Treatment of cough and fever

The prescription of special means to fight the infection, is the responsibility of specialists. Here there can be no advice and recommendations from the outside. Moreover, the uncontrolled use of such potent agents as antibiotics has led to the fact that many of them have become ineffective in the fight against pathogens that previously showed sensitivity to the drug. Antibiotic resistance is not only the result of the evolution of microorganisms, but also our fault.

Medications

Let's forget for a while about potent drugs and pay attention to symptomatic therapy, since the topic of our conversation is cough and fever as symptoms of disease of the body. Treatment of fever usually does not cause much difficulty. The choice of antipyretics is relatively small, but this is not necessary, given that to reduce fever usually use drugs based on paracetamol or acetylsalicylic acid. Less often ibuprofen is used for these purposes, as one of the most popular and budgetary NSAIDs with analgesic and antipyretic effect.

For the treatment of children and people with stomach and intestinal diseases, the drug of choice is "Paracetamol" and its analogs ("Anapiron", "Eferalgan", "Grippostad", "Panadol", "Piaron", etc.).

"Panadol" - a drug based on paracetamol - a substance with analgesic and antipyretic properties. For the treatment of adults and children over 6 years old, you can use tablets that have a gentle effect on the gastric mucosa due to the protective coating. For children, a suspension with a pleasant taste and strawberry flavor is produced, which can be used to treat infants from 3 months of age. Under the same name sell and rectal suppositories to relieve fever in children over six months old. The drug is prescribed for colds, flu and other diseases accompanied by pain and fever.

In the acute period of the disease (usually within 3 days) tablets are prescribed up to 4 times a day. The dose for children under 12 years of age is 0.5-1 tablet per administration. Older patients can take 1-2 tablets at a time, but not more than 8 per day.

When taking the medicine, you should make sure that the interval between single doses of the drug is not less than 4 hours.

The pediatric suspension is suitable for the treatment of children under 12 years of age. For convenient dosing, it is supplied with a measuring syringe. Safe dosage is determined based on the body weight (age) of the patient. Up to 3 months, the suspension can be given to children in doses specified by the doctor, then focus on the table in the annotation to the drug. The single dose of the drug for children should not exceed 15 mg/kg (60 mg/kg per day).

Rectal suppositories in pharmacies can be found of 2 types: for babies up to 2.5 years old and children 3-6 years old. The daily dose according to age is 3-4 suppositories, which are put at intervals of 4-6 hours. Gently with clean hands inserted into the child's anus in the position on the side.

Choosing a remedy for fever, it is necessary to take into account its possible contraindications. For "Panadol" in tablets, such contraindications are severe liver and kidney disease, persistently elevated blood bilirubin, alcoholism, blood diseases, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and anemia as its result.

The same contraindications apply to pediatric preparations. The use of rectal suppositories is impossible if the child has had inflammation of the rectum the day before or in the presence of rectal bleeding.

A common contraindication for all medications is hypersensitivity to any of the drug components.

All possible side effects during treatment with paracetamol preparations are very rare. The most frequent are nausea and vomiting, pain in the epigastrium. There may be an increased risk of bleeding, allergic reactions, bronchospasms and anaphylaxis in patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance.

"Ibuprofen" - a popular drug from the category of NSAIDs, which can also be used to reduce fever and inflammation. Today, in addition to film-coated tablets, ibuprofen can be purchased in the form of effervescent tablets, capsules, children's suspension and rectal suppositories used for fever in children under 2 years of age.

Tablets and capsules are intended for treatment of patients over 6 years of age, pediatric forms of the drug are used from 3 months and earlier (by doctor's prescription). Up to six months, the dose of oral suspension is determined by the attending physician, dosages for children of older age are reflected in the instructions for the drug: 2, 5 ml for infants up to a year, 5 ml for 1-3 years, 7.5 ml for children younger than 6 years, 10 ml for 6-9 years. Adolescents 9-12 years old take 15 ml of suspension per reception. The frequency of administration is standard - 3 times a day for 3 days.

Tablets are given to children 6-12 years of age at a dosage of 1 tablet (200 mg) twice daily. Patients weighing more than 30 kg can take 2 tablets at a time. The next dose of the medicine can be taken not earlier than 4 hours later.

