Home Remedy for Cold

Hey M.,

Have you ever used tea tree oil? It really is amazing stuff. Here is a recipe for the cold using it, very simple! Get a humidifier and put it in her room. Put 10 drops of the oil in it and let her sleep with it. You can also put it in the bath water at night when she is getting ready for bed and also rub a small amount on her chest! Tea tree oil is amazing!

T.
www.SwitchingStores.com/tamiandrews

I noticed a lot of people suggested Honey by the spoon in the mouth I for one wouldn't do that. Honey would be like Peanut butter or oil if the child chokes while its in the mouth they could get it into the lungs; if they get enough in the lungs they will die. It coats the lungs and there isn't anything they can do to clean it out and the lungs quit functioning. I know this can happen with peanut butter and oil and honey seems like the same consitancy.
I am going to try the Vicks on the feet though.

I love the Vicks Vapo Bath. It really helps my daughter when she has a cold. I steam up the bathroom really good and put her in a Vapo Bath. You can just see her nose empty out. I also like the saline nose spray.

M.,

Why in the world wouldn't you want to give your daughter cold medicine?

If you want to suffer through the symptoms for yourself, that is one thing, but to make your child suffer through them when there are perfectly good and safe cold remedies available is not fair to her.

There is a lot of false information about medicine out on the internet, but there isn't a single cough or cold medicine that is producted and sold today that isn't safe for your child at the recommended dosages.

I am a chiropractor and have used natural methods to deal with health issues for over 20 years. What I have found that works best is a natural juice, called mangosteen juice. There is only one brand that uses the "whole fruit," and that is Xango. You can't buy it in stores, but can order online at: www.drtina.gomangosteen.com.

Also, the human body is an amazing thing. It is capable, and has all the resources to heal itself from colds, and even the flu. It usually takes a few days, but the symptoms will go away, and the body will actually be stronger from fighting off the infection naturally.

T. Theriot, D.C.

Try having her gargle with salt water if she's old enough to 'gargle'. I've heard of others but can't think of any at the moment. I hope you find what you need to help her!

My doc told me to use a humidifer at night and have them drink lots of water/or other clear liquids.

HI M.,
How old is your daughter? For the scratchy throat, warm tea with lemon and peppermint is good; for the cough some vicks vapor rub on her chest and/or the vicks for bath is pretty good. I'm not sure about the runny nose other than a humidifier. She needs plenty of water and OJ too.

Hi!!!

RAW garlic is one of the best things I have found for the symptoms you are describing. I use it with my children. You can chop it up and put it in their food. You can also make garlic oil. I just put about 4 or 5 cloves in about a fourth cup of olive oil. I crack the cloves and let them sit for at least 30 minutes. Then I rub it on their feet, put socks on and let it do its thing. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and it opens up the lungs and nasal passages.
Apple cider vinegar thins out the mucus in the throat and nose as well, you can give it straight or dilute it.
Also ginger tea is great, You take about an inch of ginger root, peel it, grate it and pour boiling water over it. I usually put it in a thermos. Add a good fourth cup of lemon juice, then add honey to taste. Ginger is a natural immune booster and the lemon has tons of vitamin C. I used all of these when I was pregnant and they work wonders without having to use cold medicine.
Vicks vapor rub on the chest will quiet the cough, and they have it for babies as well.
Last but not least, we buy Thieves essential oil from Young Living. It is awesome for preventing or treating anything you or your family might have.
Beeyoutiful.com has a lot of natural remedies as well.
Good luck!!!

Try Simply Saline drops or nose spray. Works wonders for my 2 yr old son. Put a few drops in each nostrile, let her play for a few minutes, then use the syringe bulb (nose sucker as my son calls it). You can use Simply saline throughout the day to help thin the mucus so she doesn't choke on it & make it easier to breath.
Avoid milk and sugar as much as possible. Milk will make the mucus thicker.
Get a humidifier for her room. The damp air will help.
Take care!

Depending on how old your daughter is, you can put 2 to 10 drops of essential eucalyptus oil in her bath (for infants just two, but i put 10 in for my three year old). it will at least open up her sinuses. you can find it at any whole foods store or health food store and some "regular" grocery stores carry oils near their vitamins.

Health food stores have homeopathic remedies which children love taking because they dissolve in your mouth and have practically no taste. The good thing about them is that they help the child get well, not just cover the symptoms. If you have to give something for the symptoms, you can give the homeopathic remedies along with it.

