I wrote a post about this HERE last month. Since we all decided to pass a cold around these last few weeks, I was reminded of a few tips and tricks for warding off sickness that I wanted to add to my list.
Along with all of my other tips, here are some things that I did while we were sick.
1. Saline and Nasal Suction
Ahh!! Sounds terribly disgusting, but is vital! You need to do your best to keep the nasal passages cleared out of all that gunk. Ear infections are sure to happen if you aren’t keeping your kid’s noses cleared out. This isn’t a guaranteed preventative, but will definitely limit the risk. You can use saline solution that you got from a store deal recently or make up your own.
1 Cup of warm water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of salt
Mix well, then use a dropper to put this up the nose, then either blow it out or suction out.
This is great for adults and older children to gargle with as well.
2. Grapefruit spray.
I use this spray HERE. Once I have done the first step, 1-2 squirts in each nostril works wonders. Grapefruit sprays are a great way to naturally fight infection.
3. Cough Drops and Lozenges.
Who doesn’t love a soothing cough drop when they are sick? I take it one step further and also use Soothers (in a yellow box). You can pick these up at CVS or your other drug stores. They have Vitamin C, Echinacea, Zinc and other vitamins and herbs. These feel great on the throat, and provide the body with things it needs to get better.
4. Getting a check-up with your doctor.
What? I thought this was supposed to be natural tips? Well it is, but you want to be careful with your family’s health. If you or your child have been sick for longer than a few days, are spiking a high fever that won’t go down, or are just plain miserable, you should check in with your doctor. This doesn’t mean that you automatically have to give up your natural remedies.
My children were both checked by the doctor and were found to be infection free. Even with a fever and colds that lasted more than a week, we were able to stave of infections with our natural remedies.
5. Final Words:
Will all my tips guarantee that you won’t get sick? No. Germs spread, and sickness can still happen no matter how hard you try to prevent it. But you can fight of sicknesses naturally if you do manage to catch something. The more naturally you are able to fight something off, the better. If your body learns to fight off something on its own, without the use of an antibiotic or other unnatural medicines, then your immune system will be stronger for it.
My daughter is 9 months, and this was her first illness. Amazing, no? I know children that have had 4-6 ear infections by this age. Her immune system has been so strong, but is now even stronger because she was able to fight off the cold naturally.
I have one more thing to add to this. I DO use motrin and/or tylenol to keep fevers within moderation. If the fever is spiking too high, I will keep it down with these. High fevers are a scary thing, so give yourself some peace of mind and comfort your little ones by reducing those fevers.
Everyone feels bad when they are sick, and a little motrin can go a long way towards a restful night’s sleep. There are some people that will not agree with me on this one, but this is my stance on it. We have been unfortunate enough to deal with a febrile seizure in the past, so I do my best to keep the fevers down.
Motrin and/or Tylenol don’t have to be given around the clock. If your child just has a slight fever, you don’t necessarily need to take one of these. It’s the higher fevers that you should be careful with. Won’t the fever help fight off what ever is going on? Maybe. This one is debateable and really depends on the sickness. Best bet is just to keep that fever in check, and let the body kill off whatever is going on with all the natural remedies I have recommended.
Important: Don’t be discouraged if you end up having to use an antibiotic. Sometimes they are necessary. And some of you haven’t been doing any natural remedies before. If you have a history of being sick and using unnatural remedies, it will take a while to teach your body to heal naturally. Just continue to build up your immunity with the tips I mentioned in my first post, and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You will reach it!
Please note that I am not a liscensed physician, and cannot provide medical advice. This is what works for my family, and I just wanted to pass the information along to all of you.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, Crystal! Hope everyone is doing better. My twins just finished with a cold… I didn’t take them to the doctor because I knew it was just a cold, and they only had a mild fever the first day. But when one of them work one morning with rashy cheeks and watery eyes, I knew something had changed, I made an appointment with his ped, and he had ear infections in both ears. We must have caught it pretty early becasue he still only had a low grade fever, wasn’t pulling much on his ears, but here’s the key: he wanted to be held all the time. That’s not his persnallity, so I knew it was something else! Moms know their lo’s!! So he was prescribed an antibiotic, but he NEEDED it for the ear infections, not the cold. And the other boy? No infections, so no antibiotics.BR/BR/Great info, I’m going to try some of those things; I was surprised I didn’t get sick this time around!!
Let’s not forget the most importnant and easiest way to prevent the spread of germs: Hand washing!BR/I love using a public restroom. When I’m standing there scrubbing up I watch about 5 people walk right out, not even taking a glance at the sinks. EW! But Ya know what, I’m hardly ever sick. (Except during this pregnancy. I get ever single little bug that passes by.)
I use the essential oil On Gaurd…works quickly and keeps the flu away!