Rectal suppositories are used 3 times a day if treating a child 3-9 months old, and 4 times a day if the patient is more than 9 months old.

In addition to hypersensitivity to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs, the drug has other contraindications: active gastric and duodenal ulcer, bleeding from the GI tract, severe heart, kidney and liver diseases. It is also undesirable to take the drug for expectant mothers in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Side effects of "Ibuprofen" usually appear with prolonged use. Treatment of fever and fever for 3 days in the vast majority of cases is without consequences.

Treatment of cough in colds aims to make the symptom more productive. For this purpose, expectorants and mucolytics are used.

Let's not go far, searching for expensive touted cough remedies, and let's stop at the drug, which is favored by doctors. "Ambroxol" - an excellent budgetary remedy that facilitates the coughing up of sputum, liquefying it and stimulating the promotion of respiratory tracts. Today, the drug can be bought both in the form of tablets and in the form of syrup, which can be used to treat children over 2 years old.

Tablets are recommended to be taken whole after meals. Patients over 12 years of age "Ambroxol" tablets are taken according to the scheme: the first 2-3 days - 1 tablet three times a day, the next - the same single dose, but 2 times a day.

Syrup is also given to children 2-3 times a day, and it is not necessary to take the medicine exactly after meals. Up to two years of age, the dose and frequency of drug administration is prescribed by a pediatrician. Patients 2-6 years old are given the drug three times a day for 0.5 tsp. Children 6-12 years old with the same frequency of intake can be given 1 tsp. Of the drug, and older patients - 2 tbsp.

The main contraindication to taking the drug is considered to be individual sensitivity to its components. Caution should be observed in case of gastric and duodenal ulcers, convulsive syndrome, pregnancy (penetrates the placental barrier, but has no teratogenic effect). It is not recommended to take the drug during lactation, as ambroxol penetrates into breast milk.

"Ambroxol" is a drug with a low probability of side effects. The most frequent symptom is nausea, gastrointestinal disorders and decreased acuity of taste perception are also possible. Abdominal pain, vomiting, skin rashes and some other non-serious health disorders occur rarely.

Fans of natural treatment to combat a painful cough can be offered syrup and drops (solution) "Gedelix" based on ivy extract. The drug increases bronchial secretion, liquefies sputum, relieves spasms of the muscles of the respiratory tract. All this makes the cough more productive, and expectoration of sputum is relatively easy.

Ivy preparations are allowed for children from 2 years of age. Both drops and syrup are used undiluted, although children can add it to tea or fruit juice to improve the taste.

Babies 2-4 years syrup is given in a dosage of 2.5 ml, a single dose of the solution - 16 drops. Frequency of use 3 times a day.

For children 4-10 years old, the same dose of syrup is given 4 times a day. The solution can be offered three times a day with 21 drops.

Patients over 10 years of age should take the syrup in a dosage of 5 ml or a solution of 31 drops three times a day.

The drug should not be taken by patients with hypersensitivity to its components, give to children under 2 years of age without consulting a doctor. Caution should be observed in patients with bronchial asthma, urea metabolism disorder, hypersensitivity of the respiratory tract, which may occur with severe inflammation.

Side effects from taking "Gedelix" drugs are usually of 2 types: allergic reactions and symptoms of digestive system disorders (nausea, vomiting, stool disturbance, discomfort in the epigastrium).

It should be borne in mind that, despite the long shelf life of natural preparations "Gedelix" (5 years), after opening the bottle they can be used only for six months.

Cough medicines that control the cough reflex at a fever indicating acute inflammation are highly undesirable. On the contrary, it is necessary to promote more active excretion of sputum together with pathogens.

Folk treatment

High fever and cough in such a combination is always a sign of a pathological process in the body. And although these symptoms are just a response of the body to the damaging effect of pathogens, they should be treated very carefully. It is clear that if it is an infection, then without strong antimicrobial agents often can not do without (unless the infection turns out to be viral), but to reduce the off the scale thermometer and relieve coughing can be and folk methods, especially if there are no suitable drugs at hand.

The easiest thing to deal with is fever. Sometimes even well-known antipyretics do not help to bring down the temperature by even half a degree. But just wipe your face, hands and feet with cool water and put a cloth soaked in cold water on your forehead, as the temperature on the thermometer starts to inexorably decrease.

