Home Remedies for Sick Children

Caring for a sick child brings extra stress and worry for everyone in the family—especially parents. Unfortunately, colds and the flu are very common in children. On average, kids can expect five or six colds a year before they start school. Some kids get as many as eight to 10 colds a year. It isn't until they become teenagers that kids settle down to adult levels of cold infections, getting infected about four times a year on average.

Kids get sick a lot because they've never been exposed to the many common cold and flu viruses that most adults have already built immunities to. Building immunities takes time: many years, in fact. Plus, there are more than 200 different cold viruses, making the situation worse.

Unfortunately, colds cannot be cured. That's why treatment is your first line of defense when it comes to fighting sickness in children. In this article, we will use the advice of medical experts to give you the best chances of easing your child's cold and flu symptoms.

Fighting Cold Symptoms: Why Rest Is Best

Sleep is restorative, and it helps us recover from illness. This is why it's important for your children to rest when they are under the weather. Keep them home from school or daycare if they are sick, especially if they have a fever. This will also help keep the germs from spreading to classmates.

• Try to give them at least 8-10 hours of sleep.
• Let them rest until they feel better.
• One study indicated that the less sleep we get, the more likely we are to become infected after being exposed to a cold virus.

Even if your children do not sleep, it's a good idea to limit their activity and keep them resting. Let them stay in bed and read them their favorite book or watch a movie.

Luckily there are many cold and flu home remedies for toddlers, babies, and kids. Parents can use the following tips and tricks to help kids feel better fast.

If your child has a cold or flu, dehydration is possible. Drink plenty of fluids – it's important your child stays hydrated. The body needs water to stay healthy, and when you are sick, it's easy to become dehydrated from cold symptoms like

• fever,
• diarrhea,
• vomiting, or
• sweating.

Many medications such as decongestants can also have a drying effect.

Any liquid without caffeine is good:

• water,
• juice,
• tea,
• soup, and even
• milk.

Popsicles or gelatin can also work.

How do you know if your child is getting enough fluids? His or her urine should be a light-yellow color. Adequate hydration helps thin mucus secretions, making coughs and nose blowing more productive. Coughing and blowing the nose are two ways the body expels virus particles.

How do you know if your child has a cold or the flu? Both illnesses have similar symptoms, so sometimes it's difficult to tell.

How to Tell a Cold From a Flu

• The flu comes on like a ton of bricks – it hits hard and fast and your child will usually feel worse than he or she does with the common cold.
• Symptoms of the flu include fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough.
• Colds are usually milder than the flu and have symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose.
• Colds rarely move into the lungs.
• Flus can cause pneumonia.

If you suspect your child has the flu, take them to the pediatrician. If the flu is diagnosed right away, there is medication that can help reduce the severity of the symptoms and duration of the illness.

Home remedies for flu for kids focus on relieving symptoms. Home remedies for cough for kids include using saline nasal drops and a humidifier. Home remedies can help additional symptoms as well.

A fever is a sign the body is fighting off an infection, but it can also make your child feel worse. There are some home remedies for fever in kids that include the following.

• As with colds, let your child get plenty of fluids and rest.
• Keep the room temperature cool (between 70° and 74° F).
• Dress your child in lightweight pajamas.
• Encourage your child to drink extra fluids, popsicles, and gelatin to stay hydrated.
• Put on a fan to circulate cool air in the room.
• If your child has the chills, give him or her an extra blanket, which can be removed once the chills stop.
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) along with a lukewarm bath may also help.

Fever Medicine? Ask a Doctor

Talk to your child's doctor before giving medicine for a fever. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can usually be given safely to bring down a fever. Here are some medications to avoid for children fighting flu:

• Do not give any medications to infants under 2 months of age
• Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months of age without a doctor's recommendation.
• Never give children under 18 aspirin, as it can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious illness.

For most children, home remedies are the best treatment. Since most colds are caused by viruses, all you can do is treat the symptoms and let the body heal on its own.

Tips for Giving Cold Medicine to Children

• If you think your child needs medicine, talk to your child's doctor first.
• Never give children medications meant for adults
• Read labels carefully so you don't give more than one medicine with the same ingredients.

