15 Home Remedies For Cough In kids

Kids

lekhaka-Shatavisha Chakravorty

By Swaranim Sourav

Tuesday, January 8, 2019, 9:49

kids below the age of eight are more prone to catching cough and cold. As they play outside a lot, it becomes difficult to keep them protected from infections and flu.

Although the market is loaded with antibiotics, a mother should avoid giving these to kids from an early age. It weakens their immunity over time. There are a multitude of herbal medicines that can cure the kids' cough in 4 to 5 days, and give them a better stamina eventually.

Every house has their natural recipes for cough treatment. Coughing can cause huge discomfort and pain in the chest if it prolongs. Treatment with the following home-made remedies, should be tried out by every mother initially. This would provide immense relief to the sick child.

1. Turmeric Tea With Black Pepper ^[1]

Turmeric naturally repels mucus and black pepper helps to circulate the dry mucus. They both effectively discard mucus from throat and provide relaxation. One-fourth of a teaspoon of turmeric can be added to 1 cup of hot water, with a half teaspoon of roughly crushed black pepper. A teaspoon of honey can be added to provide a soothing sensation. Consumption of this tea twice a day can help the cough subside.

2. Honey, Lemon And Ginger Tea ^[2]

Ginger has antihistamine properties and it has a pacifying effect on any irritation in the throat. As it is a good decongestant, it releases the stuck mucus and promotes its circulation. Addition of honey and few drops of lemon to a cup of hot water, along with four to five chunks of ginger can be rejuvenating. The ginger chunks should be properly boiled in the water for five minutes to release all its juices.

3. Peppermint Tea And Oil Steam ^[3]

Menthol in peppermint has decongestant properties and breaks down dry mucus in no time. A half cup of crushed peppermint leaves can be put into boiling water along with honey and some lemon juice; the gas should be turned off and tea should be steeped for about ten minutes before consumption.

Steam inhalation is also an excellent remedy to circulate clogged mucus. In a bowl of boiled water, add 3-4 drops of cold pressed, pure peppermint oil. The head should be covered with a towel and vapours must be inhaled with deep breaths.

4. Onion Juice ^[4]

Onion not only has antihistamine properties, but also antibiotic properties. It is really helpful in providing immunity against harmful bacteria and virus; the sulfur compounds present expel the stubborn mucus from a sore throat.

Onions can be cut down into small pieces and blended in the mixture. They must be firmly pressed to extract the juice and a teaspoon of honey can be combined with it. Consumption of this mixture at least once a day is a potent medicine.

5. Garlic ^[5]

Garlic has strong antioxidant traits; it is also antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial. Crushed or chopped garlic along with a few cloves releases a chemical called allicin, which is highly effective in driving away the throat pain that occurs on the onset of cough and cold.

A soothing tea can be prepared by boiling 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic and 3-4 cloves (lawang) for a few minutes. Honey can be introduced to sweeten the strong flavour.

6. Tulsi Tea ^[6]

Tulsi has countless medicinal benefits. Preparation of tulsi tea, by addition of ingredients like star anise, cardamom, ginger, lemon, honey, etc., can make it a powerful herbal concoction to cure cough and cold.

Star anise is rich in antioxidants like vitamin A and C. It helps to loosen the mucus and the child can easily cough out the phlegm. A cup of water should be boiled and a teaspoon of crushed aniseeds should be added to it, along with 10-12 tulsi leaves, a few drops of lemon and a teaspoon of honey. When consumed twice in a day, it gives amazing results.

7. Almonds

Almonds contain a lot of antioxidants and phytochemicals. It has a certain protein that is easy to digest; it also contains amandin which acts as a great supplement for milk. Addition of crushed almonds to milk makes it a lot easier to digest. kids who consume almond butter and frequently snack on almonds are a lesser risk of having a recurrence of cough.

An easy home-made recipe is to soak seven or eight almonds overnight in water. Their outer brown skin can be peeled off and the kernel is made into a fine paste. A teaspoon of sugar and butter can be added to it and consumed every day, to provide immediate relief.

8. Betel leaves ^[7]

Betel leaves have numerous antioxidant and detoxification properties. They have been used as a curative in ancient Ayurvedic books. The oil released from betel leaves has a very "warming" outcome. It easily heats up the body and removes congestion.

A quick cure is to steam around five to six betel leaves. When they are warm enough, they need to be taken off and placed over the child's chest. They work much better if some menthol balm is applied over the area as it strengthens the process of loosening mucus.

