Natural Cough Medicines

Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, colds and other lung infections are very common in transition seasons are difficult to guess at this time.
To fight it, a lot of people swallowing pills and syrup, which is believed to cure the problem nose, relieve sore throat, reduce cough and improve the quality of sleep. 
 

However, further evidence indicates that drugs are not always effective. Worse, many medications have side effects that are not good, even dangerous, especially for small children.
That is why, many doctors now recommend an ancient recipe for their coughing patients, namely honey. 
 

"Honey has been used for hundreds of years as traditional medicine in various places in the world. We thought, it would be reasonable to test it" says Ian Paul, a pediatrician at Pennsylvania State University Hospital, Hershey, USA. 
 

A stubborn cough 
 

Paul is motivated to try honey, because today, treating cough in children has become a common problem. Coughing is the body's way to clean the irritated airways and help breathing.
However, cough too much, can cause irritation to the lungs and throat are more severe. Cleaning is also disrupt sleep, which is needed in the healing process. To alleviate the suffering of their children, parents often give cough medicines in syrup form. 
 

In 1997, the American Academy of Pediatricians warn that Codeine And 
 dextromethorphan (DM), two of the four common ingredient in cough medicine, not heal the pain suffered by children. Codeine and DM only works to block the messages from the brain to the body's cough. 
 

Drugs that do not work, play bad for health. Medicine for coughs and colds can also cause serious side effects, including drowsiness, hyperactivity, hallucinations, dizziness, vomiting, palpitations and others. Hundreds of children end up in hospital each year. Some of them even died after accidentally drinking too much cough medicine. 

Drug Trials 
 
 

Frustrated about the lack of study of the drug, Paul decided to try it for yourself. Several years ago, Paul and college friends to design a study involving 100 children, who have cough and other cold symptoms. Everything is aged between 2-18 years. 
 

Researchers divided the children into 3 groups. Before sleeping, a group of children drinking syrup containing DM.
Group 2, received syrup containing a common cough medicine ingredient called diphenhydramine (DPH).
Group to 3 drank the placebo syrup, regular syrup without the drug content. In medical experiments, this fake drug called a placebo. By comparing patients who memium real drug and those who drank a placebo, doctors can see the effectiveness of the drug.
Both children and parents do not know everything about the syrup, syrup which is drunk.
Parents answered five questions about their children's symptoms, the night before and after the syrup drink. Results showed that children who received syrup without medical drugs has increased the same conditions as those who take medical drugs.
Paul and his colleagues published the results of these in 2004. 
 
 Last October, the Food and Drug United evaluate all data, including results of research Paul, and decided that parents should not give cough medicine to children under the age of 6 years.
At the same time, drug companies to stop selling such materials to the consumption of children. 
 
 Paul knew that the news will make parents anxious. He also felt the same.
"It's very difficult for me, as a doctor, to tell people that drugs are no better than placebo (no drug), because they have no other solution," he said. 
 

In his quest, Paul discovered the healing effects of honey. Thousands of years ago, doctors in Egypt, for example, using honey to treat wounds, coughs and sore joints. 
 
 Paul also found that the World Health Organization recommends honey as a remedy lozenges, although there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness.
"Honey is not harmful, why not find out if the honey can help? 
 
" thought Paul.
He designed the next study the same as previously. At bedtime, 105 sick children were divided into 3 groups, namely DM syrup drink, drink Buckwheat honey, and no treatment.
This time, the survey showed children who swallow 2 teaspoons honey Buckwheat, sleep better and experience less coughing than the other 2 groups. Their parents sleep better too. 
 

But that should be noted, honey is not safe for children under 1 year because it can cause botulism. But the results of research to convince Paul to recommend honey to properties of reduced cough for children over 1 year. 
 

"When parents want to give something to the children, honey seems to be the best choice," said Paul 
 
.
Why honey? 
 

People think that honey is a good substitute for sugar in tea, sweetener on top of peanut butter and banana sandwich. So what makes this sweetener has a healing effect?
 

"On the one hand, and the viscosity of honey helps coat the throat," said Katherine Beals, a food expert at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Katherine also served as nutrition consultant to the National Honey Board, a group supporting honey, which funded the research Paul last.
"Antioxidants are contained in honey may also be the answer," said Beals. Antioxidants are also found in foods such as blueberries (a type of strawberry), spinach and chocolate. These antioxidants can protect our cells from damage. 
 

The study shows that after taking the honey, the level of antioxidants in the body increased. All honey contains antioxidants, but a certain type of honey contains antioxidants in higher numbers than others.
 

"There are more than 300 types of honey," said Beals.
According to the color, aroma and health benefits depending on the type of flowers that honey bees hinggapi. Most honey, purchased in grocery stores in the United States, made by honey clover perched on a tree. Darker honey, such as the type used buckwheat Paul on his research, generally have a higher antioxidant than the more dilute, including the type of clover.
Honey has other health effects. At least, some types of honey can kill the microbes that infect. One type of honey from New Zealand has proven to be good for use on wounds, to be smeared on the skin. According to Beals, there is no evidence that consumption of honey will prevent colds.
"But if the sore throat and cough continually, honey can make you better. A little sweetener certainly makes you more happy!" details (erabaru.net)

0 comments

Free counters!

Full Spirit