When is it okay to use cold medicine for children? Many cold medicines contain acetaminophen, so be careful not to give your child acetaminophen or another fever reducer at the same time or your child may receive too high of a dose that could be dangerous. Infants and young children under the age of 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicines because of the potential risk of dangerous side effects. Always check with your child's pediatrician before administering medication, even over-the-counter medication, to your child.

Whether it's from a cold, flu, allergies, or another form of infection, keeping stuffy noses in check is important to your children's health. Not only will they feel better, but stopping a stuffy nose will help stop the spread of infection, too.

Tips to Stop Stuffy Noses

What do you do for cold and flu and a blocked nose? Stuffy nose home remedies for kids include the following:

• • If your child has a stuffy nose, make sure he or she is well-hydrated—fluids help thin mucus.
• You can also use a humidifier or vaporizer in their room to keep air moist and clear their congestion.
• Nasal washes with saline may be used for older children.
• Raise the head of your child's bed or crib a few inches to help nasal secretions drain more easily.
• If little noses are irritated from blowing them, dab some petroleum jelly on the skin to soothe the outside of the nose.
• Children over 5 years old may benefit from pediatric nasal strips that help open the nostril slightly to give relief from nasal congestion.
• Medicated nose drops should only be given to children over 6 years old and should not be used for more than two or three days. Using them for too long will make congestion worse.
• For babies with congestion, you can use an infant nasal suction bulb to remove the mucus. Put three drops or warm water or saline in each nostril first to soften the mucus. Wait a minute, then suction it out.

Use a cool-mist humidifier to help your child breathe easier. Avoid hot-water humidifiers that can lead to burns. Clean out the device daily to help prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. A humidifier is one of the best stuffy nose home remedies for kids.

A painful sore throat can make kids miserable in a hurry. Plus, for as children, your options for medicating them are limited.

Ways to Relieve a Child's Sore Throat

Here are some sore throat remedies for kids that work.

Home remedies for sore throat in kids include the following tips.

Cold drinks including milkshakes and ice chips will help numb a sore throat. Warm items like soup or tea can also soothe a sore throat.

For children 8 or older, gargling with warm salt water can help loosen phlegm and relieve a dry throat. Lozenges can provide some soothing relief. However, they are a choking hazard for young children and should be offered only to older children upon advice of the child's pediatrician. It is generally recommended to offer lozenges to children who are 4 years of age or older to minimize the risk of choking.

Pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be given to older children for pain relief.

See your child's pediatrician or other health care professional right away if your child is not drinking liquids, develops pus in the back of the throat, has difficulty swallowing, or is very fatigued. Seek medical attention if your child's sore throat lasts more than a few days. Drooling in a young child with a sore throat is concerning and you should also see the pediatrician immediately if your child develops this symptom.

If the cough does not really bother your child, it may not require treatment. Coughing helps clear the chest of mucus. Coughs in children usually only need treatment if the cough causes discomfort or disrupts sleep. If it is necessary to treat your child, here are a few home remedies for coughs for kids.

Fighting a Child's Cough

• A humidifier or vaporizer in your child's room can help ease coughing symptoms.
• Like a humidifier, breathing in steam from a warm shower can ease a cough.
• Children 3 months to 1 year old can have warm, clear fluids such as warm water or juice; no honey.
• A spoonful of honey before bed has been shown to reduce coughing in children over 1 year old. It helps thin mucus and loosens the cough.

As with sore throats, lozenges can help relieve a cough for older children who are not in danger of choking on them. Ask their pediatrician if you are unsure.

Elevating your child's head with extra pillows can help relieve a cough that isn't producing mucus. This is an acceptable dry cough home remedy for kids.

Children under 4 should not be given medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM). Children 4-11 can take DXM, but use caution and follow the directions carefully. Do not use a household spoon to measure the medication—only use the measuring spoon or cup that came with the medication.

Don't bother with decongestants or antihistamines. These don't do any good for relieving coughs when a child is sick with a cold or flu. Oral decongestants can actually increase insomnia and raise the heartbeat, so it is better to avoid them.

Another home remedy for kids' cough at night can be used in kids who are at least 2 years old and older. Put a layer of mentholated rub on your child's upper chest and throat. Breathing in the vapors will help your child breathe easier and should help with sleep.

