Types of cough

Cough can be physiological or pathological. The first occurs when it is necessary to remove sputum or foreign objects. The second occurs during the development of the disease. It can be acute - up to 2 weeks, protracted - about a month, subacute - up to 2 months, and chronic - more than 2 months.

Cough is one of the initial signs of a viral respiratory infection or allergy. It can be wet or dry. Any type of this symptom needs prompt treatment.

A dry cough indicates respiratory diseases. Wet, on the other hand, rather indicates that the pathology is developing into a new stage. Cough is the body’s defense mechanism against the activity of microbes. Moist allows you to remove phlegm from the lungs. Dry is not so productive and is nothing more than a normal reflex.

Causes

The reasons for the development of cough can be different. Each of them requires special attention from the mother, expressed in complete and timely treatment. Cough most often occurs for the following reasons:

1. Dry indoor air. To eliminate this problem, many doctors recommend installing humidifiers in the apartment, which will keep the air humidity at the proper level and protect the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth from drying out.
2. Pharyngotracheitis. A non-bacterial inflammatory process in the throat and trachea. It is usually accompanied by a dry cough.
3. Allergic reaction. It can occur on almost all components of the environment (dust, cosmetics, detergents, pollen, sun, etc.).
4. Bronchitis is an inflammatory process in the bronchi. Often occurs in bad weather conditions.
5. Poor ecology (air polluted by exhaust gases, construction dust, etc.).

Also, the symptom often begins due to stress, which is abundant in the mother’s life. For whatever reason, a cough develops, for a nursing mother it should become “problem number one” that needs to be eliminated.

Treatment: cough suppressants for hepatitis B

The baby receives all the antibodies necessary to resist the disease through mother's milk, so it is not recommended to stop feeding the baby naturally if these unpleasant symptoms occur. Before drug treatment, a nursing mother must be examined by a specialist to identify the cause of the disease. After making a diagnosis, the therapist will prescribe the patient a dosage and schedule for taking medications, and will also tell her about additional measures to treat her mother’s cough, which include:

• drinking plenty of water;
• air humidification;
• ventilation of the room where the patient is lying.

Medicines should be discussed separately and in more detail.

Cough syrups

Cough preparations during lactation should be made on the basis of medicinal herbs and plants. Syrups are no exception. Their use when coughing removes redness, softens sputum and kills pathogenic microorganisms. The syrup should not contain aggressive components. It is important that the product is so harmless that it would be allowed to be given to a child.

Cough tablets

According to research [1], many of the liquid cough and cold products contain alcohol. In addition, many of the combination products are a mixture of antihistamines and decongestants and may also contain aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or caffeine. It is preferable for nursing mothers to take only those medications that are needed and avoid such combination medications. The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) considers alcohol, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and caffeine compatible with breastfeeding. Aspirin has been associated with significant adverse effects in some breastfeeding infants, and the AAP recommends giving aspirin to nursing mothers with caution.

Time-tested Mucaltin tablets can be taken to cure a cough. And water-soluble Furacilin can be used as a mouthwash.

Cough sprays

How can a nursing mother treat a cough if it is accompanied by other pathological symptoms? In this case, sprays and aerosols are great help. Due to the fact that they are used topically, the likelihood of their components getting into milk tends to zero.

Inhalation

Ventilation of the lungs can be carried out using both traditional methods and modern devices - nebulizers. But solutions for such methods should only be prescribed by the woman’s attending physician.

Features of the treatment of dry cough

Treatment consists of eliminating the causes of dry cough. If the symptom appears due to an allergy, the woman is prescribed antihistamines, inhalations and plenty of fluid intake. If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, it is enough for the patient to take drugs that enhance sputum secretion.

Children's cough medicines

During breastfeeding, women can be treated with infant medications. Cough medications during lactation that do not cause side effects in newborns are:

• Ambrobene syrup. It can be taken orally, as well as inhaled with a small amount of medication;
• ointments "Doctor Mom" ​​and "Vicks Active". The use of these warming ointments will have a softening effect. An important point is that the ointment can only be applied to the back and upper chest.

It should be noted that only the attending physician can prescribe specific medications and the required dosage. If treated incorrectly, health problems can arise not only for the mother, but also for the child, so it is absolutely impossible to treat cough during lactation on your own.

Approved drugs

Only the doctor decides how to treat a nursing mother. Below are the most popular cough medications.

Table 1 - List of approved medications during lactation

It is important for a mother to take her treatment seriously. Otherwise, therapy can lead to unpleasant consequences, including disruption of internal organs.

Treatment during breastfeeding

What you can do for cough while breastfeeding, you need to find out from your doctor. Only a doctor, after an examination, can reliably determine the cause of the symptom. The method of treatment will depend on the diagnostic results.

• For viral sore throat, medications are needed, the action of which is aimed at strengthening the immune system and fighting the pathogen.
• The bacterial origin of cough requires the use of antibiotics. It is important to establish the sensitivity of microorganisms before prescribing them.
• The allergic symptom is eliminated by eliminating the allergen and taking antihistamines.

