Plant coltsfoot for children cough

A special place among medicinal plants with antitussive effect belongs to coltsfoot. This herbal remedy is popularly known as «cashlegon» for its complex expectorant action. For children, the plant is prescribed in the form of syrup and brewed grass. In our article, we will analyze the composition of coltsfoot, thanks to which it helps with coughing, how to properly brew it and take it to children of different ages.

The role of plants in the treatment of cough in children

In the treatment of cough caused by bronchopulmonary diseases, a separate role is given to medicinal herbs. Most often, children are assigned coltsfoot, licorice root, anise fruit. Herbal preparations have a number of advantages over drugs of synthetic origin. It so happened that animals and plants are close in nature, therefore, vitamins, essential oils, microelements, which are in combination in plants, have a beneficial effect, cause a general therapeutic effect for humans.

This is especially important for children. Since phytopreparations have a milder and more moderate effect, the therapeutic effect develops gradually, but steadily. They have a small number of contraindications, side effects are extremely rare. Medicinal herbs are characterized by low toxicity. Thanks to these qualities, herbal medicines are safe for children and at the same time highly effective.

In 2007, the German professor Kemmerich conducted a study on the use of herbal remedies, their evaluation and safety. As a result, he found that during treatment, the severity of the disease decreased, the decrease in coughing attacks occurred faster than in children treated with synthetic drugs. Good tolerance was found in 97% of the subjects.

plant composition

Coltsfoot is a herbaceous medicinal plant that is yellow in early spring. Medicinal raw materials are the upper leaves, which are recommended to be collected in the first month of summer. These leaves contain the following essential components:

1. organic acids;

2. saponins;

3. mucous compounds;

4. tannins;

5. vitamin C;

6. inulin;

7. polysaccharides;

8. flavonoids;

9. essential oils;

10. glycosides.

Each individual component has a beneficial effect on the human body. But for the treatment of cough, it is the complex of organic acids, flavonoids, saponins, and mucous compounds that is important. It is this complex that has an antitussive effect. Envelops the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, reduces dryness, relieves inflammation. Therapeutic action of coltsfoot:

1. Liquefies mucus in the respiratory tract.

2. Stimulates the villous epithelium, which is lined with the bronchial tree.

3. Increases the efficiency of cleansing the respiratory organs from sputum.

4. Reduces spasm of the bronchi, larynx.

Thanks to the listed therapeutic effect, coltsfoot is a universal cough remedy, it has a beneficial effect on the mucous membranes of the lungs and bronchi. This plant belongs to the category of universal, since it has an effect on both the upper and lower respiratory tract, helps to relieve the inflammatory process in the throat. The coltsfoot leaf is considered a natural antibiotic and antispasmodic, capable of disinfecting and eliminating viruses.

Coltsfoot is used for various types of coughs. It can be taken not only for treatment, but also as a prophylactic. It has a wide beneficial effect, not only on the respiratory tract, but also on the whole organism, gives strength, improves tone. This herbal remedy is especially often prescribed for dry cough in children. Since it contains mucous compounds that envelop the throat, soothe and relieve irritation. In addition, polysaccharides have a softening effect, which, in addition, relieve pain.

Organic acids and saponins ensure the proper functioning of the cilia of the epithelium of the trachea and bronchi. Thus, there is a physiological rarefaction of mucus and its more active excretion. With a wet cough, carotenoids, sterols, tannins reduce the inflammatory process, improve the process of expectoration. Vitamin C helps to eliminate toxins, improve immunity.

What diseases is coltsfoot effective for?

As a result of the use of coltsfoot, the following effect was noticed:

1. A wet cough effectively clears the bronchi, which leads to a faster cessation.

2. Dry cough becomes less painful, soon turns into a productive one.

3. The quantity and intensity of antispasmodic cough decreases.

4. Residual cough is gone.

Diseases in which coltsfoot is part of complex treatment:

1. laryngitis;

2. bronchitis;

3. bronchial asthma;

4. pneumonia;

5. ORZ;

6. SARS;

7. whooping cough;

8. tracheitis.

Before you start taking coltsfoot, you need to consult a doctor, discuss with him the possibility of treatment with this herbal remedy and its dosage.

Contraindications

Despite the large number of medicinal properties, coltsfoot cannot be used in the following cases:

1. with individual intolerance;

2. liver diseases;

3. children under 3 years of age.

Features of the treatment of children

Thanks to the mother and stepmother, sputum is intensively liquefied, so pediatricians forbid it to be given to children under 3 years of age. Since they cannot yet cough up, their body suffers with a strong sputum discharge. For the treatment of children, coltsfoot is used in the following form:

1. decoction;

2. tea;

3. syrup;

4. alcohol drops.

Features of the treatment of children by coltsfoot:

1. Children from 3 to 10 years old take 1 teaspoon of ready-made raw materials per glass of water.

2. The medicine is infused for no more than half an hour.

3. The infusion is taken by children from 3 to 6 years, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals, from 6 to 10 years, the dose is increased to 1 tablespoon.

