What exactly is cough cold syrup?
By the time your child attains the age of 2, he/she is likely to suffer from approximately 10 bouts of the common cold as per the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics ). While there is no proper cure for colds and must pass within a week to 10 days, parents can easily find plenty of cough cold syrup on pharmacy shelves.
When we talk about the common cold, medicines help us get relief from certain symptoms, but they do not cure the disease. Medicines such as dry cough syrup you purchase without a prescription help relieve aches and pains during common colds such as runny nose, fever, or coughs.
Not much evidence supports that these medications work more efficiently than home remedies. Sometimes, some children can even experience some negative side effects. Thus, it is always recommended that children should be given only medicines prescribed by their healthcare providers.
Different types of cough cold syrup for kids
In order to treat the symptoms of colds in children, there are four different types of medications available in the market such as:
Decongestants
This type of medicine is used to get relief from symptoms such as a stuffy nose or a child’s congestion. They are available either in the form of liquid, tablets multivitamin, drops, or nose spray. The active ingredient present in most decongestants can be either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine.
Antihistamines
This type of medication helps to get relief from symptoms such as sneezing, congestion, runny nose, or itchy eyes. So many different types of antihistamines are available, all with a range of active ingredients.
Cough Suppressants
This kind of medication helps to suppress a cough by gently blocking the cough reflex in your body. The most common cough suppressant prescribed to kids by doctors is dextromethorphan.
Pain relievers and fever reducers
There are mainly two types of drugs available to ease pain and reduce fever: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen. Since both these medications are also used in the treatment of the common cold and sinus pressure, the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to read labels properly before they start taking this medication.
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How to select the best cough cold syrup?
If your child is below the age of four years old, the AAP does not recommend giving them any type of cold medicine. In addition, the AAP also advises caution in children between the age of 4 and 6, making sure that it is done only under the supervision of a doctor. The primary reason is that dry syrup for cough is extremely effective in this age group and thus can cause adverse side effects.
If it becomes absolutely essential to give cold medicines to children above the age of 6, it is recommended to give a medicine with fewer ingredients. The AAP recommends caregivers give only those medicines to children that are prescribed by their physicians as it involves risks such as:
- Giving an incorrect dosage to your child.
- It may lead to accidental poisoning if a child sees the bottle and consumes it.
- The brands might get mixed, thus possibly giving the wrong combination of ingredients to your child.
- Breathing might get slowed down due to too much cough suppressant.
- Accidentally giving the adult cough medicine to your child.
When is it safe for kids to take cold medicine?
When we talk about giving cold medicines to kids, the AAP has issued recommendations to avoid giving these types of medications to the younger population. Let us understand certain guidelines that the AAP has given to administer cold medicine to children.
- These medications should not be given to children that are below four years old.
- For children that are between the age of 4 to 6, take recommendations from your paediatrician before giving them to your child.
- For children that are above the age of 6 years, cold medicines may be given to children but by following strict adherence to the dosage as recommended in the prescription.
Parents must pay special attention as cold medicines can be potentially dangerous for children if given incorrect dosages or more than the recommended dosage. Thus, it is always safe and advised to consult your doctor if you start with any type of medication for your children.
However, there are certain remedies that you can try to give your kids relief from their symptoms.
- Use the power of steam to give your kids relief from a runny nose. Steam helps to moisten nasal congestion thus proving to be quite effective.
- Parents can even try a combination of suctioning and saline nasal drops with a nasal aspirator commonly available in most pharmacies.
- Give your kids plenty of fluids throughout the day to improve breathing and alleviate mucus.