Forced exhalations can accompany diseases not related to the respiratory system (gastrointestinal pathologies, cardiovascular disorders). In addition to medications that act on the cause of cough, doctors prescribe symptomatic medications to the nursing mother to alleviate this symptom.

Contraindicated drugs

It is necessary to talk about which drugs are prohibited during lactation.

• The first drug that should not be taken during breastfeeding is Tussamag. It is a thyme extract in alcohol; its instructions clearly indicate that it is contraindicated during lactation.
• Doctor Mom syrup also does not fit the description of what a nursing mother can treat a cough. Contains 10 extracts of different plants. Since scientists do not conduct studies on women during pregnancy or during lactation, the safety of this drug in the treatment of cough has not been proven.
• ACC is also a prohibited drug during lactation. Contains acetylcysteine. Contraindicated for children under 2 years of age and during lactation. During treatment you need to stop breastfeeding.
• Lazolvan. Contraindicated in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and lactation. The active substance is ambroxol, which can be excreted in breast milk.

Mucaltin during lactation

I dare to suggest that most nursing mothers have at least once asked themselves the question: “How to treat cough during lactation?” The severity of the problem is due to the need to “kill two birds with one stone.” On the one hand, it is necessary to select a medicine that will help the mother’s body cope with the disease as soon as possible, without causing complications. On the other hand, these medications should not harm the baby, whose main food is mother’s milk, and whose gastrointestinal tract is still so imperfect and vulnerable.

Mucaltin - a classic cough remedy

What cough treatment would we prefer not during lactation? An excellent choice would be mucaltin, the medicine of our childhood. These greenish-brown, sour tablets have an excellent anti-inflammatory effect and provide an expectorant effect. Doctors prescribe mucaltin for bronchitis, tracheitis and pneumonia, because these diseases of the lower respiratory tract produce a large amount of sputum that is difficult to separate. This drug is also good for flu and colds.

Mucaltin is created on the basis of polysaccharides from the marshmallow herb. It also contains additives such as tartaric acid, sodium bicarbonate and calcium stearate. Thanks to this composition, it perfectly dilutes viscous mucus, softens the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, improves secretion and promotes the removal of mucus from the bronchi.

Mucaltin during lactation

Unfortunately, this drug is contraindicated for children under one year of age. In this regard, the question arises: is it possible to take mucaltin during lactation? Will it end up in breast milk and how will it affect the baby?

The instructions for this drug state that the use of mucaltin is not contraindicated during lactation and pregnancy. There are contraindications to the use of mucaltin, however, there are not many of them. Among them are the presence of stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, duodenitis, gastroduodenitis, or allergies to the components included in the drug.

During treatment with mucaltin, nausea, vomiting and discomfort in the stomach may occasionally occur. A nursing mother should remember this. Fortunately, using mucaltin while breastfeeding will not cause any harm to the baby.

Other treatments for cough while breastfeeding

It should be remembered that there are other recommendations for treating cough for nursing mothers. To ensure that your cough leaves you as soon as possible, do not forget to constantly ventilate the room in which you are. When you breathe cool (about +18°C) and moist air (recommended humidity in the room is 50-60%), you help your body fight infection on its own.

It is advisable to ventilate once an hour for 15 minutes, temporarily leaving the ventilated room with the baby.

Drinking plenty of fluids will be helpful. Liquids at body temperature are best absorbed. Tea with milk is a good remedy for coughs. But honey should be consumed with caution, as it can cause allergies in some infants.

The throat should be gargled frequently with infusions of chamomile, calendula, as well as soda or furatsilin.

It often happens that mucaltin and folk remedies do not help. Then the doctor is simply forced to prescribe antibiotics. Don't be afraid of this word. There is a fairly impressive group of antibiotics that are absolutely safe for the infant body. These include aminoglycosides and cephalosporins.

To summarize, I recommend giving preference to mucaltin during lactation. And, of course, you and your baby will get sick as little as possible.

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Folk recipes

Traditional medicine is what is considered relatively safe to treat a dry cough for a nursing mother. But even before using time-tested recipes, you must get your doctor's approval. The most popular folk methods of getting rid of dry cough are rinsing, heating and inhalation. Breast infusions made from medicinal herbs also do an excellent job of thinning sputum: they can be easily purchased at any pharmacy. The main thing is to carefully read the directions for use; they can be for rinsing or ingestion.

Inhalations

Breathing over boiled potatoes or essential oils perfectly relieves nasal congestion, warms the airways and removes mucus. Just a few decades ago, you could get rid of a cough by inhaling onions or garlic. The onions, cut into small pieces, were placed around the room and left until the juice completely dried.

Rinse

You should gargle when you cough as often as possible. To do this, it is recommended to use special salt-based solutions or decoctions of medicinal plants, especially chamomile. Rinsing is carried out up to 4 times a day.

Compresses

How to cure a cough with compresses? It is enough to heat cottage cheese, potatoes or liquid clay, wrap the ingredients in a cloth and place it on your neck. The main thing is to make sure that the temperature is not too high. The compress should be replaced or changed after it has cooled completely.

