Quick help against coughing in small children
The number of respiratory diseases increases, especially in the cold season and at the change from autumn to winter. Coughing is one of the unpleasant symptoms of colds. However, coughing is an endogenous therapy, because coughing up frees the lungs from bronchial mucus. Coughing is rather a cleansing function of the body.
Coughing in children – Author: ilona75 / 123RF
For the therapy of a cough it has to be considered whether it is a dry or moist cough. The dry cough is unproductive and does not help to produce sputum or mucus. The first stage of a cold is usually followed by a wet cough. Within the framework of the inflamed respiratory tract, the body produces mucus, which is transported away by the cough. In this article you will find out what helps against coughing of a toddler and what tips you should follow for a quick recovery of your child.
What helps against coughing in toddlers
- hot milk with honey
- cough-irritating juices: like Tuscalman
- Thyme: relieves discomfort, promotes recovery
- marshmallow root, mallow blossoms, lungwort and Icelandic moss
- Cough tea of anise, liquorice, coltsfoot and thyme
- Cold bath with essential oils without menthol
- plant mucilaginous looseners: ribwort herb, fennel, aniseed, thyme herb, quendel herb and eucalyptus leaves
- Onion juice and radish syrup
Quick as a wash when coughing the toddler helps
A simple and proven household remedy is what helps against coughing in small children. Hot milk with honey has a particularly beneficial effect on dry coughs. Often cough stimulation is helped by juices such as Tuscalman to reduce the dry cough.
Thyme is one of the herbs with the fastest and best effect. It consists of essential oils such as thymol and carvacrol. For this reason, thyme relaxes the bronchial tubes, promotes expectoration and kills bacteria. Other medicinal plants such as marshmallow root, mallow blossom, lungwort and Iceland moss soothe the irritable cough and counteract the dry cough.
Special expectorants support the expectoration of mucus in the case of a moist and productive cough. Numerous vegetable cough teas have this effect. Herbal teas made from aniseed, liquorice or liquorice root, coltsfoot and thyme in particular bring about a rapid recovery of the cough. Another quick remedy for coughing small children is the cold bath. This consists of several essential oils which fight the cold. For small children, make sure that the cold bath does not contain menthol.
Plant mucilaginous looseners include ribwort plantain herb, liquorice root, fennel, anise as well as thyme and quendel herb. For this purpose, you boil the herb with a little water, which, like a tea, will draw for a few minutes. Eucalyptus leaves help if you inhale their smell with the help of water vapor.
The onion has an antibiotic and expectorant effect, making it ideal for coughing. If you boil the onion or pour honey over it, you will get a good herbal household remedy. Radish is highly antibacterial and has a cough-relieving effect. The addition of honey is not suitable for small children under one year of age.
Origin and what helps with cough in toddlers
The cough develops as a consequence symptom of numerous diseases and is therefore not a disease of its own. In an ordinary cough, its origin is a cold. Up to six diseases per year are considered normal. A simple cold leads to a dry and unproductive cough in the first phase. In the second stage, the body tries to fight the inflammation with an increased mucus production. People cough up the mucus with a so-called moist cough.
Cough syrup for children
There are numerous cough juices on the market that are available only on prescription and free of charge. However, large-scale studies show that there are no miracle cures among cough syrups. Some remedies alleviate the symptoms to some extent, others have no measurable effect. In ten out of 50 cough syrups, the German Öko-Test foundation found outdated active ingredients that are no longer considered cough remedies in modern medicine.
Effective against coughing
What is effective against coughing in young children is to drink plenty of fluids and inhale soothing vapours. Certain eucalyptus-based breast compresses facilitate breathing and promote coughing up. In order to build up a healthier environment and a strong immune system against colds in the long term, sufficient fresh air and exercise are necessary. A balanced diet with different vitamins and minerals as well as smoke-free rooms offer the best conditions to effectively prevent infections of the airways.