Compared with other symptoms of COVID-19, cough is not weak either. “I thought having a fever would be uncomfortable, but I didn’t expect coughing to be the worst problem.” Each sound is more rapid than the other, and each wave is more violent than the other. This is a basic practice. If the cough is serious, it will make people unable to sleep all night long, especially for babies.
What's even more disgusting is that if "concrete nose" and "knife throat" can recover in a relatively short period of time, coughing is simply a script for a long-term battle. Many people still cannot stop coughing after turning negative.
In fact, it is not only coughs caused by the new crown, but coughs all over the world are difficult to deal with. Because once you start to cough, you won’t get better within ten days and half a month.
A study in my country found that more than half of the children with acute respiratory tract infections who were treated in primary hospitals had a cough for more than 10 days, and 10% of the children had a cough for more than 25 days.
When a child coughs, few parents are calm, "The cough lasts too long, can the child bear it?" "Should we take some medicine, coughing like this is not an option"...
In fact, the international and domestic guidelines for cough medicine are relatively clear: children should not take cough medicine easily, especially for children under 4 years old (the US Food and Drug Administration has even lowered this age to 2 years old).
We have to start with "the truth about coughs" and "the truth about cough medicines".
What’s going on with the cough that makes parents restless?
In fact, coughing is a protective reflex of the body.
Cough occurs when the respiratory tract is invaded by pathogens, foreign matter, etc., which stimulates the cough receptors in the body and transmits the signal to the cough center in the brain. The brain then sends a signal to the body, causing a cough.
The airflow produced when coughing is as high as 161 kilometers per hour. Such high-speed airflow can help us remove foreign bodies, pathogens , allergens and mucus in the respiratory tract, and reduce irritation to the body.
Moreover, coughing can also improve the clearance rate of cilia in our lungs, making the lungs healthier.
People's Daily Online also published an article saying that coughing after turning negative is cleaning the garbage in the airway, and also repairing the injured airway.
So, a cough is healthier.
If you suppress the cough blindly, it will make the body unable to carry out the rejection reaction and allow some secretions that should be discharged to stay in the child's body, which is not good.
And when it comes to cough medicines, the cautious attitude of domestic and foreign authorities is not without reason, because so-called cough medicines cannot actually cure coughs.
The truth about cough medicines
Let’s take a look at the “cough cough medicine principles” of commonly used cough medicines dextromethorphan and Yitanjing.
Dextromethorphan is a central cough suppressant that relieves cough by inhibiting central nervous system .
To put it more specifically, dextromethorphan cuts off the path of cough receptors to the brain center, so that the brain cannot receive signals, and naturally it is unable to issue cough instructions.
This way the coughing really stopped. But if you think about it carefully, this method only treats the symptoms but not the root cause.
Because dextromethorphan does not help the respiratory tract to clear invading pathogens, foreign matter, etc., it just relies on "paralysis" central nervous system , which is obviously a passive and slow-down route and cannot solve the root of the problem.
Let’s take a look at Yi Tanjing. Yi Tanjing is very commonly used in life, but it is more complicated in comparison.
The main ingredients of Yitanjing are ambroxol hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride.
The main function of ambroxol hydrochloride is to eliminate phlegm. It stimulates gastric nerves, promotes the secretion of mucin in the airways, and dilutes sputum. However, using it can cause a series of gastrointestinal adverse reactions in children, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
Another ingredient, clenbuterol hydrochloride, requires more attention. It can relax the smooth muscles of the trachea, play the role of bronchiectasis , eliminate or relieve the symptoms of bronchospasm or airway stenosis, and is suitable for use in asthma or other wheezing diseases.
But in general, children’s coughs are not due to asthma, and the bronchi or airways are normal.
If clenbuterol hydrochloride is used in this situation, it will cause abnormal smooth muscle expansion, reduce the normal contraction-diastitation rhythm of the trachea and bronchi, and affect the timely discharge of mucus in the respiratory tract.
Stop recommending like this
So, cough medicine is really not just something you want to use.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) points out that the use of cough suppressants can do more harm than good. It is not recommended to use cough suppressants under 4 years old; children between 4 and 6 years old can only use them at the request of a doctor; children over 6 years old should take them according to the instructions, but be sure to pay attention to the dosage.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also strongly recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines not be given to infants and young children under 2 years of age because they may have serious and potentially life-threatening side effects. Children under 18 years of age should not use cough medicines containing codeine or hydrocodone.
If your child coughs, you might as well try these tips.
It is not recommended to take medicine. Should you just watch your child cough? In fact, there are some tricks that work well.
"Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cough in Chinese Children (2021 Edition)" points out that the effect of honey in relieving cough may be equivalent to that of dextromethorphan antitussive medicine.
WHO and AAP also recommend this. This is because honey contains a large amount of fructose and glucose, which can cause saliva secretion and respiratory mucus secretion, increase the respiratory tract sensory threshold, thereby reducing the frequency and degree of coughing.
When a child coughs, 1 spoonful of honey before going to bed (no need to mix it with water) can help the child sleep well to a great extent.
However, it should be noted that honey for cough relief can only be used for children over 1 year old. For children under 1 year old, eating honey may cause botulism . Do not try it.
In addition to honey, hard candies and syrup can also play a role in relieving coughs. The principle is the same, and parents can be flexible. As an aid, the following cough relief methods are also very useful:
1. According to Uptodate recommendations, children can also drink some warm liquids to relieve coughs. This can be taken in a quantitative amount according to the child's preference.
2. The room where the child lives should maintain appropriate humidity (preferably around 50%) and temperature (around 20°C).
3. Keep children away from second-hand smoke to avoid airway irritation. Parents should consciously not smoke in front of their children.
In the meantime, put aside your anxiety and wait patiently. While waiting, observe whether the child has the following symptoms:
- Small babies, especially those less than 6 months old, cough;
- Coughing is accompanied by accelerated breathing, or even shortness of breath;
- A barking cough occurs, and acute laryngitis should be considered when hoarseness occurs. Symptoms are generally mild during the day and worsen at night;
- cough is accompanied by yellow-green sputum or hemoptysis;
- cough is accompanied by fever, poor energy, and poor appetite;
- cough is too severe, or even spasmodic cough , or accompanied by obvious wheezing.
If there are signs that these diseases are getting worse, parents should be more vigilant and take their children to the hospital for examination in time.
I believe that after reading this article, parents can put down their anxiety and treat their children rationally when faced with their children’s coughs, and will not just worry about taking cough medicine. If you find this article useful, don’t forget to forward it to parents who need it~
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