Few things make a parent more helpless than caring for a sick child---even if the illness is just a common cold. Classic cold symptoms in kids include runny noses, sneezing, lethargy, coughing and aches and pains throughout the body. Children with colds may also complain of mild sore throats or throat tickles, low fevers and decreased appetite. Several home remedies exist, but check with your pediatrician about whether they are safe and if your child needs medical attention,
Causes
A group of viruses known as rhinoviruses can trigger the reactions we associate with the common cold, according to the website KidsHealth. Certain elements may make your child periodically prone to the rhinoviruses, which trigger immune system responses like coughs and sneezes. Among them are dry air, poor nutrition, living with a smoker and recent illnesses. But no matter how vigilant you are about your child's health, chances are she'll have to contend with a cold at some point.
Coughs and Sore Throats
While daytime coughing actually helps your child get rid of mucous buildup, soothing the cough at night enables him to get useful rest. Herbalist Barbara Griggs recommends adding honey to a hollowed-out turnip and letting it sit overnight. The resulting syrup is a mild, natural cough treatment. Alternatively, offer your child hot broth or tea with lemon and honey. On MotherNature.com, author Denise Foley writes that fluids in general are good for coughs, while hot drinks offer special soothing properties at night. Add a teaspoon of salt to a mug of warm water and show your child how to gargle. The salty solution is a classic home treatment for mild sore throats.
Aches and Pains
Use tried-and-true home remedies to ease your child's discomfort. A warm bath or heating pad soothes that achy feeling that comes with the common cold. Hot, clear broths and honey-sweetened teas also provide comfort.
Congestion and Runny Nose
Steam from a warm shower eases chest and nasal congestion. If your child doesn't like showers, sit with her in the bathroom with a hot shower running. Add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to the shower floor; the steam will release the oil's healing vapors into the air. Raw upper lips and nostrils from runny noses appreciate a dab of petroleum. Finally, the traditional chicken soup treatment may have some basis in science, notes KidsHealth. The broth contains amino acids, which thin mucus.
Considerations
A longer-than-expected duration of your child's illness may lead you to suspect that he is suffering from more than a cold. Call your pediatrician if symptoms last longer than a few days, because the problem could be an allergy rather than a cold, notes KidsHealth. Alternatively, your pediatrician may check for bronchitis, strep throat, a sinus infection or pneumonia. Fevers of 101 degrees or higher that last more than three days, or fevers which reach 103 or higher, require medical attention. Other symptoms to call your doctor about include swollen glands, earache, sore throat and vomiting.
References
- MotherNature.com: Coughing at Night
- MotherNature.com: Colds
- KidsHealth: Common Cold
- "The Green Witche Herbal"; Barbara Griggs; 1994
