We all dread common cold given the nastiness it brings along. Constant sneezing, scratchy throat, and a runny nose makes this otherwise harmless condition a dreadful affair. When being adults, we find it hard to deal with cold and cough; you can for sure imagine how miserable it can be for the kids. Right from your infants, to your toddlers, common cold gives sleepless nights to all.
While there are medications available to treat common cold, health experts suggest that kids under the age of six shouldn't be given these common cold medicines. The best things to rely upon at this hour are the trusted and reliable home remedies for cold. The home remedies for cold are not just good for the kids but are extremely relieving for the adults too. So here check out the common cold natural remedies:
Home Remedies for Cold in your infants
Plenty of Rest: Resting helps in conserving the energy in the body. Allow your infants to have enough sleep. This will activate their immune system which will then tackle the cold infection.
Give Lot of Fluids: If your baby is younger than 6 months, then it would be best to feed him or her with breast milk. Avoid giving water as it can create an imbalance of electrolyte in the body. However, you can give an oral electrolyte that's specifically designed for infants. Plenty of fluid intake keeps the body safe from dehydration.
Saline Nasal Drops: You can even spray or use drops of a saline solution in your infant's nose. This will clear the mucus out in the nasal passage, thereby relieving congestion. Prepare a saline nasal drop at home by adding 1 cup of warm water and ½ tsp of salt. Make sure to use this within 24 hours so as to avoid any bacterial contamination.
Vapor Rubs: Massage your 3 month older infant's neck, chest and back with vapor rubs taken in very little mount.
Home Remedies for Cold in your preschooler and kids above age 3
Rest: Like your infants, kids above age 3 must also be made to rest well so that immune system can work effectively.
Plenty of Fluids: You can feed them with warm milk, water and diluted juices to prevent dehydration.
Saline Nasal Drops: They too need to relieve the nose from congestion and thus you should spray in saline nasal drops in their nose.
Honey for cough: If the child has cough, give ½ tsp honey to kids between 2-5 years of age, 1 tsp to kids between 6-11 years of age and 2 tsp to kids above 12 years of age.
Salt water gargle: Kids above 4 yrs can be made to gargle with salt water to cure the sore throat. You can prepare a solution by mixing ½ tsp salt to 1 glass of warm water. Adding some lemon juice can have a soothing effect.
Steam: Cold can make breathing difficult. To make sure that your child breathes properly, make him take hot water steam. Heat water in a wide bowl and let the child inhale the hot steam. Make him or her bend over the bowl with a blanket covering the child and the bowl. Ensure that the bowl containing the hot water doesn't come in contact with his or her body. You can even add some eucalyptus oil to this hot water.
Turmeric milk: Given the antiseptic properties of turmeric, it is one of the best home remedies for cold. Add a pinch of turmeric powder to a glass of warm milk and make the kid drink it at night. It provides relief from aching throat and also runny nose.
Soothing food for itchy throat: As the throat during cold gets to be itchy, you can feed your kids with some hot vegetable soups, chicken soup, apple juice, lukewarm chamomile tea or basil tea flavored with little ginger.
So next time you see your child showing up the symptoms of cold, do try out these home remedies for cold sure to provide relief without any side effect.