9. Grapes ^[8]

Grapes act as a great decongestant as they easily loosen the dry mucus and assist in better breathing. They are rich in antioxidants and possess astringent traits. Consumption of whole grapes or fresh juice can boost the immunity system and cleanse the body of harmful pathogens.

10. Amla ^[9]

Amla has antibacterial and astringent properties. It easily boosts up body immunity and protects against infection and sore throat that can occur during cough.

Two tablespoons of amla juice can be mixed along with two teaspoons of honey and consumed. Even amla powder with some honey would serve well to keep cough from recurring. It has been proven effective to fight back dry phlegm.

11. Home-made Cough Drops

A powerful cough drop can be prepared at home by using 100 g of organic honey, a pinch of cinnamon and 100 ml of coconut oil. The coconut oil is to be poured in a bowl and mixed intensively till it becomes frothy. Honey is added to the oil and mixed well to make a thick paste. Cinnamon is sprinkled over it.

This blend can be poured into ice tray cubes and frozen for about half an hour. It can later be refrigerated in glass bottles and consumed twice a day, in case of a dry cough.

Honey has amazing antiviral and antifungal properties. It also keeps away any harmful bacteria in the body and provides calming sensation during a sore throat ^[11] . It reduces inflammation in the lungs and helps in easy breathing. Coconut oil being a good source of lauric acid reduces body infection and increases absorption of nutrients. Cinnamon also possesses similar traits.

12. Turmeric Milk ^[1]

A teaspoon of turmeric can be added to one cup of warm milk, along with a teaspoon of jaggery or honey. Turmeric is known for its great antiseptic properties. It can cure easily viral infections, cough and cold. This concoction provides great relief from a sore throat and chest pain. If the child suffers from whooping cough, this herbal milk can be introduced in his or her routine, every night before sleeping. This boosts the immunity and also takes care of other health problems in kids.

13. Carom seeds ^[10]

Carom seeds, also popularly known as ajwain seeds, have antimicrobial attributes. It is easily available in every kitchen and is highly effective in fighting cough and cold in kids. A teaspoon of carom seeds can be boiled in a cup of water, along with a 2 tablespoons of jaggery. Other spices can also be added to this concoction, namely turmeric powder, dry ginger powder, pepper powder, tulsi leaves, etc. However, only one of the spices must be used. The liquid should be boiled for about ten minutes. Drinking this twice in a day can produce wonderful results on child's cough and cold.

14. Chicken Soup ^[12]

Chicken soup is a common cure for a cough and cold. It is packed with nutrients like minerals, vitamins, protein and healthy calories, as the child needs energy when sick and weak with consistent coughing. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; it also fights viral infections.

Chicken soup circulates the mucus, thus making it easy to breathe. A small bowl of chicken soup every day during cough can help to ease down the chest pain.

15. Fruits ^[8]

Certain fruits like cranberries, pineapple, orange, etc., are quite helpful to combat cough and cold symptoms. Orange juice is a rich source of antioxidant vitamin C. It contains folic acid and potassium, which help to provide good immunity. Apples are dense in flavonoids and vitamin C; they exhibit antioxidant properties as well. Cranberries contain polyphenols and phytonutrients and pineapples comprise of bromelain enzyme. They both have great anti-inflammatory traits that calm down a sore throat.

Other tips to remember:

• Adults somehow think that their lives are more stressful. But kids have a lot on their plate: travelling to and fro for school, pressure of school work and easy victimization from allergens. They need as much rest as possible when they come down with cough. Steam baths can prove immensely beneficial for them. It helps to release clogged mucus lining.

• Gargling can be easily taught to kids. We just need to add a teaspoon of salt to lukewarm water and show the kids the proper way to do it. This helps to reduce the scratchy tonsils, swollen throat and persistent cough.

• Kids naturally avoid drinking water during cough and cold, as it feels unpleasant down the tonsils. Make sure to give them warm water for the entire duration of sickness. It also relieves from head ache that comes along.

• It might be difficult to monitor the child's sleeping position all the time. However, we need to make sure that their head lies in an upright position to prevent movement of mucus into the throat, and cause further clogging.

• Kids should be taught to blow their noses when they suffer from cold. It comes naturally to us as adults, but they need to be made a habit for them.

• A gentle massage with warm mustard oil and crushed garlic fosters a good sleep and also stimulates the body to heal itself.

• Coughing also spreads through germs. Make sure the kids follow appropriate hygienic practices like covering their mouths or nose while coughing or sneezing, washing their hands with sanitizer, etc.

All these natural curatives and practices are bound to build immunity and get rid of a cough eventually.