The common cold brings a variety of symptoms, most of which can be eased with safe, natural remedies. The most common cold symptoms of runny nose, stuffiness, and feeling ill are addressed on this page. Please visit our natural remedies for coughs and sore throats for additional resources.

Saline Spray

Saline spray is readily available at your local drug store and safe to use with children of all ages. Following the directions on the bottle, spray/drop a little solution into each nostril to loosen thick mucus. If your child is too small to blow their nose after the application, obtain a bulb syringe made specifically to aid in removing mucus from a small child’s nose.  When using a bulb syringe, squeeze the bulb first, then insert just the tip into the child’s nostril. When you release the bulb, the resulting suction removes the mucus.

CAUTION: Avoid any salines that contain additional decongestant active ingredients as they can be extremely harmful to children.

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is an old-time remedy that really works! Part of this is due to the salt levels in the soup. Salt has anti-viral properties, which can help to fight off those nasty cold/flu symptoms. So follow Grandma’s advice and eat up!

Steam

The moisture from warm steam helps to thin the mucus and ease congestion, which is a good thing when little noses are stuffy. There are several ways to accomplish this:

• Sit in the bathroom with your child, close the door, and turn the shower on hot until the steam develops. Stay in your new “steam room” for approximately 10-15 minutes. Have your child blow their nose frequently (or use a suction bulb on younger children) to remove loosened mucus.
• Use a warm steam vaporizer (not a cool mist humidifier) to add moisture to the air.
• Add a drop of eucalyptus and lavender oil to the vaporizer for additional relief.

Upright Positions

By keeping the child in a more vertical position, with the head above the heart, you can ease congestion. This is an easy fix for children who are old enough to sleep on a pillow. For younger babies, they may require a night of TLC, being held in a more upright position while they sleep.

Sleep and Hydrate

The most basic of necessities is plenty of rest and fluids to keep your child well hydrated. Simply encouraging your child to drink plenty of water (avoid milk as it will increase congestion) and helping your child rest will allow the body to fight off this sickness more effectively.

What remedies have worked for you and your little ones? Share them by posting a comment below!

Sore throats can be aggravated by excessive coughing, nasal drainage, and other cold symptoms because the throat tissue becomes inflamed and irritated. While many sore throats are mild and heal themselves in a couple of days, it’s always wise to consult your pediatrician when your child has a sore throat to be sure it’s nothing more serious, such as strep throat (especially if the sore throat has lasted more than a couple of days). If it’s just a mild case, there are several natural remedies that can be used to ease the soreness and are safe for children.

Lemons

Combine the juice of 3 lemons with a tablespoon of honey and store in a glass. Take 1 tablespoon of this mixture every 3-4 hours to help sooth an irritated throat.

Oranges

Cut an orange in half, scoop out the white center core and discard. Sprinkle the orange flesh with salt and microwave for about a minute. Eat the flesh part of the orange and discard the rind. This can be repeated every couple of hours for sore throat relief.

Ginger

Ginger tea is a natural soother. Begin by peeling and slicing the ginger root. Boil the ginger slices in water until the desired strength is reached. Let it cool to a warm temperature and drink whenever needed.

You can also offer your child a long, cold drink to ease a sore throat. Ginger ale works well for this, as long as you let it go flat first. Do not offer carbonated beverages as the carbonation will burn the throat and cause additional irritation.

Ice Cream

Ice cream or other cold foods can help to ease a sore throat. While these may be more temporary, your child is likely to agree that ice cream makes good medicine!

Humidity

Keeping the air moist will help to keep the throat from getting dry and more irritated. Running a vaporizer or humidifier in the room will help achieve this.

Salt Water

For children who are old enough to gargle, mix a mild saltwater solution (about 1 teaspoon salt with 1 cup warm water). Have your child gargle the solution and then spit it out. This will offer temporary relief and can be repeated every couple of hours.

Fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids is always a necessity for anyone who is feeling ill and a sore throat is no different. Be sure to keep your child hydrated with plenty of liquids. Cold liquids can be very soothing on a sore throat. You may also want to consider giving your child liquids in a bottle, even if they have outgrown a bottle. The bottle helps move the liquids right to the back of the throat which keeps it moist and helps ease irritation.

There are many ways to treat a cough using items that many people already have available in their homes. With the concerns over side effects of cold medicines rising, more parents are turning to natural remedies to help ease their children’s coughs and to help them get some much needed rest.

Honey

Although considered an old-time remedy, according to studies published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine on December 3, 2007, honey calms coughs better than both medicines and using nothing at all. It states that children who were given a spoonful of buckwheat honey just before bedtime were able to sleep deeper and coughed less. Some options are to mix it with tea, milk, or offer it straight up. Remember that children under the age of 15 months should not have honey as it poses a danger of contracting botulism.

Pears

Pears contain a high level of flavonoid, which has been shown to improve lung function. This fruit is safe for children of all ages and is said to be great to reduce phlegm.

Herbal Tea

Drink herbal tea with cinnamon to stop a cough. Be sure the tea is not too warm or too strong when serving to children.

Lemon

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and mix with a little bit of water. This first option can be repeated as often as necessary throughout the day. If it’s too tart for your child, remember - a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down! Add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture. This honey option should be given 2-3 times per day.

Upright Positions

By keeping the child in a more vertical position, with the head above the heart, you can ease congestion. This is an easy fix for children who are old enough to sleep on a pillow. For younger babies, they may require a night of TLC, being held in a more upright position while they sleep.

Dark Chocolate

Yes, chocolate has been shown to be more effective than over the counter medicines in suppressing coughs. A study conducted by researchers in London showed that theobromine, an ingredient found in cocoa, was more effective than codeine in stopping coughs induced by capsaicin. Capsaicin is a colorless, crystalline compound, made from capcisum, that produces a strong irritating effect on the skin and mucus membranes. The study was published in the online Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal on November 17, 2004. Dark chocolate is preferred because it contains the most theobromine per ounce.

What remedies have worked for you and your little ones? Share them by posting a comment below!