Is your child showing symptoms of colds such as coughing and sneezing or suffering from a runny nose and sore throat? Don't give your child antihistamine and cold medication just yet. You may want to look for other alternatives first, experts warn.
Colds is one of the most common respiratory infections that children can acquire easily. In fact, according to WebMD, there is not a single child in this world who haven't been in that situation. Most of the parents give them over-the-counter medications to treat their allergy and cold symptoms. But unfortunately, a recent study shows how these can bring forth more harm than good specifically for kids under six years old.
It was in October when BMJ was able to conduct research about "popular cold remedies and their effectiveness against three symptoms: Congestion, runny nose, and sneezing," as posted by Business Insider Australia.
Though it is okay to give cold medication and antihistamine to kids aged six and 12 under great caution, "We do not recommend decongestant or formulations containing antihistamine in children under six," authors of the study advised.
Experts explained that through their research, they were able to find out how some medications aren't that effective in treating the virus or at least ease the symptoms, contrary to what everybody expects.
Authors added treatments could also cause much more harm to the body that it can cause the child to experience gastrointestinal upset, drowsiness, convulsions, rapid heart rate, and even death.
These medications can also put the child in danger especially if the parents try to mash up different types without considering the dosage in it. In the end, without them knowing, they are already giving their children double the amount of antihistamine and cough suppressant, which can cause a lot of sedation, or maybe decongestants, which can cause anxiety or nervousness.
The best thing to do when your child experiences cold symptoms is to avoid self-medication. Talk to your pediatrician first or have your child examined. Doing so, your child can have the right dosage for the right drug he needs.
If you want to consider a better way to treat your child's colds symptoms, then why not give your child a spoonful of honey and a lot of water to keep him hydrated. Honey offers a lot of benefits to the body, and that includes boosting the body's immune system. Just make sure it is pure and not the artificial one, which contains a lot of sugar.
