Cough syrup for children, list of effective drugs

Parents are usually very concerned when their child develops a cough. It can be dry or more productive - wet in nature. Chronic exacerbation of symptoms in autumn and spring should cause increased interest in the condition of the baby’s body. Choosing cough syrup for children can be very difficult, since the modern drug market offers many different drugs. You should listen to the advice of the pediatrician who is seeing the child. But studying the effects of the most popular cough remedies will also be very useful.

Types of syrups

Medicines of this form have the following features:

They are convenient to dose. Usually a measuring spoon or cup comes with the bottle;
Cough syrups have a pleasant, often sweetish taste. Children drink them with great pleasure. Many products do not contain alcohol or sugar;
a large selection of syrups allows you to choose a treatment for the most picky baby;
The medicine is sold ready-made. It usually does not need to be supplemented or diluted.

When choosing children's cough syrup, you need to have an idea of the principle of its effect.

For example, expectorants are not prescribed for dry cough. The list of syrups is divided into three main groups:

antitussive, suppressive reflexes, affecting the corresponding parts of the brain;
expectorants, to dilute accumulated mucus in the bronchial trunk and remove it from the child’s body;
Mucolytic drugs are used for thick, difficult-to-separate sputum.

For what pathologies are syrups prescribed?

Liquid forms of medicines are mainly prescribed to patients with infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract - sore throat, laryngitis, pharyngitis. Such drugs also help eliminate sore throat caused by:

severe irritation that occurs due to inhalation of polluted, smoky air;
overstrain of the vocal cords, which often bothers representatives of certain professions (singers, teachers, announcers, actors);
allergic reactions causing swelling, redness, itching, frequent coughing;
chronic runny nose, in which the resulting mucus flows down the back wall of the larynx, causes irritation, promotes the active proliferation of bacteria, and the sensation of the presence of a foreign object in the larynx.

The use of syrups becomes relevant with the development of reflux disease, which is associated with gastric juice entering the esophagus and causing discomfort in the throat.

How to treat children's cough

In children, a similar symptom develops rapidly. First, bacteria or viruses settle in the nasopharynx, after which they quickly penetrate the bronchi and lungs, causing coughing up sputum. But in young children this process is difficult due to the imperfection of their respiratory system.

Cough is not a separate disease. This is a protective reaction of the body that can occur from dust or exposure to other allergens. In a healthy baby, rare, one-time coughing is the norm. But with colds, this symptom intensifies, leaving no rest either day or night. The child sleeps poorly and refuses to eat. In this case, you need to start treatment as quickly as possible.

After examination, the doctor will recommend the best cough syrup according to the diagnosis. The goal of treatment for dry cough is to transform it into a wet cough, which will be more productive, after which expectorants are prescribed. Antitussives and mucolytics are not used together; they have different purposes and mechanisms of action on the body.

How do sore throat syrups work?

Note! To begin with, it is worth mentioning the advantages of syrups, which include:

pleasant taste;
convenient form , allowing for the most accurate dosing of the drug;
fast digestibility.

Once inside, the syrup gently envelops the mucous membrane of the throat. At the same time , pain goes away and inflammation decreases .

In addition, syrups are quickly absorbed by the body and are carried through the bloodstream to all vital organs, destroying viruses and bacteria, as well as increasing the local natural health of the body.

Syrups for children under two years of age

A baby usually moves little and is in a lying position. This makes treatment difficult because the sputum stagnates. Therefore, children's syrups should dilute it, while simultaneously suppressing the cough reflex and gently acting on the inflamed tissue of the bronchi. Medicines prescribed for children under one year of age include:

Gedelix. This cough syrup is made from herbal ingredients, namely ivy extract. It helps remove mucus accumulated in the lungs from the body. But the medicine also has a mild antispasmodic effect, relieving tension in the bronchi and improving the condition of smooth muscles. The syrup is prescribed for dry coughs, beginning to act in the first hours of administration. Since there is no alcohol component in its composition, it has virtually no contraindications. Difficult sputum is coughed up within the first few days.
Prospan is also based on the medicinal effects of ivy. It has a combined effect and is used for any cough. The treatment period is usually from 1 to 2 weeks. This is the most proven and safe syrup.

For babies who turn one year old, the list of medications expands:

Gerbion helps best with dry cough. It is prepared on the basis of medicinal plants: mallow and plantain. When taking this medicine, the baby's throat softens, inflammation is relieved and overall immunity is increased. If the cough is wet, Herbion with primrose is suitable. It is prescribed for tracheitis and acute respiratory viral infections; it quickly clears the lungs of sputum;
Dr. Theiss is also based on the medicinal action of plantain. Effectively cleanses the lungs of viscous mucus and softens inflamed tissues. In addition, there is a cough syrup composition that includes chamomile and lemon balm. It can be used at night, making the baby's sleep more restful;
For throat diseases or bronchitis, Travisil, an effective cough syrup for children, can be prescribed. It relieves spasms and inflammation. It is based on plant materials;
Ambrobene belongs to the category of benzylamine-based mucolytics. Thanks to this, Ambrobene has secretomotor and secretolytic effects. It helps remove phlegm.

