my son has a severe cough. he is 19 months old. does anyone have any suggestions on remedies to help dry up the mucsus/runny nose and help relieve his cough?
Try a humidifier,these things are a life saver. I have used it on my kids even myself and it works really well.
Elisa M
I was told by my Doc that orange juice can cause more mucous....when sick.
I feel, you should take your baby to the Doctor, to see what he has... a severe cough can mean many things. And only a Doctor can accurately diagnose him... then treat him, so he does not get worse of develop secondary infections.
all the best,
Susan
I use an all natural chest rub on my kids. The brand is LifeWorks.
You can get it at Whole Foods or a nutrition store. Absolutely awsome in helping with cough and congestion.
Zyrtec works great & is one of the only ones approved for kids less than 4. I think you still need your doctors OK to give it since he's less than 24 months. Honey works for the cough.
dehumidifier and orange juice
The best remedy is this...cook some rice, but before all the water had burned off, take the rice and throw it away, pour the rice water in a cup, add a little salt and serve warm. the starch from the rice will cut through all the musus.
It taste better warm, but on the whole it taste pretty bad, but it works.
Heavily coat the bottom of his feet and in between his toes with Vicks Vapo Rub and put a pair of socks on him or some pjs with feet. That will take care of the cough. Lots and lots of clear fluids will help thin the mucus in his system and lessen the congestion. As gross as a runny nose is I would rather have a kid with a runny nose than a stuffy nose not being able to breath well :) I use this method everytime my kids get sick and it works wonderfully! Use a cool mist humidifier in his room at night too. Best of luck to you and your little one!
Don't give him honey yet, it's not safe until 2 years old. There are a lot of very nasty bronchial diseases around right now, including RSV and pneumonia. I would recommend contacting your doctor immediately. He may need breathing treatments and antibiotics. In the meantime plain children's mucinex (guaifenisin ONLY) can help thin out the mucous. But, I really can't hesitate to recommend a trip to the doctor.
At 19 months, you can't really give him anything as far as medication. What I'm doing with my 10 month old is water/fluids during the day and a cool mist vaporizer at night. I also put Vix vapo rub on her feet and cover them with socks(Make sure you get it on and in between his toes) . My mom told me about this remedy and I believe it works. If he can't blow his nose, then you probably have to suction him. NO FUN, I know!!! I usually squirt a little saline into her nose first, but as long as you are getting the snot out, it's not absolutely necessary. It is really frusterating to help a baby through a cold, but as long as you have patience and there's no wheezing or difficulty breathing, he should come out of it in a day or so. Good luck!
With Vicks VapoRub, coat the bottoms of his feet at night and cover with socks. This is GUARANTEED to subside the cough,
Try bringing him in a nice long warm shower with yourself. That should help the cough and loosen up the mucus. Since he can not blow yet, you may need to suck out his nose with the "sucky thingy" A humidifier may help some, but nothing works like a warm shower. Hope he feels better soon.
Consult your doctor first, but when my little one was 18 mths we had a very long bout of illness with her. Her pedi finally told us to get "Rescon GG". It is not a perscription medication but you have to ask the pharmacist for it. I've gotten it at CVS & HEB before. I will tell you it works!!!! I even took it when I had pneumonia and it works....
Good luck,
DH
