10+ Natural treatment for Common Childhood Diseases Every Mother Should Know

Natural treatment for Common Childhood Diseases Every Mother Should Know

Every mother is a born doctor as even the healthiest of kids will fall ill sometimes. While it’s best to take your kids to the hospital when they fall ill, some sicknesses are mild and can be treated at home with over-the-counter drugs or natural herbs.

Most of these illnesses are nothing serious and will typically go away after a few days, even without medical intervention. However, during this time your child will be clearly in discomfort, sometimes even in some mild form of pain and as a mother, you want to do all to make them as comfortable as possible.

Having first-hand knowledge of these natural remedies will always come in handy, especially in cases of emergencies or when there are no doctors close by.

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Here Are Some Natural Treatments for Some Common Sicknesses You Should Know

Common Cold

The common cold is caused by a few viruses, chief of which is the rhinovirus. While this ailment is most times not serious and typically clears within 3 -10 days, your child will be in great discomfort during this time as she goes through symptoms such as:

• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough
• Chest congestion
• Sneezing
• Mild body aches
• Possible headache

Quick remedies for managing this ailment include the following remedies:

• Chicken Soup: Make some chicken soup with as much onion or garlic as the child can stand. Chicken soup is a great remedy for cold as it’s anti-microbial which is what she needs.
• Give the child a cup of hot tea with a little ginger. This will help decongest the chest to bring relief. The hot tea and ginger will also soothe the itchy throat to bring relief and the best thing is that they can take this remedy a few times throughout the day.
• Make use of saline spray or drops to loosen mucus in a congested nose.
• Give lots of fluids, especially if your child isn’t eating.
• Give a teaspoon of honey just before bedtime, if your child is over a year old. Honey is antimicrobial and will help with the cough. Remember to keep honey away from children who are less than a year old to prevent infant botulism.
• You could also make use of a suction bulb to clear the nose if stuffy.
• Use a humidifier as this will keep your child’s throat moist to reduce the symptoms of sore throat.
• Give lots of foods known for fighting the cold infection such as carrots, turmeric, garlic, dark leafy greens, banana, yogurt, wild salmon, and spicy foods.
• Give older kids (six years and older) a saltwater gargle and teach them the proper way to do it.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is usually a symptom of an underlying ailment like the common cold or flu. Most are caused by viruses and are easier to manage.

A sore throat caused by bacteria would require medications like antibiotics and a likely visit to the pediatrician.

Read Also: How to Get Your Kids to Clean Their Room

Quick Remedies for Sore Throat

• Brew some ginger tea by putting half a teaspoon of ground or grated ginger in boiling water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then sieve. Add a little honey and let your child drink this until he gets relief from the sore throat.
• Put half a teaspoon of table salt, and one of Listerine into half a glass of warm water and let her gaggle with this every 2-3 hours.
• Alternatively, add one teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup of warm water and let her take this every 2- 3 hours.
• Avoid acidic foods during this time as this will worsen the itchiness.
• Use a humidifier to keep the air moist. A dry throat worsens a sore throat.
• A teaspoon of honey will bring instant relief from the itchiness.
• Give a steam bath to humidify her airways.
• Herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint, and ginger are great for boosting the immune system to better fight off the ailment.

When to See the Doctor

You should consider seeing a doctor

• If there is no improvement in the symptoms.
• If your child has a fever over 101°F.
• If they experience difficulty breathing or swallowing.
• If they complain of joint pain or you notice a lump in their neck.
• If you notice white patches around the neck.
• If there’s blood in the saliva or phlegm.

Hiccups

Hiccups occur when a child eats too quickly or swallows too much air and most will resolve within a few minutes to a few hours.

Hiccups that last longer, typically over 48 hours, are called persistent hiccups and require a visit to the hospital so your doctor can prescribe one or more medications for it.

Milder episodes, however, can be managed using the following remedies:

• Let your child drink a glass of water for hiccups as this is one of the best and fastest remedies for it.
• Alternatively, you can give a teaspoon of sugar and let him suck on it slowly until it dissolves in his mouth.
• Give chamomile, fennel, or peppermint tea.
• Gently apply some pressure to the upper stomach by pressing lightly on it.

Related: Newborn Care: 8 Tips for Coping with a Newborn

Burns

Some burn wounds are mild and can be treated using natural remedies or over-the-counter creams or ointments applied topically.

These mild burns, also called first-degree burns, affect just the first layer of the skin and can be treated at home.

Some fast remedies for treating burn wound include:

• Place the burn wound under a running tap and allow the water to run for a while.
• Next, smear a film of aloe vera gel over it. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties and will bring instant relief from the pain. It also has healing properties to heal the wound in no time.

Apply honey topically 2 -3 times daily.

• You can apply a mixture of lavender and frankincense essential oils. Not only will these heal the burn wound, but the frankincense essential oil also ensures the wound doesn’t scar.

Related: 9 Solutions for Bedwetting in Kids

When you See a Doctor

You should consider seeing a doctor if the wound becomes painful or if your child develops a fever.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is more common in kids and is the body’s natural way of trying to fight off germs.

It sometimes presents with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and fever.

Some common causes of diarrhea in kids include infection, food poisoning, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colic, celiac disease, and certain antibiotics.

Most cases of diarrhea will resolve within a few days. You might, however, need to visit the doctor if the stooling has run for over three days, especially if your child appears severely dehydrated, is too weak to stand upright, complains of dizziness, vomits bloody green or yellow substance, or is less than six months old.

Quick Remedies for Diarrhea in Kids

• First of, keep the child hydrated as they lose a lot of liquid from the frequent stooling.
• Give glucose-electrolyte solutions to replace the electrolytes already lost as too little in their system could be dangerous.
• Next, change their diet to something their stomach can handle at this time. A good example of such foods will be the BRAT diet which consists of foods like toast, banana, applesauce, and brown rice.
• Breastfeed babies.

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