Teas and decoctions

Among warm drinks, milk with butter or tea with honey are especially popular. You can also make your own fruit drinks based on cranberries or lingonberries. It is better to avoid using raspberries, as they often cause allergies in infants. Radish juice with honey or figs boiled in milk not only treat the symptom, but also strengthen the immune system of the nursing mother.

How to treat correctly

Coughs during breastfeeding can be treated by using inhalations, as well as by consuming syrups, herbal preparations, lozenges, lozenges, and mixtures. If you have a cold, tablets and antibacterial drugs are prescribed.

Among the most popular cough medicines in the form of syrups and tablets approved for nursing mothers are the following:

Ambroxol is a cough medicine, the components of which practically do not pass into breast milk.

1. Ambroxol. The product practically does not penetrate into breast milk, so it does not pose any danger to the baby. It has few side effects. It even treats severe coughs.
2. Fluimucil and ACC are drugs with mucolytic properties. They are among the effective expectorant drugs. The product is produced in the form of tablets and powder for suspensions. Doctors allow even young children to take these cough remedies.

The active ingredients of these drugs have a stimulating effect on the synthesis of sputum, relieving the soreness of a dry cough. At the same time, it is easier for a woman to cough up sputum, and her general condition improves.

If the cough is caused by an allergic reaction, then treatment is required according to the following plan:

1. The allergen is identified and measures are taken to completely eliminate it from life. If it has been determined that a food product is an allergen, then it is mandatory to exclude it from the diet.
2. The body is cleansed. Medicines such as Smecta or activated carbon are able to absorb toxins without affecting breast milk.
3. The final stage of therapy is the use of anti-allergy medications. Drugs such as Fenistil, Cetrin and Loratadine, and this is not the entire list, will help you quickly and effectively get rid of a cough. It is strictly forbidden to use Diazolin or Suprastin, since these components negatively affect the condition of a child under one year of age.

If you have a cough caused by bacterial infections, you are advised to immediately consult a doctor. For nursing mothers, the antibacterial agent Amoxiclav is considered effective. The medication has a neutralizing effect on pathological microorganisms and begins to act an hour and a half after administration.

Amoxiclav is part of the group of penicillin antibacterial drugs, which can be taken in small doses even during lactation, since the drug helps get rid of cough well. Reception is carried out according to the instructions present in each package.

Do not forget about traditional medicine methods for getting rid of cough. Recipes useful for women during breastfeeding:

For cough inhalations during lactation, you can use various essential oils

1. Inhalations are useful for nursing mothers for colds, coughs, runny noses, pain and sore throats. Essential oils or the common potato are used as home remedies for inhalation. When choosing the first remedy, it will be enough to add 2-4 drops of oil to boiled water and breathe for 10-15 minutes. After such procedures, the woman will stop coughing in 3-5 days.
2. Rinsing. One of the most popular and effective home remedies. Apply up to 10-12 times a day. For prevention, you can gargle for a month. Relieves cough and tickling in a fairly quick time (5-6 days). Decoctions of calendula, sage, and chamomile are used as rinses. To prepare a decoction, pour boiling water over two large spoons of dry herbs and infuse for 10-15 minutes.
3. Dry compresses with cottage cheese. You need to take 100-150 cottage cheese, spread it in a layer of 1-2 cm on gauze, put a compress on the throat, cover it with plastic, wrap it with a warm cloth or scarf. The throat is wrapped in cloth and held for 3 hours. The cottage cheese is washed off with warm water.
4. Milk and honey. A tasty and at the same time medicinal drink. It is allowed to be taken only if the baby has not been found to have an allergic reaction to honey. To create such a medicine, add 2-3 teaspoons of honey to hot milk.
5. Raspberry decoction. Dried raspberries are placed in a saucepan and 200 ml of boiling water is poured in, the product is boiled for 5 minutes. Consumed warm.

Herbal infusions can also be used orally; they are drunk warm.

Is it possible to breastfeed if you have a cough?

During a cough, you should not roll off the GV. Mother's milk only strengthens the baby's defense mechanisms and helps him resist various diseases.

The only exception is the situation when a nursing mother is prescribed antibiotics during lactation. In this combination of circumstances, breastfeeding is not completely curtailed: the child is temporarily transferred to an artificial formula. To avoid the development of lactostasis or mastitis, the mother must express milk on a schedule throughout the entire period of taking antibiotics. This is done so that after the end of therapy, natural feeding can be resumed.

Bibliography:

1. Use of cough and cold medications while breastfeeding - University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Pharmacy Practice 60612, USA (publication dated 12/15/1999).

Oversleep during breastfeeding

Prospan can be considered the optimal choice in the treatment of acute bronchitis. Ivy extract has powerful expectorant properties, and in recommended doses does not have a toxic effect on the human body. Moreover, Prospan can be given even to infants in the form of syrup, so if the components get into breast milk, nothing bad will happen to the child.

The medicine is also good because it contains other medicinal herbs that enhance the therapeutic effects of ivy extract. The syrup comes with a measuring cup, which makes measuring the dosage quite easy. It has a cherry taste, and the sweetener is fructose, which is not dangerous for breastfeeding. Does not contain artificial colors or preservatives.