Of course, if you have a question about your child’s symptoms or their cough, you should contact their health care provider and get advice about what to do. This information is not a substitute for the advice of a doctor. Medicines Over-the-Counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines can cause side effects. These side effects can be serious in young children. The risks of using these medicines outweigh any benefits. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looked at this issue in children. They recommended these medicines never be used in young children. After age 6, the medicines are safe to use, if you follow the package instructions. But, it's easy to treat coughs and colds without these medicines. Home Remedies: A good home remedy is safe, cheap, and as helpful as OTC medicines. They are also found in nearly every home. Here are some simple but helpful home treatments. 1. Runny Nose: Just suction it or blow it. When your child’s nose runs like afaucet, it’s getting rid of viruses. Allergy medicines (such as Benadryl) do not help the average cold. They are useful and approved if your child has nasal allergies (hay fever). 2. Blocked Nose: Use nasal washes. · Use saline nose spray or drops to loosen up the dried mucus. Next blow or suction the nose. If you don't have saline, warm water will work fine. · Put 2-3 drops in each nostril. Do one side at a time. Then suction or blow. Teens can just splash warm water into the nose. Repeat nasal washes until the return is clear. · How Often. Do nasal washes when your child can't breathe through the nose. For babies on a bottle or breast, use nose drops before feeds. Limit: No more than 4 times per day. · You can buy saline nose drops and sprays in any drug store. To make your own, use 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) of table salt. Stir the salt into 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 ml) of warm tap water. · Sticky mucus. Remove it with a wet cotton swab. · Medicines. There are no drugs that can remove dried mucus from the nose. 3. Coughing: Use homemade cough medicines. · AGE 3 months to 1 year. Give warm clear fluids (such as apple juice or lemonade). Dose: 1-3 teaspoons (5-15 ml) four times per day when coughing. Under 3 months, see your child’s doctor. Caution: Do not use honey until 1 year old. · AGE 1 year and older. Use HONEY 1/2 to 1 tsp (2 to 5 ml) as needed. It thins the secretions and loosens the cough. If you don't have honey, you can use corn syrup. Research shows that honey works better than cough syrups to reduce nighttime coughing. · AGE 6 years and older. Use COUGH DROPS to coat the irritated throat. If you don't have any, you can use hard candy. · Coughing fits. The warm mist from a shower can help. · How to use it · Have a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer going in your child's bedroom when she's sleeping, resting, or playing in the room. · Give your child a warm bath in a steamy bathroom. Let a hot shower run for a few minutes before getting the tub ready for your child. If she's old enough, let her play in the bath as long as she likes – supervised, of course, unless she's old enough to hang out on her own. · For children over the age of 2, adding a few drops of menthol to the bath water (or vaporizer) may also help her feel less congested. Menthol oil is available at most natural food stores. · If it's not a convenient time for a bath, simply turn on the hot water in the tub or shower, close the bathroom door, block any gap under the door with a towel, and sit in the steamy room with your child for about 15 minutes. (Bring a couple of books.) · 3) Saline drops and bulb syringes (all ages) · How it helps · Drops clear the nose when kids are too young to blow their nose. For babies, a bulb syringe really comes in handy if a stuffy nose interferes with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Try using it about 15 minutes beforehand. · Clearing a stuffy nose with a bulb syringe works best for young babies, but if your older baby or child doesn't mind the procedure, there's no reason not to do it. Most of us know how disrupting, irritating and painful a cough can be. Especially if it prevents you sleeping at night or if your job involves a lot of speaking and the cough prevents you from doing it. While the reason for the onset of the cough and the process of a cough can be sometimes quite difficult to zero in on, but getting rid of it is usually number one on our list of things to do. In some cases, it may be necessary to take some cough suppressing medicines but often, simple substances in your kitchen along with OTC medication can help you find an almost instant relief from cough. | 4. Fluids: Help your child drink lots of fluids. Staying well hydrated thins the body’s secretions. That makes it easier to cough and blow the nose. 5. Humidity: If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier. Moist air keeps the nose and airway from drying out. Run a warm shower for a while to help put moisture in the air. Treatment is Not Always Needed: · If symptoms aren’t bothering your child, they don’t need medicine or any treatment. Many children with a cough or cold are happy, play fine and sleep well. · Only treat symptoms if they cause discomfort or wake your child up. Treat a cough if it's hacking and really bothers your child. · Fevers are helpful. Only treat them if they slow your child down or cause some discomfort. That does not occur until 102° F (39° C) or higher. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) can be given. Use to treat higher fever or pain. (See Dose tables) · Many parents used to head straight to the drug aisle of their local pharmacy when their child would get the sniffles. But the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that over-the-counter medications to treat coughs and colds aren't safe for children under 2 and may not work or could seriously harm children under 6.· Whether your child has a cough, a cold, or the flu, you can try these gentle, effective, and safe homeremedies. A cold or flu usually takes about ten days to run its course. While none of these home remedies will shorten your child's illness, they may help him feel a lot better. · 1) Lots of rest (all ages) · How it helps · It takes energy to fight an infection, and that can wear a child (or an adult) out. When your child's resting, he's healing, which is exactly what he needs to do. · Studies show that stress plays a role in illness, too. If your child is under pressure – because of school or friends, or something happening at home – giving him a break may be just what he needs to fight off his symptoms. · What you need · A comfortable place for your child to rest and things to occupy him. · How to do it · Now's the time to let your child watch that favorite video or television program one more time. Or bring him a new set of crayons and paper or coloring book. Even a puzzle can be manageable in bed. · Of course, a bed isn't necessarily the best place to rest. Sometimes a change of sceneryis helpful. If the weather is good, set up a comfortable place in the yard or on the porch for your child to rest. Indoors, fashion something more fun than his bed – like a tent in the living room or a snug, pillow-filled area near you. · If your child finds it hard to rest, help him by cuddling up with some books. Teach him some finger rhymes (like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider") or tell stories together. Or bring him the phone so he can chat with Grandma or a friend. · 2) Steamy air (all ages) · How it helps · Breathing moist air helps loosen the mucus in the nasal passages. A warm bath has the added benefit of relaxing your child. · What you need · A humidifier, cool-mist vaporizer, or steamy bathroom. · Be sure to clean humidifiers often and according to the manufacturer's directions. Humidifiers accumulate mold, which they then spray into the air if they're not kept scrupulously clean. |