Effective products for adults

The fact is that when you cough, there is additional stress on the throat, which causes discomfort and an attack of pain.

The main components of such drugs can be herbal extracts, antibiotics, antiviral elements or anesthetics.

Solvin Bromhexine

The drug is usually prescribed to patients with ARVI and flu symptoms , which include severe sore throat and cough.
The product effectively softens the oral cavity, moisturizes the mucous membrane, fights inflammation, and also helps with the removal of sputum.

The first positive changes during treatment with Solvin Bromhexine begin to appear 2-5 days after the first dose.

In general, the course of treatment is determined by the attending physician and does not exceed 10 days. The drug is taken 3 times a day after meals.

Ambroxol

The main indications for the use of Ambroxol are laryngotracheitis and laryngitis.

Depending on this, an individual dosage is selected for each patient. Usually the course of treatment is 7-10 days .

Take 30 mg of the drug 3 times a day per day. The first improvements appear already on the 2-3rd day of treatment.

Pine honey “Breath”

This is a natural preparation that is made from natural ingredients and includes honey and pine bud extract .
The product has an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect . Prescribed for pulmonary and ENT diseases, which are accompanied by a runny nose and pain in the mouth.

Take as a dietary supplement 3 times a day . The dosage and duration of treatment are selected by the attending physician.

Golden Star

In addition, the drug is effective in case of nasal congestion. In the acute phase of the disease, the dosage is selected by the attending physician , and after recovery, the drug is taken for several more weeks.

The dosage is 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. If you are prone to frequent colds and have problems with the oral cavity, Gold Star can be taken in courses several times a year.

Doctor Mom

A natural multi-component drug that soothes pain, relieves irritation, inflammation and facilitates mucus discharge.
The course of treatment starts from 7 days and can be adjusted by the attending physician.
The drug is taken 3 times a day.

The dosage is individual for each patient.

Review of syrups for children under and over 3 years old

When a child turns 2 years old, he may be prescribed Gerbion and Pertussin. The latter medicine helps to expectorate accumulations of mucus, but is not used simultaneously with dry cough syrups. For children over 3 years of age the following is prescribed:

Doctor Mom. It belongs to drugs with combined effects, so it can be used for any type of cough. Along with mucolytic and expectorant properties, it effectively relieves inflammation. Doctor Mom is a herbal cough syrup for children and contains extracts of herbs such as licorice, aloe, ginger and elecampane. Bronchitis is often treated with this medicine.
Sinekod. Used for continuous, dry cough in children. Contains butamirate, which actively blocks the corresponding receptors in the brain. You need to use Sinekod for no more than a week, i.e. until the moment when mucus begins to be coughed up from the lungs.

What groups of drugs in syrups are used when there is a sore throat?

The range of pharmacological drugs used for sore throat is truly huge. Sometimes it is quite difficult to choose an effective remedy among the whole variety of drugs in tablets, lozenges, sprays, syrups, rinses, inhalations, injections, and so on.

Which remedy and in which dosage form should be taken for a sore throat depends on the diagnosis, type of pathogen, severity of the disease, severity of individual symptoms, age of the patient and many other factors.

One of the forms of release of drugs used to treat sore throat are syrups. Of course, the syrup itself is not a medicine, it only represents the state of the medicinal substance, the form for its use. Syrup is an easy-to-take form of the drug for the treatment of sore throat and more, more often used in pediatric practice.

After all, a child will agree to take a sweet and often pleasant-smelling medicine in the form of syrup much more willingly than, for example, a bitter and tasteless pill.

And tablets, capsules, lozenges, sprays, rinsing solutions are not suitable for treating the youngest patients, since they are simply not able to use such medications - swallow, rinse, hold their breath to take them, etc.

But do not forget, all medications must be prescribed by your doctor.

For sore throat, the following groups of drugs can be used in the form of syrup:

Antibiotics. Antibiotic syrup is needed to treat bacterial infections of the oropharynx such as sore throat. Again, the antibiotic in this dosage form is most often used in children from birth to 5-7 years.
Antipyretics. Many infectious diseases are accompanied by a rise in body temperature, which may make it necessary to take an antipyretic drug, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Antihistamines. They are also widely used in the treatment of diseases of the pharynx, pharynx and larynx, if they are accompanied by allergic manifestations or severe swelling of the mucous membrane.
Drugs affecting the cough reflex and expectorants. The widest group of drugs, the dosage form of which is syrup.
Multicomponent drugs for the symptomatic treatment of inflammation and sore throat.
Recipes based on onion juice, lemon, honey, aloe from traditional medicine.

