Best Cough Syrups

Frequent coughing can disrupt normal routine of any child, as it causes chest pain and throat irritation. Children suffering from common cold often suffer from persistent coughing. Common cold induces nasal congestion due to build up of mucus in the airways. The body tries to expel mucus through coughing. On the other hands, dry cough is the body's mechanism to get rid of foreign particles from the lungs.

It is often observed that parents looking to relieve their child's cough are annoyed when they visit drug stores. This is because, there are so many commercial cough syrups available that leave the parents confused. Parents want the best cough syrups that can treat their child safely and get rid of cough within a short time.

Best Cough Syrups

Well, it depends on the type of cough your child has. Cough due to build up of mucus in the upper respiratory tract should always be treated with syrups that act as cough expectorants. Cough expectorants are formulated to liquefy the thick mucus, thereby making it easier to cough up this sticky fluid. On the other hand, treatment for dry cough involves usage of cough suppressants. As the name suggests, they help to suppress or quiet the cough that occurs from inhaling irritants. By taking cough suppressants, the patient is able to control his urge to cough. The patient tends to cough less due to these medicines available in syrup form. It is discussed below:

Benylin DM
A reliable remedy to treat coughs in kids (age above 12) is use of Benylin DM. It is a popular brand in cough syrups, that can safely alleviate cough. Persistent cough can make the throat sore and cause great discomfort. Intake of Benylin DM can work wonders to get rid of throat pain. It liquefies the mucus, thus helping to relieve the cough.

Robitussin
This is another best-selling brand in cough syrup that does a great job of suppressing cough. Robitussin cough syrup contains ingredients like honey that relieves throat inflammation. Honey does a great job of relieving symptoms of cough. Moreover, Robitussin contains dextromethorphan (DXM), a drug well-known for its cough suppressing abilities. However, Robitussin is not prescribed for children less than 12 years of age, as honey is not safe for toddlers. So, when it comes to controlling cough of older children, Robitussin is the right choice. At a price of $5 - 6 per bottle, Robitussin seems to be an inexpensive way to treat dry cough.

Mucosolvan
In order to improve cough and clear away the mucus from the respiratory tract, Mucosolvan cough syrup has been quite useful in this regard. It helps to loosen the mucus, thus allowing to breathe comfortably. It does not contain any ingredients such as alcohol, that are found in most commercial cough syrups.

DayQuil
DayQuil contains guaifenesin, an expectorant which means it thins the mucus to facilitate its expulsion. Thus, patients with common cold and flu can certainly take DayQuil to get relief from cough and chest congestion. Take the prescribed dosage during the day and cough won't bother your child for over 8 hours. Children under 6 years of age are not eligible to take this syrup. Just 1 tablespoon of DayQuil every 8 hours works to control cough.

Delsym
Delsym is often used to treat dry cough. A nagging cough at night can prevent your child from falling asleep. In such circumstances, suppressing the cough is the need of the hour which is easily possible by using Delsym syrup. The syrup prescribed for children over 12 years contains dextromethorphan, which works temporarily to silence the cough for about 12 hours.

Mucinex
It does the dual job of alleviating chest congestion (by draining the mucus) as well as suppressing the cough. It contains both dextromethorphan and guaifenesin, hence is useful to loosen the mucus and reduce the cough. Besides controlling cough, it also soothes sore throat and relieves nasal congestion.

Dosage of Best Cough Syrups

Keep in mind that these cough syrups, need to be taken after consulting a doctor. Taking the syrup in the right dosage, is the key to get rid of persistent cough. There are parents who increase the dosage of the syrup, without taking advice from a doctor. In such cases, the child suffers from side effects due to over use of the syrup. Under any circumstances, the number of doses should not go beyond 3 in a time span of 24 hours. The dosage will vary according to the age of your child. One should also carefully go through the label before taking the syrup to get a clear idea about the exact dosage.

The aforementioned, cough syrups are not at all recommended for infants or toddlers. In fact there is not even a single over the counter cough syrup safe for children under 6. In fact, FDA does not approve use of cough syrups for toddlers for the treatment of cough.