Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Easing the symptoms of sick kids...

I've been taking care of two very sick kids. They both had high fevers, runny nose and cough. I've find that Children's Motrin works best for lowering high fevers quickly-although it does make the children quite drowsy. I try to use medicines sparingly. When necessary, I prefer Pedicare brand. The medicines seem to work the 8 hours as specified on the bottle and are available in non-drowsy and nighttime formulas.
I have yet to have the problem of my kids not wanting to take their medicine, but several brands offer "tasty" candy-like chews and even popsicles to make administering meds easier.

I absolutely recommend a humidifier/vaporizer. It works wonders on congestion and coughs.
I put a few drops of essential oils in my humidifier. Eucalyptus oil works great for soothing and clearing sinuses when my kids are having a difficult time breathing at night.
Humidifiers are good whether your child is sick or not. In California, the air gets very dry and usually affects our families sinuses. We often use the humidifier.
Also, a few drops of lavender essential oil in a humidifier/vaporizer is so calming if your child is ill or just having a hard time falling asleep.
My mom always put Vicks on my chest followed by a hot hand towel that she folded and stuffed into my PJ top. You just heat the towel in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds. My daughter loves having Vicks Vapor rubbed on her chest and the warmth of the towel. There is a Vicks Vapor Rub available for infants now too.

(I still use the Vicks/hot towel trick when I'm under-the-weather. It's so comforting.)

4 comments:

A. Gator said...

This is such great advice!

I wonder though...would a humidifier be good in a humid climate?!? I've thought of getting one, but don't know if it would be helpful in Florida.

Any thoughts? :)

Kelley said...

Maybe in your case a vaporizer is best. You could still benefit from the soothing vapors. Although, I grew up in Houston and used both as a kid to keep my sinuses from drying up.

Fightin' Mad Mary said...

air conditioning and heat dry out the air inside your home - so the humidifier still works.

I love the Vicks vapor rub - I'll try the hot towel with it next time I'm in need.
Hope the kiddies get well soon!

Clearing Sinuses said...

Needed this post today...read and re-read it and my son feel much better now. What you say is true, now I just need to apply it to this day and everything will be fine. Thanks for another straight forward post!