Natural Remedy for a Cold

Angie - posted on 02/15/2010

An herb called Fenugreek is awesome for stopping mucus, helping to clear it out of the chest and even helps cleanse the lungs. Vitamin Shoppe has it or maybe even Ukrops! Also, to help prevent as many colds, give him and yourselves Emergence from vitamin Shoppe. They have many great flavors and it is awesome stuff. Take at the first onset of a cold and it will prevent it from coming as well. You can take two or three 2-3x daily.

Cathleen - posted on 02/15/2010

Leanne,
Can I just check if you have been to you Doctor to ensure there is definately no infection. My concern is that as this persistant coughing and runny nose should be discussed with the GP first of all. GPs are well aware of all the safe alternative remedies available to children under a year.
Other folks have given excellent advice, but my grandson had the same problem and after have many of the Alternative remedies his mum hoovered his bed once a week, changed his sheets at least every second day, aired his bedroom every day for a few months, which did actually make a difference. And... untill he is a few nonths older try keeping the cat out of the bedroom!!!!!
Hope this helps, Cathleen

Lydia - posted on 02/15/2010

How old is he? If he is taking juice then you can give him a little cranberry juice - its great for vit c and a little garlic in his veg may help. Nobody wants their kids to get sick but they are little petri dishes for diseases - its also how they develop a strong immune system so its annoying now but it will have its benefits later.

Sonnya - posted on 02/14/2010

Hi- do you have access to any homeopathic remedies?



There are lots of things you can give kids to help them get over colds.

Homeopathic remedies work a little differently- they do not hammer symptoms, but they work with the whole body, to get it to kick the illness itself.

Immune boosters would be echinacea, olive leaf, or remedies including pelargonium sidoides.



With infected mucous membranes I have alot of success with colloidal silver water, sprayed into the throat or even nose. This is an antibacterial, water with a tiny amount of silver suspended in it, and infections can't run rampant in its presence. (This would be an alternative to the breastmilk that someone recommended)



There are also remedies called tissue salts that support the natural processes of the body, and ferrum phos. comes to mind for inflammation/infection.



You can ask a naturopath or homeopath about all these. I never take my children to a doctor just for a run of the mill cold or cough.



Also, keep in mind that young children are not born with a strong immune system, and that is partly why breastfeeding is so fantastic- it gives them our antibodies. In any case, they are busy building their immune systems in the first years.



The immune system is strengthened by being used. So all those sniffles and colds (as long as they are not serious illnesses) are being worked through and each time they come out stronger.

If we antibiotic everything to death we are not allowing the immune system to be challenged enough to become strong, and we can end up with chronic serious things like asthma, etc...as a result.



I am grateful to be living in a place where homeopathy and natural remedies are easily accessible. I don't know where you live, but perhaps you can find out about it.



I hope this helps, and is not preachy. Good luck!

Leanne - posted on 02/14/2010

Wow! Thanks for that link. Apparently there are two in my small town. Super surprising (There is never anything im looking for here! haha). :)

I will defiantly look into a vaporizer then.. The one we have here is being used for the other baby at the moment. I was just worried that putting oils in it would wreck it.

Tonight we are going to have a nice warm bath, and hopefully it will help him feel a lot better before bed (I think his cold is getting worse.. so im going to start working on it now).

Bronwyn - posted on 02/14/2010

Hi Leanne, no dont use formula for the eyes and nose, the thing with breastmilk is that it contains your anti-bodies so it helps fight off the bugs. Formula used externally would deteriorate and potentially make things worse. Use the boiled water drops instead to clear the nose.
Here is the link to the natropaths in Canada, might help but any health type shop should be able to suggest something:
http://www.cand.ca/index.php?findnd&L=0

Natropaths use lots of different herbal remedies and can make up something specifically. Sorry dont know much more other than that...

You can put any oil in the vaporiser and it would be safer than leaving a bowl of water around. I forgot I left a bowl on the dresser and later (when it was cool) my daughter found it and had a drink....fortunately it was only lavender oil well dilute...

I know you can also get some multivitamins or vitamin C for young kids, but it would depend on the age of your child, and you might be best checking with the doctor first if this would be suitable, but it can help if they are fussy eaters .....but might not fit your situation.

I like April's suggestion of using the shower if they get congested, I have done this too and its very effective.