Rubbing the body can be done both with pure water and solutions of vodka and vinegar on water. Vodka for adults can be used in pure form, but children must be diluted in equal proportions with water. It is not necessary to add a lot of vinegar to the water, 1 tbsp of vinegar is enough for half a liter of water.

You can use a fan to reduce your baby's fever by directing the airflow to your baby. If the room is warm and the baby is feverish, you can wrap a wet sheet around the baby.

It is popularly believed that to reduce fever it is good to sweat well. Any hot drinks and dishes have diaphoretic effect. But at a temperature of 39 degrees and above, preference is better to give warm drinks with lime and raspberry, tea from elderberry and mint, juices (lingonberry, cranberry, red or black currant, citrus fruits with a high content of vitamin C), milk with onion or garlic with the addition of honey, if there is no allergy to bee products. Grated jam from fresh berries can also be useful.

By the way, in any cold is very useful not only to drink juices, but also to consume oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines in fresh form (so they retain the maximum amount of vitamin C, which helps to relieve fever). Citrus fruits help not only to saturate the weakened body with vitamins, but also to cope with thirst - a companion of fever.

Those who do not have an aversion to onions, you can offer such a universal recipe for colds and fever: onions and apples chopped on a grater, add honey (all 1 tbsp.), mix well and take before the main meals of 1 tbsp. Tbsp.

With coughs without pharmacy drugs to fight a little more difficult, but also possible. If the cough is dry non-productive (sputum does not come off), you need to as soon as possible transfer it to productive wet, which best of all helps to do black radish. It can be used in different ways:

• grate it and add honey,
• Squeeze the juice from the grated radish, and then mix it with honey and carrot juice,
• make a hollow in the root, pour honey into it and wait until the radish empties juice (you get a viscous syrup).

Any of the medications based on radish apply 1 tbsp. At intervals of 1 hour.

Another option for treating dry cough is to drink up to 3 times a day milk, in which the onion has been previously boiled. Honey helps to improve the taste of the drink and enhances its effect.

Onions can also be used to make a sweet syrup for coughs and colds. It is enough to chop the onion, add honey to it and leave to let the juice flow. Onion syrup should be taken 0.5-1 tbsp. Several times a day.

To increase the productivity of a wet cough, you can take 3-4 times a day a mixture of honey and vegetable oil (better olive oil). Products are mixed 1:1. Take the medicine by 1 tsp.

Low-productive cough with difficult expectoration of sputum is useful to treat with compresses. For compresses you can use such compositions:

• Honey (it is better to take liquid, thick is kept in a water bath until dissolved),
• honey, black radish juice and mustard powder (in equal parts),
• warm potato pore, to which you can add vodka to enhance the effect, etc.

Compresses placed on the chest and back have a warming effect, relieve coughing and mucus from the bronchi, but to achieve a good effect, after removing them from the body, you need to stay in bed for a while. If you have a high temperature, you should be careful with such treatment, because the thermometer may jump even more.

Inhalation has a good expectorant effect. The simplest and most accessible procedures are steam inhalations with baking soda or potato broth. Sputum after them comes off easily and in greater quantity. But when the temperature is better to conduct inhalation nebulizer (not heat) or breathe over a cut onion.

Coughs in adults and children can be treated with a long-known tasty remedy called "eggnog". It is prepared from simple products: a piece of butter, a spoonful of honey, egg yolk (all well rubbed) and a glass of milk (hot, but not boiling).

If the cough is dry, in this composition add baking soda on the tip of a teaspoon or change the recipe: remove the milk, but introduce a drop of iodine into the kneaded butter-honey-egg mass.

Herbal treatment

In the folk treatment of cough and fever, in addition to foodstuffs, herbs are also used. Some plants useful for relieving fever, we have already mentioned, talking about useful drinks. Antipyretic properties have leaves and flowers of linden, raspberry, currant. Useful will be a tea of elderberry flowers and mint leaves, as well as infusion of willow bark or flowers of laburnum - plants with a high content of salicylates (remember, aspirin). 1-2 tsp. Of this or that plant material is poured a glass of boiling water, insist and take 2-3 glasses a day.