~A.~

Grapefruit Seed Extract - just a few drops in a citrus juice. Works wonders.

Try using Vicks..rub some on her chest and feet(sounds weird but it works) then use a humidifier.

Is she old enough to gargle? I've found that, as mundane as it sounds, gargling every hour or two with hot, salty water, even if I just do a couple of gargles each time, gets me through a cold lightning-fast. (I discovered this when I was four months pregnant and couldn't take the usual supplements.)

Of course, be very careful that it's not too hot for a little child's tender mouth and throat!

As big a fan of them as I am, be wary of using herbals, vitamins, etc., for a young child. They can affect children differently. Otherwise I'd advise you to try all kinds of things. You could ask her pediatrician if 250 mg of vitamin C every four hours would be okay. Large doses taken every four hours for a day or so can be very helpful (for adults, it's 1,000 mg every four hours). For young children, though, it's best to give them baths, showers, plenty of non-sugary fluids (no orange juice! It's just sugar and there's not enough C to count), and rest.

L.

A great home remedy for cough at night is put vicks vapor rub on their chest and then on their feet and put socks on after you put on the vapor rub. It's helps with my sons cough every time. When it is warm, like now, I do not put socks on and it works just as well. I'm not sure why but it does. It also works for aldults. My husband had a terrible cough for two or three days. He finally gave in and let me put some vicks on his feet at night. He did not cough at all that night. I made a believer out of him. Hope it helps you.

Hey I do not blame you on getting home remidys. I keep this is my counter my grandmother told me this one when I was carring my first child but it is good for everyone. You boil garlic then crush it up and mix it in vasoline you can put a few drops of eucalyptus but I don't. At bedtime smere it on the bottom of the feet and sleep with socks on. It will have a strong smell after a while but I figure the stronger the smell the better it works. I keep a jar on hand.Cheap ,easy, and effective .lots of luck.

Other posts sound good, some not familiar, but the oldest probably known to man is good ole chicken soup. Just the warm broth if you can get her to drink it will do wonders. A small amount several times a day will not hurt her and will soothe that throat. Actually this does mean homemade so you may get a meal for your family as well; chicken salad, chicken and rice, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, etc. On second thought the humidifier may be easier.

I don't know how old your daughter is, but if she's old enough to eat honey, have her hold a teaspoon in her mouth and let it slowly dissolve and run down her throat for the cough. Also, use a humidifier or if you don't have one, have her sit in the bathroom while you run the hot shower. For the stuffy nose, plain saline nasal drops.

As strange as it may sound: a teaspoonful of honey. It calms the urge to cough, soothes the throat and helps to open the nasal passages slightly. If you need proof it finally made it into Parenting magazine this month, although my family and others I know have used this for years. Oh and to aide further put Vick's vapor rub onto your daughter's feet and/or her chest. Then put socks on her feet. For whatever reason it works and in some studies actually worked faster than putting it on the chest, especially for babies that you don't want getting it near their face.
Oh, and the humidifier! It has been a life saver for us, because our son has mild allergies since he was about eight months. We run it every night! Our doctor told us not to use vaporizers though, or anything with moist hot air, only moist cold air because hot air can cause swelling of the nasal passages.
I hope your little one is better soon!

Try putting Vick's Salve on the feet and put socks on over it. This works really well when going to bed!

When my little ones were little and I did not want to give meds for a cold, but I wanted them to be comfortable I would rub vics on the bottom of their feet and then put on socks. This is something my grandmother used to do and it worked for my kids - they slept through the night too!

Akins has a lot of kid-friendly remedies and immune boosters. Just watch out, thay also have a lot of "all-natural" that's the same old garbage you can get over-the counter. I was turned on to chewable colostrum for one of my girls - not cheap but I think its well worth the price. :}

Here is a harmless cough syrup recipe that can be given to the youngest baby, which has been handed down in our family for generations: Onion Tea. You will need a small bowl such as a dessert dish, some sugar, an onion, and a glass or container which will fit over the onion. I like to use a small teapot.
Slice the onions into thin slices. Put the onion in the bowl or teapot, one slice at a time, sprinkling sugar over each slice. Cover and put in a nice warm spot. The onion will "weep" and before too long, you will have a clear syrup collecting in the bottom. You can spoon it out of the bowl, or pour it out of the teapot, and give it to your baby. It doesn't take much. 1/4 tsp. for a tiny baby, up to a whole spoonful for an older child. I haven't met a baby yet who didn't like it.