People are spluttering on the tube. Sneezing at their desks. And leaving a trail of contaminated tissues in their wake. Ok, so we’re being a tad dramatic. But cold and flu season does that to us. This is party time for germs. We can practically hear them giggling and squealing as they bounce from hand rail to finger to lips. Shudder.
Adults getting sick is one thing. By now we’re all well-versed in the take-away/Lemsip/Netflix ritual. In fact, getting the occasional red-raw nose and wheezy cough seems like a fair trade off for all the fun things winter has to offer (you know: ice-skating, hot chocolate, Christmas). We can batten down the hatches, dose ourselves with meds and bounce back.
Children getting sick, however, is a whole other story. Their little immune systems are flattened by any infection and the common cold can hit them hard. What’s more, a lot of go-to adult remedies like Nurofen or Crime Scene Investigation just are not suitable for more delicate dispositions.
So, what to do?
Turn to Mother Nature. She always knows best. Here are our favourite natural remedies:
1. Honey
Once children reach the age of one, it is safe to give them honey. Good-quality, organic honey is soothing on an irritated throat and provides sweet relief from chesty coughs. Give children just half a teaspoon to help them sleep better if they are coughing during the night.
2. Chicken soup
One of those old wives’ tales that has stood the test of time. Why? Because there’s truth in it. Chicken soup has inflammatory properties and it also contains a compound – carnosine – which helps to ramp up the immune system’s response to illness. On top of all that, it’ warming, easy to swallow and super nutritious. Try to make your own chicken stock from chicken bones and rustle up your own broth from scratch. Food is the best medicine.
3. Saline solution
Use our FREZYMAR BABY isotonic saline solution nasal spray is a great way to unclog bunged up nasal cavities. Sometimes little noses become so blocked that blowing with a tissue only makes them red, dry and sore. A little squirt of this 100% natural solution in each nostril flushes out all the bad stuff as well as helping to prevent inflammation.
4. Lots and lots of rest
It sounds very simple, but it’s hard to beat. Little bodies under siege from cold and flu need the time to rest, recharge and repair. It takes a lot of energy to fight an infection and sleep is the only way to fully replenish those energy stores.