4. As a therapeutic agent, children are prescribed tea, decoction, coltsfoot infusion.

5. Alcohol infusions are prohibited for children under 5 years of age.

6. At the age of 3 to 5 years, the prepared broth is diluted with boiled water.

7. The drug is given in a warm form. It should be neither cold nor hot.

8. Children from 3 to 6 years old can be given cough syrup coltsfoot for half a teaspoon 2 times a day. Further, the dosage is increased by 2 times.

9. Treatment course — 2 weeks.

10. Alcohol infusion is diluted with water. Children from 5 to 7 years old are given 4 drops diluted with water, over 7 years old — the dose increases from 6 to 10 drops. Alcohol infusion is given an hour after eating for no more than 10 days.

Treatment by coltsfoot should not exceed 15 days. If you still need to take this herbal remedy, then take a break of 10 days. For the treatment of children under 10 years of age, this period is extended to 1 month. Then continue taking. During the year, you can not take drugs based on coltsfoot for more than 1.5 months. They contain alkaloids that can accumulate in tissues, cause intoxication, which will negatively affect the body as a whole. It is impossible to replace drug therapy with phytotherapy. Medicinal herbs can only be used as a supplement.

Forms of use of coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is available in most pharmacy antitussive fees. As a medicinal plant, it can be used, including for the treatment of children, in the following form:

1. 
   Infusion. Dried leaves are used to make it. They are filled with boiling water. The ratio is 1 to 20. Cover with warm logs and infuse for 30 minutes. The infusion is stored for no more than a day.

2. 
   Decoction. To prepare the decoction, a ratio of 1 to 20 is taken. The finished leaves of the coltsfoot are poured with water, put on a slow fire until half the volume is evaporated. Next, the finished broth is removed from the fire, cooled. Before giving it to children, it must be diluted in a ratio of 1 to 1.

3. 
   Juice. For the preparation of juice, fresh young leaves of the coltsfoot, collected at the beginning of summer, are used. They need to be washed under running water, poured over with boiling water, dried on a towel. Juice is made on a juicer. If it is not there, then you can scroll the fresh leaves in a meat grinder, squeeze through cheesecloth. Next, the juice is pasteurized, boiled for no more than 2 minutes. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Inside is given to children under 6 years of age, half a teaspoon, from 6 to 10 years — 1 teaspoon, from 10 to 12 years — half a tablespoon 3 times a day after meals.

4. 
   The syrup can be prepared at home as an extract from a fresh leaf. We take washed, scalded, dried leaves, sprinkle with sugar, crush it tightly, put it in a glass jar. The ratio of raw materials and sugar is 1 to 1. To form a syrup, the jar is removed for 14 days in a dark place. Allowed for use from 6 years old, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. From the age of 10, the dosage increases to 2 teaspoons 3 times a day after meals.

Recipes for the treatment of children

Well-known herbalists offer the following recipes, which are based on coltsfoot, for the treatment of cough in children:

1. 2 tablespoons of coltsfoot pour 1 liter of boiling water. Insist 30 minutes. Strain. If the child does not have honey intolerance, then you can add 1 teaspoon to give sweetness and a beneficial effect on the immune system.

2. To eliminate a painful paroxysmal cough, prepare an infusion of knotweed, chamomile inflorescences, coltsfoot leaf. All components are taken in equal quantities. One teaspoon of the collection is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for 30 minutes, filtered. You can add sweetness by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar to the drink.

3. 1 tablespoon of ready-made coltsfoot grass is poured with 1 liter of boiling water, infused for 60 minutes, filtered. Before use, it is better to heat in a water bath.

4. Make a collection of 15 gr. coltsfoot, 20 gr. plantain, 10 gr. primrose, 10 gr. chamomile pharmacy. Take 1 teaspoon of the prepared collection, pour a glass of boiling water, put in a water bath for 15 minutes. Remove decoction, strain.

The famous European herbalist Alexander Kostenko offers the following recipes for treating children with cough:

1. Take 1 tablespoon of coltsfoot, add 2 tablespoons of dried rose hips, pour 5 glasses of clean drinking water, brought to a boil, leave for half an hour. Add 2 tablespoons of honey, strain. The remedy not only fights cough well, but also strengthens the immune system.

2. The leaves of the coltsfoot are mixed with chopped licorice root in a ratio of 1 to 1. Pour one teaspoon of the collection with a glass of boiling water. It is better to brew in porcelain dishes. Leave for half an hour. This is a powerful remedy that can cope with a painful dry cough.

3. Mix the leaves of oregano, raspberries, currants, coltsfoot in equal amounts. Pour one teaspoon of the collection with a glass of boiling water. Insist, strain. The infusion relieves paroxysmal cough, facilitates nasal breathing, gives strength.

For the treatment of children, grass is best purchased at a pharmacy. Its collection should be done in places remote from the city and roads.

Coltsfoot is an excellent remedy for treating cough in children. It has practically no contraindications, with proper use it allows you to cope with a cough within a week. Before using it, as well as when using other herbal remedies, you need to consult a doctor.