Cure the cough of children by natural means

The wet and cold weather is currently causing some people a bad cold. Many children have a high susceptibility to infections anyway and seem to cough over the winter. Some parents give the little ones then quickly drugs such as cough syrup. However, there are also many natural home remedies for cough available. In some cases, however, you should go to the doctor with the offspring.
Cough syrup can be dangerous for children
Respiratory tract infections are widespread, especially in children. Most kindergartners get stuck several times, especially during the fall and winter months. A typical symptom associated with this is coughing. That can sometimes last for weeks. Parents often worry when their offspring coughs all night. Some of them then resort to medication, which should let the symptoms subside quickly. Usually the little ones then receive cough syrup. But health experts see this critically. Especially codeine-containing cough medicine can be dangerous for children, doctors warn for years. Life-threatening respiratory failure has also been reported. A few weeks ago, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices has therefore banned cough medicine with codeine for children under 12 years.

Home remedies for coughing can help very well to alleviate the symptoms and shorten the time of illness. Image: © Ralf Geithe - fotolia

Home remedies often work wonders
If children have caught a cold, the motto is not to send them to school too early or kindergarten. First of all they should be completely cured. In many cases home remedies for child cough show rapid success. Among other things, onion syrup has proven its worth as a home remedy. But hot milk with honey can do wonders. It should be noted, however, that this is drunk only in dry cough, because in mucus in the bronchi mucus production is exacerbated. Of course you can also give the child a hot tea with lemon to drink. With a small portion of honey or candy this tastes the little ones too.

Coughing in children takes longer
In adults, physicians distinguish between acute and chronic cough. If an acute illness has not subsided after at least eight weeks, it is called a chronic course. In children, the distinction is more complicated, as Uwe Mellies, chief physician of pediatric pneumology at the University Hospital Essen, explained online in a report of the "world". "If a child experiences many infections in a few months, it looks like it's always sick." However, it can also be multiple sequential infections. In addition, coughing can last much longer in children than in adults.

In some cases, a doctor's visit is advisable
If, in addition to severe coughing, a child has a high fever over a prolonged period of time, is beaten off, is tired and pale, it must be clarified to the doctor if pneumonia has possibly developed. It is also advisable to go to the doctor's office if there are no other symptoms besides prolonged coughing. For example, children who cough for a long time for no apparent reason are often diagnosed with atypical pneumonia, most of which is caused by bacteria. An initially harmless cold with a fever is followed by a persistent, asthma-like cough that can last for months. "You can imagine that like temporary asthma," says Mellies. In such cases, physical exertion, cold air, or cigarette smoke can trigger coughing fits because the bronchi are hypersensitive. Furthermore, persistent irritant cough may indicate allergic asthma caused by house dust or animal hair (animal hair allergy).

Much love for the child
According to Mellies, "mucus removers" (secretolytics) such as acetylcysteine ​​or ambroxol should be avoided altogether. Such agents ensure that thin-bodied bronchial mucus forms, but interfere with the natural cleaning mechanism of the respiratory tract. "That's counterproductive," said the pulmonologist. Vegetable juices containing fennel, thyme or ivy extracts, however, are harmless. And of course honey, as described above. However, infants under one year of the "world" should not get honey because they can not fend off a bacterium that can settle on honey. Relief can also bring warm chest wraps and steam baths, while making sure that you do not scald your child. And last but not least, sick children are well off when they receive extra attention from their parents in this situation. (Ad)