It is not uncommon for children to become infected with a sneezing cold and cough. Coughing is usually triggered by a sore throat and occurs when the child's body is fighting a disease. Coughing is the body's defense mechanism that expels excess mucus blocking the airways.
Although this is a common occurrence, a persistent cough can cause irritation and sore throat, especially for children. Cough can disturb the sleep of babies and make parents helpless. Although there are many medicines available to treat cough, some home remedies, which are known to work wonders to control and cure cough in children, would be better to try.
There are many different types of cough, and it is important to identify its type before treating it. Therefore, before discussing the various natural remedies to cure cough for children, it is necessary to understand the different types of cough on the basis of symptoms.
Types of cough
Cough can be divided into five different types. Following are the names and characteristics of each type of cough on the basis of which it can be divided and identified:
Wet cough
Also known as a productive cough, a wet cough is one in which mucus or phlegm is present in the respiratory tract, which can cause a strong wheezing feeling in the chest. A wet cough can also be caused by reasons such as pneumonia, bronchitis or even a cold, fever or flu.
Dry cough
This type of cough is usually caused by the common flu or cold and can also be caused by lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis or asthma. It can also be caused by obstructions such as dust or smoke. There is no phlegm in dry cough.
Wheezing Cough
This wheezing cough is characteristic of a wheezing cough when the respiratory tract constricts and closes off the small airway due to inflammation, forcing that part to secrete mucus.
Croup Cuff
Also known as barking cough because it has a barking sound like a seal, croup phlegm is caused by a viral infection that clogs the upper respiratory tract resulting in a barking sound of cough.
Whooping cough
It is caused by a contagious bacterial infection also known as pertussis. The symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of dry cough. However, this cough can last for a long time and cause whooping sound.
Effective Home Remedies For Cough In Children
It is essential to identify the type of cough that your child has so that it can be cured quickly and effectively. There are various cough remedies available for babies that can be done at home and through which you can soothe your child's throat and cough in a natural way. Given below are some natural remedies for baby cough:
Gargle
Perhaps the most common and simplest way to relieve cough is to gargle with warm water. It is good to gargle at least thrice a day and adding a spoonful of salt to the gargling water provides relief from sore throat.
Honey
Honey contains anti-microbial agents that help the body fight colds. The sweetness of honey increases the production of saliva which helps in thinning the mucus. The ideal way to give honey is to mix it with a spoonful of warm water and squeeze the juice of fresh lemon into it. A good syrup is made by mixing honey with many other things for the treatment of cough.
However, it is important to note that giving honey to babies under one year of age can lead to botulism and should therefore be avoided.
Ginger
Ginger is a great home remedy to fight cold as it has antiviral properties. There are many sweet pills made from ginger available, but instead of giving it through these pills, it is best to give it directly to ginger. Add honey to neutralize the strong taste of ginger before giving it to your baby.
Give two tablespoons of the following mixture to get relief from cough:
Mix teaspoon crushed or grated ginger with equal amount of black pepper.
Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and honey to it and add two tablespoons of water to make syrup.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Known for its antibacterial properties that can eliminate pathogens in the body, apple cider vinegar is an effective home remedy for dry cough in children. Apple cider vinegar can be mixed with crushed ginger for the treatment of cough. Apart from this, the smell of vinegar is known to soothe a sore throat and can be used to soothe the baby.
Lemon
Lemon helps in improving the immune system as it has healing properties to fight disease. Lemon is commonly an ingredient in many sweet pills and medicines that help to cure sore throat and cough.
As mentioned above, honey with lemon juice is a good cough syrup. You can also ask your child to suck a slice of lemon for relief.
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