Good luck, hope you get a solution to moving house too, its so much easier to have your own place.
Bronwyn

Leanne - posted on 02/13/2010

@ Bronwyn Lavery: I don't breastfeed, we use formula.. I'm guessing though that it wouldn't work the same way for the nose or eye as breast milk.. However, even if I did I don't think I would feel comfortable doing that. I would be worried about it hurting him or causing irritation.

I might try using some lavender or eucalyptus oils.. I know a store that would sell that. I just need to keep the cats out of the room at night or else they would knock the bowl over, haha.

I have never heard of a natropath or a homeopath.. I live in a small town, I do not think we would have that here.. Is there a website I can check out that might be able to locate me to one? Or even that has information on it about what they would talk about?

@ Sam Kerrison: We can't swaddle him.. He moves to much in his sleep and will just break out of it. Every night we wrap him in a thinner blanket (just like swaddling, just without his arms in or else he freaks) and lay a thicker one over top.. He always gets out! I have been tempted to buy a sleep sack.

@ April McGinn: The vapor bath sounds neat.. However, I wont buy anything from Johnson and Johnson.. I refuse to.. ;) I am super picky when it comes to products for my son's delicate skin. For the steam vaporizer, could I put the lavender oil and such in that? Would it wreck it?

I am working on moving, but it isn't easy. We have a budget for what we can afford to move into, and with having a pet it makes it slightly difficult. However, we are always calling this one place to see if there is an opening. It's perfect for us, for price, location and they allow pets. My entire family is on the lookout for a place for us.. So we will find something eventually. :)

yuck.. I hate shopping carts.. I'm planning on buying a cart cover for when we take our son shopping and don't use his stroller. And I have a habit of washing door handles and light switches.. I cannot stand to think about how many times a day people touch them. D:

Fresh air works wonders. :D
We took him out for walks and such when we thought he might have croup.. He cleared up nicely. We actually were out for a while yesterday.

Thanks everyone for responding. I do appreciate it! Now I just need to go buy some oils.. They are expensive, but I think it will be worth it.. In fact, I think I may have some hiding somewhere here at my place.

April - posted on 02/13/2010

My son is 15 months and he is the same way! He coughs alot at night but during the day he only coughs a couple times an hour and he's back to playing again. Night time is the worst! Last night i put a cool air humidifier in his room. It seemed to help some. It's hard to tell though bc my son has 4 molars coming in at the same time. My son just suddenly woke up with a barking cough 3 nights ago and when he woke up he seemed ok compared to the night. The chicken soup is a good idea..making it yourself is a better idea. Like Sam said, there's nothing to it and you can add whatever you want in it. If you are eating the soup too for dinner then you can add your own spices or whatever to it when you put it in your bowl. The homemade popsicles work great too. Put as much fruit and veggie stuff in it as you can. It will be messy..but he sure will have fun and kids clean up easily in the bath. Also, i've seen bath wash that has vapor stuff in it for babies with colds made from johnson and johnson. Go to walmart and get a vicks steam vaporizor. They're really cheap and get the liquid vapo stuff for it..I used to put plain vicks in the little cup in the vaporizor and it didnt seem to do much. The liquid works great though. As for the other kid in the house that is always sick....move..i know, you said you working on it. But that's the only advice i have for that. I know what you mean though. My dad's girlfriend's grandson lives at my dad's house and when i bring my son over there he is always sick and my son gets sick. I even ask if anyone is sick over there and they say no...or i'll just show up there and he's hacking all over the place and they just say "well, we didnt know he was sick until today" Germs are spread so easily through ...everything. Shopping carts, toys, door knobs, sneezing..everything. It's hard to avoid. I agree that letting your child be exposed to these germs will help stregthen his immune system. But only to a certain degree...Can't let your baby be sick alll the time. Wel, good luck and i hope he starts feeling better. If he gets really stuffed up you can try turning on the hot shower and sit in the bathroom with him for a while. I always find that taking my son outside really helps. I don't think it makes him worse either. But if i have to go to the store or something i don't worry about him getting more sick from being out in the cold for a few minutes. As long as he has coat, hat, gloves, shoes, and warm clothes on and he's out for a few minutes he should be fine. It helps loosen the boogies and he seems to stop coughing as much. Hope this helps

Sam - posted on 02/13/2010

you can make the chicken noodle soup......its really simple and there is virtually no salt in it as you just don't add it whilst cooking.

