Should you worry about children's cough?!

2023-12-03 08:41:00, Shëndeti Ilir Allkja

In my medical practice, I have noticed that parents are very scared when their child has a mild cough and even more so when this cough is strong, bad and they need syrups and needles to stop it.

But do we have to take medicine for the child with cough?

Are the drugs the body's normal way of protecting the child's lungs?

Coughing or syrups keep the lungs clean?

We should know that cough is a defense mechanism. If the child has a runny or blocked nose, some of the secretions can flow behind the nose, into the pharynx, and then into the larynx and trachea, irritating the bronchioles (small branches of the lungs) and causing a cough. So coughing is a protective reflex act to clear the lungs and expel secretions.

Cough suppressants are not recommended for children under the age of 6, according to new revised guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is because they usually do not work, they do not bring any benefit, on the contrary, they sometimes give serious side effects.

I've tried (but not a few of you) that just a teaspoon of honey every day can go a long way in soothing an irritated throat and stopping a cough (as long as it's real, natural honey). You remember; due to the risk of botulism, honey should not be used for children under 1 year of age.

Some cough medicines simply suppress the cough, rather than treating its cause.

The cause of the cough can be tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergic conditions, or even a small body in the respiratory tract.

My plea: Do not buy syrups without a prescription at the pharmacy!

Stop holding your child's neck by suppressing his cough, so you can mask a serious illness! A mild cough of 3,4 or 5 days does not need drugs, if the cough does not go away go to the pediatrician!

You should consider that the drugs you buy directly from the pharmacy have other short-term effects such as:

- Paranoia, confusion.

- Excessive sweating

- Nausea and vomiting

- Stomach ache.

- Irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure.

- Dry skin, itching and redness of the face.

- Allergic reactions, etc.

And don't forget the other side of the coin pharmaceutical companies make trillions of dollars every year selling cough medicine!

Take care of yourself and your children!