Five Natural and Alternative Ways to Treat Your Child’s Cough
No parent likes to see their child suffering from a nasty cough. Having a nasty cough isn’t any fun for a child. Many parents jump to cough syrups to give their child some greatly needed relief. There are, however, other ways to treat a child’s cough without using medications. Here are a few natural and alternative ways to treat a child’s cold before resorting to medications.
Tea and honey If your child is over the age of one year, using a specialty tea designed for sore throats and coughing, such as Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat with some honey can be soothing for a throat that’s sore from coughing. Even just a spoonful of honey can provide some temporary relief to a child with a cough. Never give honey to a child under the age of one as it can pose a very serious risk to their health.
Ginger Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help relieve congestion. There are some great ginger chew candies available that you can give to your child. They’re not super spicy but they have a little bit of a bite to them. My kids absolutely love them and I save them for when they aren’t feeling as well to help clear up any congestion.
Turn on a humidifier When your child has a cough, her throat might be a little sore and dry. Turning on a humidifier may help keep your child’s throat a little more moistened. At the very least, a humidifier can help your child relax enough so that she can get some sleep. You may even add a few drops of some essential oils to the humidifier to help with your child’s congestion and sore throat.
Push the fluids When your child has a bad cough, her mucous membranes may become dried out, making them sore and scratchy. Try to keep your child drinking plenty of clear fluids like water, juice and broth. If your child needs a little extra relief, some low-sugar popsicles or ice chunks can be helpful as well and the coldness can help to numb their sore throat a little.
Steam shower If your child needs some more rapid relief, you can take your child in the bathroom, shut the door and turn the shower on as hot as it can go. Don’t put your child in the shower, but have them sit in the steamy bathroom for a while to help soothe their throat and clear up some congestion. An alternative method to steaming up the bathroom is putting boiling water in a large bowl and draping a towel over your child’s head and the bowl to contain the steam. Of course, always make sure that the steam isn’t too hot or your child could get burned. Always make sure that your child is not directly exposed to the heat of the water to protect your child from burns.
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