If sleep becomes really bad....try swaddling him like people do when their babies are tiny....it will help him to not fidget as much therefore not to disturb the phlegm in his throat!!

Hope it helps!! Good luck!!

Bronwyn - posted on 02/13/2010

Hi, Heaps of breastmilk, including up his nose if it gets blocked, (or in their eye if it gets infected), works really well and you dont have to wait for it to cool. I use lavender oil in the air (just put 10 drops in a bowl of boiling water somewhere VERY safely in the room he is sleeping or playing in and it will help). Sometimes I use eculyptus or a decongestant oil (in the air only) if its a very heavy cold and he has difficulty breathing while sleeping or coughing. Also baby Vicks is really good rubbed on their chest or a little on their bed sheets. Lavender oil can also be used this way and it is safe for babies. Let them take as much breastmilk as they need and dont worry if they go off their other food for a couple of days (any solids when my son was sick would make him throw up).
Regarding the 'other issues', dont worry about their child being sick, unless it is the home environment that is making them sick (ie mildew or mould in the house). It will just add stress to you, babies get lots of bugs in the first couple of years to challenge their immune systems and it is more important that you child fights these off quickly helping their immune system develop than they get no bugs to fight off during these years. Keep lots of fresh air coming through and you may find your baby doesnt get as many or only had mild cases. You can also visit a natropath or homeopath if you are interested in alternative treatments that include herbs and they can recommend something suitablel.

Leanne - posted on 02/13/2010

My kid is a black hole to food. I swear, even if he were on his death bed he would eat whatever was in front of him. I hope it lasts! haha

However.. I may let him try a homemade popcicle.. I have the makers here.. It may be messy, but it could be fun for him.. and a good way to sneak in some veggies.
If I can find a very low sodium chicken noodle soup I will buy it and blend it up and feed it to him..

Thanks for the ideas!

Sam - posted on 02/13/2010

Soft foods such as puddings, Popsicles, chicken soup, gelatin desserts, and ice cream can feel good to a scratchy throat, Allers says. If a child doesn’t feel like eating their usual diet, try some of these foods.

Sam - posted on 02/13/2010

I wouldn't give a child honey tho as it doesn't actually do anything apart from pacify a cough, the underlying symptoms are still there, this just soothes them but will still be there when the honey runs out!!!!

Leanne - posted on 02/13/2010

He's just fussier than normal because of it. And I know that cough mustn't feel nice.. So I was just hoping there could be something I could do that didn't require medication.



Working on the whole moving out thing. ;)

---

@ Sam Kerrison: I would put something under his mattress, or just give him his pillow.. But he moves so much it wouldn't matter. He ends up backward and at the other side of the bed. Normally on his tummy with his butt in the air. haha



I know it's no good to keep your baby in a bubble.. But I don't think getting sick often in the first year is that great.. Not to mention stresses me out more because he doesn't sleep well and if he doesn't I don't, no fun.



Also, if he gets ill his nanny cannot take him when I go back to work.. She cannot be around people who are sick because even if they have something mild she get's it ten times worse.. it's to bad.

Sam - posted on 02/13/2010

I think the best thing to do is to tilt him in his cot or bed......put a pillow underneath the bottom of a moses basket if baby is tiny, but if older a pillow under the sheet in a cot works just as well as the phlegm isn't dripping down their throats then.



With regards to herbs I wouldn't....you can buy a plug in humidifier or just as well to leave a glass of water by the radiator as that keeps moisture in the air therefore stopping your son's throat and nose from drying out. Boiled, cooled water drops in the nose as well but will make then cough more as breaks the snot down so it needs to leave somewhere.



As regards to your son playing with kids that are poorly, I personally think that is the best thing especially if they are around a year old....after having all their jabs as this builds their immune system up...if you keep a child locked up then they have no way of fighting off any foreign objects they may injest in the air.....the more 'dirt and germs' they pick up the better for them being able to fight it off when they are older. Obv not to leave them filthy or anything like that.



HOpe this information helps you in some way.

Teresa - posted on 02/13/2010

If it isn't slowing him down any then I wouldn't really do anything for it. I don't actually know what you CAN do for him either though.



Sorry he's sick! As for your vent.... not really anything you can do about it unless you guys can move out. Sorry about that too!