's good to try natural ways to relieve cough in children.

Here are some ways to relieve cough in children:

1. The child must be well rested

When a cough occurs in a child, he needs to be well rested.

The length of the rest depends on the severity of the cough and the severity of other symptoms, such as fever or runny nose. When catching a cough, children usually need 2-3 days to rest.

Make sure the child rest at home with enough sleep and not undergoing activities that can slow down the healing of a cough. Therefore, first play less outside the house.

Whether a child needs to be absent from school can be seen from how bad the cough is.

If the cough occurs repeatedly until the child's condition is faint, it is better to rest at home for 1-2 days until the cough symptoms improve.

Coughing in children is often accompanied by a large amount of mucus that is difficult to pass.

Apart from getting enough rest, help the child pass mucus by gently patting the child's back.

2. Consuming honey

Honey is one of the most popular natural cough medicines for children.

Research conducted by the University of North Carolina shows 90 percent of children with cough symptoms who consume honey are getting better.

The results showed that the condition improved after consuming 1.5 teaspoons of honey as a cough medicine every night before going to bed.

As a cough with phlegm and dry cough for children, honey does have antibacterial properties that can help fight infections.

Apart from its potent ingredients in curing coughs, honey is also preferred by children because of its sweet taste.

The following is the recommended dosage of honey that is given as a cough medicine for children according to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

1-5 years old: ½ teaspoon
Age 6-11 years: 1 teaspoon
Ages 12 and over: 2 teaspoons

In addition to giving cough medicine to this child directly, you can also dissolve honey in warm water so that your little one is easier to swallow.

However, avoid giving honey to children under one year of age.

Honey has the potential to cause botulism, which is a serious poisoning condition experienced by babies when given to children under 12 months of age.

3. Avoid cough and allergy triggers

If the child's cough does not heal, avoid foods and drinks that are triggers and causes of coughing.

For example, sweet drinks, cold drinks, and fried foods.

It is recommended to provide warm soup that can prevent coughing due to itching in the throat.

If the child has symptoms of an allergic cough, avoid allergens (allergy triggers) in children. Also pay attention to the cleanliness of the mattress and the home environment.

Generally, dust, mold, and pet dander easily stick to the sofa or mattress, which can cause a child to cough because of recurring allergies.

4. Drink ginger water

Drinking ginger that has been diluted in warm water or tea can help relieve cough symptoms in children.

Ginger is a natural cough remedy that has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, making it effective against infections caused by germs.

Based on data from the Department of Pharmacy Jazan University, ginger can provide a warm sensation in the throat.

This warm sensation exerts a soothing effect on a dry throat and neck muscles that tighten from a dry cough.

In several studies, traditional medicines containing ginger also help thin mucus in the respiratory tract.

So, ginger is suitable as a natural remedy to treat cough with phlegm in children.

The benefits of this natural cough medicine can be obtained maximally if the child consumes it directly.

If your child doesn't like the bitter taste, you can try mixing lemon juice, tea, honey, or milk.

Give this natural cough medicine twice a day while experiencing symptoms.

5.

Croup cough can generally heal on its own in about a week.

However, in order to recover faster, parents can give paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain in babies over 6 months old.

The cough medicine dextromethorphan should only be given to treat coughs in children over 4 years of age.

In addition to using drugs, parents can also relieve the symptoms of croup cough in children by:

Give 1 / 2-1 tablespoon of honey 4 times a day (especially for children over 1 year of age).
Immediately calm your child if he starts crying.
Keep the child's room and house temperature moist by installing a humidifier.
Make sure the child gets enough sleep and rest, compress his body or bathe in warm water.
Expand drinking warm water, fruit juice, or soup to relieve breathing and reduce coughs.

Before going to bed, give him a glass of warm water and tuck a thick pillow under his head to relieve breathing.

Medical cough medicine for children

Handling of cough in children depends on the underlying cause. Giving cough medicine to children must pay attention to the type of medicine, how many doses, how many times a day it should be given.

Acetaminophen to reduce fever

Quoting from Consumer Reports, if a child coughs with phlegm accompanied by fever, acetaminophen can be given. This drug can be found in the content of Tylenol, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

However, this medicine is not recommended for children under two years of age, especially in infants under 3 months of age.

Avoid giving aspirin to children especially those under 2 years of age because it can trigger rare disorders, such as Reye's syndrome.

Decongestant nasal sprays

To relieve cough in children, medicine in the form of a decongestant nasal spray can be an alternative.

This should be given if the cough is accompanied by a cold that causes nasal congestion.

This spray can only be given for three days, because too long can make nasal congestion worse.

Pay attention to the child's cough medicine dosage

Giving cough medicine should first consult a doctor.

Generally coughs are often caused by viruses, which usually heal on their own without having to be treated with drugs (self limiting disease).

The dose of cough medicine from the doctor is different based on the child's age.

However, it's good to check with a pediatrician to find out the right dose of cough medicine based on the child's condition.

The Food and Drug Administration in the United States (FDA) explains that the use of cough medicines is not recommended for children under 2 years of age.

The FDA further explained that commercially available cough medicines contain codeine or hydrocodone which are not intended for children.

If you want to provide cough syrup that is sold in the market, parents must follow the rules for use on the packaging label.

Remember, always use a measuring spoon, avoid using another spoon for your little one to take cough medicine.

It is important to follow the instructions for using the medicine, do not exceed or reduce the dosage recommended in the packaging for the cough medicine for children.

If you have taken medicine and your cough doesn't go away in 1-2 weeks, take your child to the doctor immediately.