The old wives' tale regarding a home remedy for fever in kids says, "Feed a cold and starve a fever." That is an old myth, so ignore it. If your child is hungry, let him or her eat. Adequate nutrition is important for a healthy immune system. Here are some tips to make sure mealtime goes well for your sick child.

Feeding a Sick Kid

A cold and flu diet plan may include the following.

• Soft foods are often easier to swallow when a child has a sore throat.
• Bland foods can be easier to eat when a child's stomach is upset. Foods such as oatmeal, soup, mashed potatoes, applesauce, and bananas can be more palatable with an upset stomach.
• • Avoid foods that are spicy or that are high in fiber. Both of these can cause an upset stomach.
• Popsicles are usually a good idea as they can help hydrate as well as soothe. Crackers or even mac and cheese are also options.
• High-fat foods should be avoided, as these can be difficult to digest.
• If your child does not want to eat, offer lots of fluids and small, healthy meals.

Children sick with the flu may not feel like eating much as they may also experience

• upset stomach,
• nausea,
• vomiting, or
• diarrhea.

They can also become dehydrated. Home remedies for flu for kids involve making sure your child is adequately hydrated. It's important to give your child plenty of fluids. Re-hydration solutions for children are often the best option. You can give your child water or ice chips to suck on. Some drinks should be avoided, however, due to their high sugar content, which can make diarrhea worse. Try to avoid:

• juice,
• sports drinks,
• soda, and
• other beverages with high sugar content.

If a child is not vomiting, they can eat small portions, and make sure they drink plenty of fluids.

Sometimes you just have a bad feeling something isn't right when your child is sick at home. Here are some times when it's best to contact your child's pediatrician or go to a pediatric emergency department if the symptoms are unusual or severe.

When to Call a Doctor

• Your child's temperature is higher than 101° F.
• Your child's temperature is higher than 101° F.
• Their symptoms last more than 10 days.
• Symptoms are severe or unusual.
• Your child does not produce tears when crying.
• Your child is younger than 3 months old and has a fever.
• Your child has a cough that lasts more than one week.
• Your child's nails or lips turn blue.
• Your child has nasal mucus that lasts for longer than 10 to 14 days.
• Your child is very sleepy or cranky.

In addition, watch out for the following signs, which could spell more trouble than the usual cold or flu:

• breathing problems,
• difficulty swallowing,
• coughing up a lot of mucus,
• extreme fatigue or irritability,
• earache or drainage from the ear,
• your child seems to be getting worse and not better, or
• any other symptoms that concern you.

Results of several studies suggest zinc sulfate is an effective cold home remedy for kids that can reduce the duration of colds when taken within the first 24 hours of developing symptoms. Zinc can be associated with side effects like nausea and altered taste. However, these potential side effects are more common with zinc lozenges than with zinc tablets or syrup. Always consult your child's pediatrician before giving your child any over-the-counter supplement or medication. Ask your pediatrician which cold and flu zinc dosage is right for your child.

Pelargonium sidoides extract is derived from a flower (geranium) and has long been used in traditional South African medicine. Studies show the extract shortens the duration of respiratory infections like the common cold. It may also lessen the severity of colds. Results of one study suggest P. sidoides helped reduce cough and sputum production in kids who were suffering from the common cold. Check with your child's pediatric doctor before using.

The best remedy for cold and flu in kids is prevention. Teach kids to wash their hands frequently. Keep your child home when sick to avoid spreading germs to others. Teach your kid to cough and sneeze into their sleeve or a tissue to minimize the potential for virus particle to become airborne. Interventions like probiotics, vitamin C, zinc sulfate, nasal irrigation with saline solution, and a supplement called Chizukit, may all help reduce kids' risk of catching a cold or a flu. Chizukit is a product that contains a mix of Echinacea, propolis, and vitamin C. Ask your child's pediatrician before using supplements or vitamins for the prevention of cold and flu. However, although not a home remedy, wearing a N 95 mask may reduce exposure chances to the viruses that cause colds and the flu. Also, not a home remedy, the yearly flu shot is recommended for most children and adults by the CDC (check with your child’s doctor or your family practice doctor).