Ginger root, which can be grated and mixed with honey (sugar), is good for both coughs and fever. Children over 2 years old can prepare a useful thick syrup. For 1 tsp. Crushed ginger take a cup of sugar, add a little water and heat the mixture on low heat (you need to stir all the time) until it becomes transparent and thick. The syrup is given to children and adults ½ tsp. Up to 3 times a day.

With dry and wet low-productive cough is a good help and licorice root, which in the pharmacy can be bought in dry and liquid (syrup) form. Dry raw materials are used as follows: 1 tbsp. Of grass to a glass of boiling water, boil and insist for 2 hours. Take 1 tbsp. Up to 5 times a day.

Increases the productivity of coughs althea root, mother and stepmother, primrose, plantain, oregano, ivy, Ledum, which have an outstanding expectorant effect, which is recognized even by doctors. These herbs have long been used to treat coughs, and their relevance has not been lost to this day.

But if the cough occurs against a background of fever, it means that we are talking about an infection, and only expectorants and mucolytics to treat is not effective. In this case, herbal collections will be of great benefit, in which it is necessary to add herbs with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action: St. John's wort, calendula, chamomile, sage, eucalyptus, yarrow.

Cough herbs in folk medicine are used internally in the form of decoctions and infusions, often with honey - a natural antibiotic, effective against most pathogens. These same compositions (without honey) can be used as a solution for inhalation, and such treatment gives a faster effect. But it should be remembered that steam inhalation with cough and fever can worsen the patient's condition.

Homeopathy

Few people do not know what homeopathy is and how much its approaches to the treatment of diseases differ from the classical methods of traditional medicine. If a doctor, having found out that the patient has a high fever and cough, prescribe him separate drugs from the causative agent of the disease, from cough and fever, homeopath can do with one or two drugs that will have a complex effect. And it will not be a cure, but help the body to be able to defeat the disease on its own.

Many homeopathic remedies are known to be able to deal with fever and fever. Aconite, Antimonium tartaricum, Apis melifica, Argentum nitricum, Arnica montana, Arsenicum album and Arsenicum iodatum are examples of such remedies (the full list includes about 267 names of homeopathic remedies).

Most homeopathic remedies contribute to the normalization of body temperature already by virtue of the fact that they help the body to restore disturbed functions, including thermoregulation. But the homeopath does not prescribe drugs at random according to the list, and takes into account other symptoms of the disease, their cause, constitutional and mental characteristics of the patient. It is difficult to achieve a reduction in temperature on the background of stress, if you treat only the symptoms of a cold, and therefore it is very important to get to the bottom of the disease, and not to fixate only on symptomatic therapy.

In the above short list, Apis melifica is most suitable for fever and cough, because these are the symptoms listed in the description of the homeopathic remedy. But an experienced homeopath will look at the nature of the symptoms, the patient's condition, his reaction to the symptoms, and his physique before prescribing a suitable remedy.

For example, in dry painful cough caused by hypothermia, in the presence of fever, the doctor is likely to prescribe not Apis, and Aconite.If the cough is accompanied by a sore throat, Beladonna is more suitable. The combination of nighttime dry cough with hoarseness of voice, dry throat and soreness in the chest, indicating the development of bronchitis, will greatly benefit Bryonia.

Rumex crispus helps to defeat attacks of productive cough at night, which are aggravated by cold. But if the attacks are intensified by warm air, Drosera is more suitable.

Selecting an effective homeopathic remedy is a whole science that cannot be mastered in 5 minutes. But there are not so many real homeopathic specialists, so homeopathic treatment does not always give results. But if you do not even look for a specialist, some homeopathic remedies can be found in an ordinary pharmacy.

Syrup "Stodal" - a complex homeopathic remedy for cough with bronchodilator, expectorant and mucolytic action. Children over 2 years of age 3-5 times a day give 1 tsp. Of this syrup, adults - 3 tsp.

Syrup has few contraindications. Usually it is not prescribed for intolerance to the components of the drug, including disorders of sugar metabolism. Side effects occur only if contraindications are ignored and manifest themselves in the form of allergic reactions.

Despite the high effectiveness of the drug for symptomatic treatment of cough, you should still realize that a high fever with cough is most often an indicator of an infectious disease. Therefore, without consulting a specialist and treating the cause of the disease can not do without it.