10 Natural Home Remedies for Cold in Children

Do You Know That There Are Effective Natural Home Remedies To 

Treat Cold In Children?     

A cold is one of the most common childhood illnesses. Most children can expect to get four or five colds a year. Children of any age are affected, but daycare or school age children seem to be more susceptible. Symptoms of a common cold include congestion, cough, mild fever, runny nose and sore throat.

Treating a common cold can be extremely difficult, especially if you have small children. Your family could spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year on doctor’s visits and cold medications, but the fact of the matter is there is no scientific cure for a common cold.

Some experts believe that over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be dangerous when given to children, especially if they are under the age of two, and some popular commercial medications like Tylenol contain acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage or failure if taken in high doses. (In fact, as of January 2008 the US Food and Drug Administration warned parents about the dangers of giving over-the-counter cold and cough medications to young children).

Because there are numerous natural treatments that can be just as effective as treating the common cold, with the proper tools and remedies you could not only reduce the lifespan of a cold, you can also prevent your children from catching a cold in the future as well.

Here are 10 natural home remedies effective in treating the common cold:

1. Vitamin C for Kids

Vitamin C is one of the most effective natural home remedies for colds because it promote immune response by the production of white blood cells, and can also help your child to prevent the multiplication of viruses while reducing mucus and inflammation in the nasal passageways.

USE: Adding fresh lemon juice to hot tea with honey will reduce phlegm and relive your child. You can take vitamin C in a pill form, but other foods that are surprisingly packed full of vitamin C include oranges, cauliflower, lemons, broccoli, strawberries, cabbage, peaches, kiwi, tomatoes, and parsley.

2. Tea for Kids

As many mothers probably already know, the key to curing any type of cold is to drink lots of fluid. Of course this can come in the form of water or juice, but tea is a hot liquid that can help prevent the drying of your child’s throat and nose. Drinking tea is also another popular, natural home remedy for treating flus because it can help prevent dehydration as well.

Green tea specifically can be extremely effective in treating a cold because like other teas they act as an antioxidant which can help remove any toxins in the body as well as bacterial infections.

3. Garlic for Kids

Garlic contains antiseptic properties that could help protect the immune system against a common cold, and scientific studies have shown that the allocine contained in garlic can also act as a stimulator of white blood cells. The oil in garlic also helps open up the respiratory passages, and if taken in soup form it can help flush out all the toxins in your system and also bring down a fever as well.

USE: Boil three to six cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water, and drink the liquid in a soup form and drink it two to three times a day. Ingest crushed the garlic along with the honey works better as it soothes the respiratory passage. (If your child isn’t a fan of garlic soup you could even try dropping three to five drops of garlic oil into their food or drink).

4. Salt water Gargle for Kids

Forcing your child to gargle with warm salt water may be a daunting task, but it can actually help remove any bacteria from your child’s mouth and throat. Mix about ¼ to ½ of a teaspoon of table salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water, and stir until all of the salt is dissolved before gargling.

5. Pepper for Kids

If your child has a runny or stuffed up nose, eating pepper with a meal, gargling pepper in hot water, or even simply smelling pepper can help break apart any congestion in your child’s lungs or sinuses. Pepper can help break up congestion effectively thanks to its capsaicin components which are known to thin mucus, and they are also effective in helping getting rid of the germs in the nasal passages as well.

6. Ginger for Kids

The health benefits of ginger root have been touted for centuries, but now we have scientific proof of its curative properties. A few slices of raw ginger root in boiling water may help soothe a cough or sore throat. It has an aroma that is soothing to your nose. Besides, ginger is also known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties. Its natural spiciness helps clear congestion in the nasal passage to an extent. Ginger, it is known to speeds up the recovery process from common cold. Chew these ginger pieces to fight cold, cough and a sore throat. Research suggests that it can also ward off the feelings of nausea that so often accompany influenza. According to one study, just 1 gram of ginger can “alleviate clinical nausea of diverse causes.”

USE: Eating ginger raw or drinking ginger tea are both popular natural home remedies for colds that are known to help treat the symptoms of a common cold. Take about ten grams of ginger and cut it up into small pieces before boiling it in a cup of water, and then have your child drink the mixture at least two times a day.

7. Honey for Kids

Honey is known for its potent healing and antiviral properties. It can be effective in treating cold and soothing sore throat. Its antioxidants help the immune system battle virus or bacteria that cause cold. You should give your child raw or organic honey to get the maximum benefits in this regard. Drinking honey in tea with lemon can ease sore throat pain. Research suggests that honey is an effective cough suppressant, too. In one study, researchers found that giving children 10 grams of honey at bedtime reduced the severity of their cough symptoms. The children reportedly slept more soundly, which also helps reduce cold symptoms.

You should never give honey to a child younger than 1 year old, as it often contains botulinum spores. While they’re usually harmless to older children and adults, infants’ immune systems aren’t able to fight them off.

8. Cinnamon for Kids

Cinnamon is known to help ease the pain of a dry or sore throat, and it is praised by “naturalists” because of its effective healing properties. Cinnamon has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties that treat the infection and give relief from cold symptoms

USE: You can try boiling one teaspoon of powdered cinnamon in a glass of water, and then mixing it with some pepper powder and honey for extra effect. Or you can add a little extra cinnamon it to your child's food.

9. Chicken soup for Kids

Chicken soup has long been used as a home remedy for cold. Research suggests that enjoying a bowl of chicken soup with vegetables, prepared from scratch or warmed from a can, can slow the movement of neutrophils in your child’s body. Neutrophils are a common type of white blood cell. They help protect your child’s body from infection. When they’re moving slowly, they stay more concentrated in the areas of children’s body that require the most healing. The study also found that chicken soup was effective for reducing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections in particular. Low-sodium soup also carries great nutritional value and helps keep your  child hydrated. Scientific studies have also shown that it can actually thin mucus secretions, and the carbohydrates from the broth and noodles can help maintain your child’s energy level as well.

10. Sleep for Kids    

Even if your child eating and drinking all of the right things, and taking the right supplements, she will not going to feel better without enough sleep. Make sure your child sleep as much as they can when she feeling under the weather and you'll hopefully be feeling better in no time at all!

What are your favorite natural home remedies for cold at your home?