Cough accompanies a variety of diseases, especially often children encounter it. Cough medications ease overall well-being and reduce chest discomfort during intense seizures. One of the most effective and safe means for babies is Althea syrup. It contains only natural components, therefore it is allowed for use in pediatric practice.
Material Content:
- 1 Syrup Althea: release form, composition
- 2 Pharmacological properties and indications for use
- 3 At what age can children be given?
- 4 What cough should I take syrup when dry or wet?
- 5 Althea syrup: instructions for use for children
- 6 Drug Interactions with Other Drugs
- 7 Contraindications, side effects
- 8 Analogs
- 9 Proper storage conditions for the drug
Syrup Althea: release form, composition
Althea Syrup is a popular cough treatment that is available from various pharmaceutical companies. The main active ingredient is marshmallow root extract. 100 ml of the preparation contains 0.15 g of plant material. The remaining volume of the drug is sugar syrup based on water or ethanol.
Before giving the child syrup, you should carefully study the composition. The drug is produced by different manufacturers, some of them produce a tool based on ethanol.
The medicine is a syrup, has a sweet taste and a specific smell. It is sold in dark glass bottles of 125 ml or 200 ml. Each bottle is packed in a cardboard box with enclosed instructions for use and a measuring spoon.
Pharmacological properties and indications for use
The marshmallow root is an agent with expectorant and mucolytic properties, which has long been used by folk healers.The root contains about 35% of a special plant mucus that has anti-inflammatory and enveloping effects. The drug improves the production of sputum, dilutes it, and stimulates expectoration, thereby contributing to the rapid relief of cough.
Properties of the drug:
- anti-inflammatory effect;
- increase immunity;
- relief of coughing attacks;
- inhibition of the cough reflex;
- acceleration of recovery.
The drug can be taken for children over two years old. Despite the fact that the medicine is dispensed without a prescription, it is recommended to consult a doctor about the advisability of using this tool.
In the official instructions, the following indications for use are stated:
- tracheitis;
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- whooping cough;
- asthma.
According to the doctor’s prescription, the syrup can also be used for other diseases of the respiratory tract, accompanied by an unproductive cough.
At what age can children be given?
Marshmallow syrup for children is allowed to be taken from the age of two. In this case, the drug is drunk according to the instructions, which detail the allowable dosage. If there is no ethanol in the syrup, it is allowed to give it to babies from one year old. The dosage is selected individually by the pediatrician, and depends on the type and intensity of the cough, as well as the weight of the child.
For children under 12 months of age, the drug is given only as directed by a doctor. Self-treatment of infants with syrup is unacceptable.
What cough should I take syrup when dry or wet?
Parents often wonder what cough the marshmallow root syrup is, because this information is not exactly indicated in the official instructions. In fact, this medicine refers to a few universal drugs that can be taken with any type of cough.
With a wet cough, the syrup contributes to the rapid elimination of sputum and relieves inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. With dry unproductive cough, this drug acts in two directions at once - it suppresses the cough reflex, reducing the intensity of attacks, and stimulates the secretion of sputum, converting a dry cough into a wet one. These features are responsible for a wide range of indications for the use of the drug.
Althea syrup: instructions for use for children
The drug can be taken by people of all ages. Children's dosages depend on the age and weight of the child, but instructions on how to take Althea syrup for adults are described in detail: one measuring spoon (it can be replaced with a tablespoon) up to 6 times a day.
The drug is allowed to be taken within 10 days. If in the middle of the course of therapy the symptoms have not decreased, it is recommended to consult a doctor about changing the treatment regimen.
Dosage for children
The syrup has a specific taste and may contain a small amount of ethanol, in connection with which it is better for babies to give it with water.
Dosages by age:
- 2-6 years: a small spoon twice a day;
- 6-12 years: a dessert spoon in the morning and evening;
- over 12 years: a tablespoon up to 4 times a day.
The medicine should be diluted in half a glass of water at a comfortable temperature. For children under two years of age, the dosage is selected individually by the doctor. The drug has pronounced expectorant and mucolytic properties, which is dangerous for babies up to a year, since they still do not fully cope with the cough reflex.
How to take syrup before or after a meal?
The instructions say that the remedy must be taken before meals. Nevertheless, you can often find recommendations that it is better to drink syrup immediately after eating. This is erroneous information, since the marshmallow root and the forming components of the syrup can irritate the stomach and increase the acidity of the gastric juice. In this case, taking the drug 15-20 minutes before a meal minimizes the risks of the appearance of negative reactions from the gastrointestinal tract.
Drug Interactions with Other Drugs
Accurate studies of the drug interaction of marshmallow root extract with other drugs have not been conducted. In this regard, it is recommended to take the syrup separately from other drugs, maintaining a gap of 2 hours. This will prevent possible negative reactions.
Any cough medicine cannot be combined with other medicines of a similar effect, and syrup from the marshmallow root is no exception. Expectorants are not taken with antitussive drugs (codeine).
Contraindications, side effects
The product belongs to phyto drugs, therefore it is safe and well tolerated. The only absolute contraindication to the appointment is intolerance to the main active substance.
The drug contains a large amount of glucose. Patients with diabetes should be careful while taking the drug.
Side effects caused by taking the drug are associated with an allergic reaction. This is manifested by skin rash and urticaria. If symptoms of intolerance appear, the medicine should be discontinued.
Analogs
If an allergic reaction occurs, it is advisable to replace the drug with a drug with similar properties, but with a different composition.
Children older than two years with a dry cough are prescribed:
- Herbion with plantain;
- Linkas;
- Dr. Mom.
These preparations contain plant extracts, have anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects.
Syrups for babies from a productive cough:
- licorice root syrup;
- Herbion with primrose;
- Prospan.
The only drug that can be used to treat cough in the smallest is Prospan. The instructions declare the age of 12 months.
It is important to remember that any drugs for children under 5 years of age should be prescribed by a pediatrician. Self-medication can lead to the development of dangerous consequences. All of the listed analogues of Althea syrup contain extracts of medicinal herbs that are potentially dangerous for the risk of an allergic reaction.
Proper storage conditions for the drug
Syrup should be stored only in the original bottle, tightly closing the lid after each use. The bottle should be in a dark, cool place, away from sunlight. Since the drug contains natural extracts, the formation of sediment is allowed - this does not affect the effectiveness of the drug.
The syrup is valid for one and a half years after the date of manufacture. After the bottle is opened, the syrup must be used within two weeks. To store an open bottle is recommended in the refrigerator, at a temperature of 4-60 C.