Syrups for school children

In addition to all of the listed medications, the following medications can be used in the treatment of children under and over 6 years of age:

Ascoril. A good cough syrup is a mucolytic. Guaifenesin and bromhexine, which are part of it, have the properties of thinning viscous sputum and expectorating it. For children from 6 to 12 years old, the drug is prescribed 5–10 ml three times a day.
Fluditek. The active ingredient is carbocisteine. 5% syrup can be used to treat wet cough in adolescents. But a 2% solution is also prescribed for children. From 2 years Fluditec is prescribed 1 tsp. twice, and starting from 6 - three times a day. In addition to mucolytic, the medicine also has an immunostimulating effect.
A child from 6 years of age can already take medications such as cough syrup from plantain and coltsfoot. In addition to the indicated medicinal plants, it includes eucalyptus and mint. The course of treatment should not exceed 2 weeks.

Why syrup?

In pharmacology, syrup is a liquid dosage form in which the active ingredient of the drug is mixed with a concentrated sugar solution. All throat syrups have a thick, viscous consistency and a sweet taste.

These properties explain the prevalence of this form of medicine in pediatrics: young children usually refuse to swallow bitter tablets or capsules (babies under one year old cannot do this at all), and most babies drink the sweet and tasty syrup with pleasure. Therefore, throat syrups for children are one of the most popular medicines.

Choosing what to give your baby for a sore throat: syrup is a medicine that is convenient to give to children

The advantages of this dosage form are:

pleasant taste;
ease of dose selection (each medicine includes not only instructions for use, but also a measuring spoon);
rapid entry of the active substance of the drug into the bloodstream.

However, syrups for sore throat are not without their disadvantages:

high sugar content: such drugs are contraindicated for persons with diabetes mellitus, intolerance to lactose, maltose and other carbohydrates;
increased risk of developing an allergy to one or more components of the product.

Note! Like any other medicine, sore throat syrup should be kept out of the reach of children. Kids can drink sweet medicine, and this is fraught with the development of symptoms of drug poisoning and overdose.

Types of syrups for any age

Lazolvan (analogues - Ambrobene, Ambrohexal) based on ambroxol hydrochloride is suitable even for small children, since it does not contain alcohol additives. Has a mild expectorant effect. Lazolvan reduces inflammatory processes and improves immunity.

Marshmallow syrup quite effectively removes inflammation and irritation, making breathing easier. It is safe for young children and is often mixed into drinks.

Licorice syrup is a proven cough remedy. Based on the roots of a medicinal herb, it promotes effective expectoration of phlegm. It contains alcohol, so it should be given to very young children with caution. However, this is a fairly mild remedy, so stronger cough syrups for children from the category of expectorants should be prescribed simultaneously with it.

Alteika is a medicine containing marshmallow root extract, which helps remove phlegm from the body. To prevent it from accumulating in the bronchi, the syrup is not mixed with antitussives. Babies under one year of age require dilution with water.

Making syrups at home

What can you do if you have a cough and before seeing a doctor? First, lay the baby down and cover with a blanket. Secondly, you need to give more warm liquid. Tea with honey and lemon is suitable for this. You can also take a hot mustard bath for your feet. You just need to make sure that the child does not get burned. If your body temperature is elevated, you should not warm your feet.

In complex treatment, home remedies according to traditional medicine recipes are also used. Which syrup is best to make yourself? First of all, it is worth noting black radish juice, which has long been used to treat coughs. To do this, the unpeeled root vegetable is cut at the top and the inside is removed with a spoon to make something like a cup. Place sugar or honey inside and leave overnight. In the morning you can take the released sweet syrup, 1 tbsp. l. three times a day.

You can make onion-honey syrup. To do this, the vegetable is peeled and grated, and honey is added in a 1:1 ratio. After this, the mixture is left in a warm place for 1.5 hours. Strain and give half a teaspoon every hour. The medicinal mixture has a pleasant taste and is suitable even for infants.

A particularly effective cough medicine is an infusion of licorice root. You can add marshmallow and elecampane. Take 100 grams of each herb. and brew 0.5 liters of boiling water. The mixture is left overnight, filtered the next morning and given 50 grams. three times a day.

What does a child need to recover?

In addition to the main treatment, it is advisable for the baby to follow a rest regime. Parents need to provide him with a comfortable sleep. The room in which he is located must be clean to prevent the occurrence of an allergic cough. It is necessary to maintain the humidity level using special devices or in winter by placing towels soaked in water on the radiator.

A child should eat properly during illness.

Fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals and soups are the recommended diet for a baby. In addition to syrups, juices, compotes and tea should be served warm and much more often than for healthy children. Increasing fluid intake will aid recovery as it will help thin the phlegm.

Thus, the best cough syrups for children contain mainly herbal ingredients. Some of them can be given to even the youngest patients. Despite their safety, such products are classified as medications and therefore have their own contraindications and side effects. You need to carefully study the instructions and follow the dosages and treatment periods recommended by your doctor.