How to soothe coughs naturally in children ?

Children are highly sensitive and are often subject to many minor ailments. In this article, we will focus on coughs which, while harmless, are sometimes very tiring for children. Fortunately, there are several natural remedies and tips that you can follow to soothe your toddler’s cough.

SIT THE CHILD UP

Before you start thinking about treating your child, you need to identify the type of cough in question. The most commonly found cough in young children is a productive cough. The role of coughing is to purify and expel mucus naturally from the respiratory system. This kind of cough is not dangerous for the child as it helps expel mucus which can block up the bronchi. The second kind of cough is a dry cough and this really does affect the health of very young children. Often tiring, it is best avoided at all costs as it can be painful for the child. In addition to these two kinds of cough, there are particular cases which require specific treatment, for example asthma. In any event, when your child starts to cough, you will be trying to do everything you can to ease the coughing. One tip is to slide a pillow under the child’s mattress to help the child sit up. Children can suffer from coughing fits just because they are lying down so getting them to sit up can alleviate this quickly.

GARGLING

In order to ease coughing fits in older children, you can suggest gargling, particularly for a sore throat. First of all, you need to prepare the fluid that the child is going to use to gargle. To do this, pour half a cup of water into a pan then add two dessertspoons of cider vinegar. Mix well then add a pinch of salt. To finish the preparation, reheat it on a moderate heat and allow it to cool down. And there you go, all that’s left to do is to give it to your child so that he or she can gargle it! To do this, the child should rinse the mouth and throat out with the fluid. Next the child should try and breathe out continuously whilst keeping the fluid at the back of the mouth for a few seconds and finish off by spitting out the fluid. Ideally, this should be repeated several times a day for a short time for it to work properly.

GETTING THE CHILD TO INHALE STEAM

Another effective way to soothe coughs in children consists in steam inhalations. This option is particularly useful for little ones with a husky cough at night, a bit like a dog’s bark. But no need to panic, this solution will quickly soothe your child. The real issue is what to do to produce the steam. There are several alternatives, two of which are straightforward to set up. The easiest method takes only a few minutes and consists in going to the bathroom with your child. Make sure you shut the door once you are inside. Next, run a very hot both; this will produce enough steam to fill the bathroom in just a few minutes. All that is needed is to get your child to inhale the steam and the nasty cough may well disappear after just a few minutes.

OFFER THE CHILD WATER REGULARLY

One of the immediate effects of a dry cough is a sore throat. A simple remedy to soothe the throat and humidify it. Give your child small amounts of water to drink regularly to calm the irritation. Another way to soothe a cough is to use saline solution or an aerosol to humidify the child’s mouth and nose. All these methods will help soothe the child within a few minutes. Containing Aloe vera, PEDIAKID® Nose-Throat Spray forms a layer over the mucous membrane and protects it from irritation, soothe a sore throat and curb the progression of infection. It also contains a slightly hypertonic seawater solution to mechanically draw out mucous membrane fluids towards the exterior and therefore cleanses the upper airways and encourages the removal of mucus and microbes. PEDIAKID® Nose-Throat Spray also contains Echinacea, Propolis and Copper, as well as Eucalyptus and Rosemary hydrolates. Supplied with 2 nozzles (nasal and buccal) for 2-in-1 action. Propellant-gas free.

GIVE YOUR CHILD HONEY

Another simple tip is to give your child honey to soothe a sore throat. Known for its many qualities, this substance with its lovely, sweet flavour is very effective in soothing coughs in children. It should be pointed out that any honey is good for soothing sore throat, although it is best to opt for an organic honey whenever possible. Give your toddler one to two teaspoons of honey and this small dose should be enough to considerably reduce any pain. Honey is a natural product but it does contain sugar so it is advisable to get your child to clean his or her teeth 30 minutes after eating honey at the most to prevent the development of caries.

SOOTHE A CHILD’S COUGH WITH ONION

If a young child develops a coughing fit, you can easily soothe this using an onion. This is no doubt the best-known home remedy as it is highly effective. All you need to do to apply it is to place a peeled onion underneath your child’s bed. If the smell bothers you (as it can sometimes very strong!), you can soothe night-time coughing using another method. Instead of peeling the onion, cut it into cubes and collect the juice by applying pressure. All you then have to do is to mix it with a teaspoon of honey. Give the solution to you little one twice a day until the cough improves. Honey which is effective against a dry cough added to onion may well completely soothe your toddler’s sore throat.

USE A NATURAL PLANT-BASED SOLUTION

Perfectly suited to children from the age of six months, PEDIAKID® Dry & Productive Cough is an exclusive formulation based on prebiotic Acacia fibres, vegetable glycerine and plant extracts traditionally used in the treatment of coughs) (thyme, plantain, ivy, strawflower and pelargonium). Acacia fibres form a coat on the mucous membrane to soothe irritation and protect it from external irritants. Vegetable glycerine with its lubricating, moistening and emollient properties helps to hydrate the mucus and makes physiological expectoration easier, at the same time as soothing an irritated mucous membrane. In summary, a cough, whether productive or dry, can quickly become tiring for a child if nothing is done. However, you do not actually need immense resources to calm a cough as there are many remedies which can bring quick relief. All you need to do is to identify the type of cough.