Recurring colds and coughs are a few of the common illnesses in young children. A normal cough or flu lasts up to two weeks. These coughs are due to some common viruses and nothing serious that requires you to visit your doctor.
The best option to treat a cough is at home using basic home remedies. These remedies keep your child relaxed, and hydrated and help them sleep well at night.
At-Home Remedies to Treat Cough in Children
Below are some remedies recommended for your children to treat their cough at home:
Fluids And Hot Drinks
Honey
Humidifier Or Steam
Soothing Treats
Use Saline Nasal Drops
Salt Water Gargle
Chest Rub
Chicken Soup Or Broth
Using Essential Oils
Propped-Up Pillows
A Good Night's Sleep
1. Fluids and Hot Drinks
Staying hydrated prevents throat pain caused by dryness and coughs with excessive mucus. Water is vital in keeping the body healthy, it helps flush out waste and keeps airways moist and strong.
Make sure your child drinks a sufficient amount of water. On average, children from the ages of 4 to 8 should have around 5 cups of water daily. Warm drinks are an excellent remedy for your child’s cough. They help to thin mucus, making it easy to cough up.
Furthermore, coughs and colds often cause sore throats and pain, and warm drinks make it easier to intake fluids. Give your child warm drinks such as a warm glass of milk, caffeine-free tea, hot broth, and hot water with lemon and honey.
2. Honey
Honey is antibacterial and helps soothe a sore throat and prevents cough. Use honey if your child is over one year old. Honey for newborns isn’t recommended as it can be dangerous.
Give one full teaspoon of honey to your child to help combat cough. Make sure you feed the honey a little farther into the mouth so it can come in contact with your child’s throat. You can also dissolve honey in warm water and give it to your child to keep them hydrated as well.
3. Humidifier or Steam
Dry air can hurt your child's throat and make their cough worse. Try placing a mist humidifier in your child’s room, close to where they sleep to help ease breathing. If you do not have a humidifier, run a hot shower and allow steam to develop in the bathroom while you and your child are in it. Hot showers can make anyone with a cold feel better.
Menthol Crystals are also a great way to open up airways and are often used to treat small sores and sinusitis. Put a very small amount (the smell is very strong) in a pot of hot water and have your child sit in the same room as it. Putting it in the bedroom can help your child fall asleep easier.
Note: Be very careful that your child doesn’t come too close to the hot pan or water.
4. Soothing Treats
If your child is three years or older you can give them sugar-free hard candies, frozen berries, and popsicles. These are the best choices for children having a cough or even scratched throat. Both extreme temperatures can soothe a cough or cold.
5. Use Saline Nasal Drops
Saline drops can help soften mucus to get rid of cough and clear up your child’s airways. You can easily buy these nasal saline drops at your local pharmacy. Try using these saline drops before bedtime or in the middle of the night to prevent kicking and screaming.
These drops also come as a nasal spray which can be easier to use. Saline nasal drops are safe to use, just remember to buy drops specifically for children.
6. Salt Water Gargle
It is one of the most basic and oldest remedies to treat cough and sore throat in children and even adults. It eases coughs and irritated throats.
Just mix one teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, then make your child gargle that solution. Make sure to only give this to your child if you are sure they can gargle and spit the solution out.
7. Chest Rub
If your child is two years or older, you can fix the congestion with a chest rub by using Vicks Baby Rub. It contains soothing agents like Aloe Vera and lavender that help your toddler sleep peacefully at night without constant coughing.
8. Chicken Soup or Broth
It is proven that chicken soups and broths have anti-inflammatory properties that warm the temperature of your child’s body, helping to lose mucus in the nasal passages. You can always add vegetables and noodles to broth and soups to make them more tempting for your child.
9. Using Essential Oils
Essential oils are gaining popularity among people these days. They are said to be effective at easing chest pain caused by extreme coughing. You can apply these oils to your child’s chest or diffuse them in the air.
Make sure to discuss with your doctor about using essential oils on your child or toddler because not all oils are safe for children. The most common oil used for nasal passages is eucalyptus oil since it has a very strong smell.
10. Propped-Up Pillows
Elevate your child’s head with an extra pillow at night. This will open the airways so mucus can drain out. If your child finds it difficult to sleep with more than one pillow then evaluate one end of the mattress. You can place a small pillow or towel rolled up under the end of the mattress.
11. A Good Night's Sleep
Encourage your child to get plenty of rest and sleep at night. It will be easier for your child’s body to heal if your child is sleeping or resting. Let them relax so they can get better quicker.
FQA's
1. Can lemon alone help stop coughing?
Lemon with hot water or honey is a good option to treat a cough at home but using it alone is not recommended.
2. What diets are more beneficial for treating coughs?
Diets rich in protein are best when you're having a cold or cough. Try incorporating eggs, chicken, seeds, and yogurt to boost your immune system.
Takeaway
The above-mentioned 11 at-home remedies to treat cough in children are easy to treat coughs and colds. Using these home remedies can help your child get rid of that cough and flu within a week or two.
Keep in mind, if you have been treating your child for a while and the cough continues to persist, it’s best to visit a doctor. If your child’s cough lasts more than 10 days and your child begins to develop a fever and chest pain then immediately consult a doctor.
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