Beyond winter, cough affects children and adults at any time of the year.. There are several types of coughs, one of which is a dry cough. In children it sometimes seems difficult to relieve and treat it, but there are many home remedies that are effective for it.
The dry type of cough is very characteristic. It occurs when there is an absence of mucus or phlegm, and may occur in cases of flu but not always. It is always necessary to visit the doctor, although the natural remedies presented in this article can be effective in treating dry cough in children.
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Tips and home remedies to relieve dry cough in children.
Dry cough in children can be very annoying.. It occurs because there is an inflammation in the airways and the body tries to expel the feeling it generates and the mucus. Coughs are often worse at night, so it is important to relieve dry coughs and treat them.
As long as a dry cough in children is not accompanied by shortness of breath, fever or other symptoms, it can be treated at home with these tips and a little patience. It is important to note that all of the following remedies are applicable only for children over two years of age.
1. Drink plenty of water
If the dry cough is not very intense, it can be relieved with water.. Water should be drunk alone, without fruit or additional sugars. The intention is to refresh the throat and larynx, as well as to moisten them.
On the other hand, drinking water is always a great help to soften and expel the mucus that may be in the upper respiratory tract, being a quick and easy alternative to relieve dry cough.
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2. Honey with lemon
The mixture of honey with lemon is perfect to relieve coughs.. It also has a pleasant taste, so it is not difficult for children to want to drink it. Honey helps soothe irritations, while lemon helps fight throat infections.
A dry cough can be caused by throat irritation. That is why this natural remedy is very effective. Just add the juice of a lemon to 4 tablespoons of honey and mix them to take whenever you feel discomfort or cough intensifies.
3. Sleeping on an incline
At night, it is common for the cough to get worse.. To prevent this situation, it is necessary to tilt the bed a little. This helps the phlegm, if there is any, not to accumulate and stagnate causing coughing.
It is enough to place some extra pillows so that the child’s position is more inclined than usual. It is important that he/she is comfortable, that is, he/she should not be completely seated or with the head in an inadequate position.
4. Take care of the air you breathe
If there are children nearby, you should never smokeThe responsibility of adults is to prevent children from smoking. The responsibility of adults is to prevent cigarette smoke from reaching the child, as this can worsen a clinical condition.
In addition, it will never be good for the child to be constantly with people who smoke, and if the child has a cough, it should definitely be avoided at all costs. The ideal is to purify the air as much as possible with plants that clean the air.
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5. Onion
The onion can be used as a home remedy to treat coughs.. But not to worry, it is not about making the child eat onion. Surely it would not be easy to achieve this.
The onion in this case is cut and placed next to the child’s bed. It is only necessary to cut it in half and leave it near where he sleeps. The vapors given off by this vegetable help to loosen the phlegm and deflate the throat.
6. Do not drink cold beverages
During a coughing episode, it is advisable not to drink cold things.. In addition to worsening the clinical picture, cold things make the phlegm and mucus thicken. It is important to remember that a hot drink can help to reduce throat inflammation.
For this reason it is always recommended to drink herbal teas. It can be ginger, chamomile or some innocuous herb. If it is also sweetened with honey, no child will be able to resist.
7. Keep the environment humid
To alleviate dry coughs, it is best to humidify the room, especially at night.especially at night. It is necessary to maintain a humid environment where the child goes to sleep, because it improves the dry cough a lot. If it is with a humidifier, it is much easier to achieve it.
If you do not have a humidifier at home, you can improvise with a homemade one. A container with hot water can also work very well. Also, a great idea is to add eucalyptus to make an infusion.
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8. Chocolate bonbons
Have you ever heard of this remedy? A cup of chocolates with chocolates seems the perfect remedy for those with a sweet tooth. The truth is that this home remedy of some grandmothers has no scientifically proven effectiveness, but it is the favorite of many children and even adults.
Just heat milk (with or without chocolate) and add some chocolates. In the old days, chocolates were made with the marshmallow plant, which had healing properties. Hence the origin of this home remedy, which some people still say is very effective even though science says otherwise.
9. Salt gargle
In older children it is possible to relieve dry coughs with salt gargles.. It is important that the child already knows how to gargle and cooperates with the procedure. Just dissolve a little salt (one tablespoon) in a cup of warm water.
Gargle with this water mixed with salt, which can be repeated several times during the day. In addition to moisturizing, this home remedy helps to deflate the throat, and thanks to this, dry cough in children is considerably reduced.
10. Be attentive to any change
Dry cough is one of the various types of cough.. However, the child may have other types of cough and each may require special treatment. If there is a cough with phlegm, other home remedies may help.
Also be on the lookout for wheezing or whistling sounds. If they occur, the best thing to do is to go to the doctor, because it could actually be bronchitis or an asthma attack.
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