Awful Cough

Hi Kristen.

If the cough is "dry" sounding, you might want to offer her some water in a bottle or sippy cup. Sometimes the throat just gets irritated and needs some soothing. Water won't be a permanent fix but it might at least help her get to sleep. Works for my daughter, anyhow.

I know this sounds wierd. But have you tried putting vicks vapor rub on the bottom of her feet? It really works. Just rub vicks vapor rub on the bottom of her feet then put her socks back on. She should stop coughing in just about 10 minutes. I have two boys and this is the only thing that really takes away their cough. Try it and good luck. D. P.

Hi K.,
Try rubbing Vicks Vapor Rub on her chest under her PJ's and maybe even putting a t shirt on under the PJ's. Also most important is to rub some on the soles of her feet and put socks on them before going to bed at night! This should help along with the humidifier you are using. Repeat this until her cough is gone. You should see results quickly. Good luck.
J.

I started giving my kids natural remedies when they were as young as 3 months. There is a line of herbs called Herbs for Kids. You can easily find them at Sprouts. Horehound has worked really well for us for coughs. We always use Echinacea when they are sick with anything. It is an Immune builder. And if she has been given antibiotics I would definitely get a pro biotic. They have flavored chewable acidophilus that works great and the kids love it. There is also a line of homeopathic remedies called Hylands. Check on those too.

Hi K. -

Is there an herb store near you? If so, ask them for some Elderberry/Wild Cherry Cough Syrup. This is an excellent combination for coughs (they may also include something like Pleursey root or Elecampane) for lung support. It is very safe for children too. If you don't know of an herb store in your area, let me know - I will see what I can find out for you.

Blessings,

M. M. Ernsberger
Certified Herbalist

Hi K.,

It is hard to listen and watch our wee ones cough so much, but as long as her Dr. has cleared her of any serious conditions, such as whooping cough etc...her cough will get better a little everyday, but probably will hang around for a couple of weeks. My 3 yr old is also healing from a very nasty cold, and that's when it seems that the cough is almost worse than in the beginning sometimes. It's actually good for them to cough because it helps clear out their lungs. But if it disrupts their sleep then they don't get the rest they need which wears down their body a bit and it seems like it takes forever for them to be 100% doesn't it? So this is what I suggest...after 12 yrs of trial and error, having a RN as a friend, Dr's old fashioned and modern advice, and my own intuition of not relying on medication all the time for my family.

A cool air humidifier does help, but you have to be careful because the extra moisture can cause mold and when mold spores grow rampant it is NOT good for anyones health. Use it sparingly, and make sure you clean it well everyday with vinegar, heck a few drops of tea tree oil might work too...it's a natural disenfectant.

She's pretty young, but over one year...maybe a little bit of honey to soothe her cough a bit so she can rest.

Warm liquids. Beef broth is really great to drink especially when we are sick because the protien and vitamins in beef really boosts our immune system. I also give my children a daily dose of Fish Liver Oil (omega fatty 3 acids, small amount....not just great for the brain, but can boost the immune system as well. Nordic Naturals for children is a great vitamin brand.

You want to keep her warm, but a shot of cold air (like going outside for a minute or the humidifier), helps them take a deep breath which increases that exchange of gases and oxygen to her lungs and helps clear them out.

I havn't tried it yet, but I'm looking into acupressure to help soothe a bad coughing fit. Just google acupressure for coughs and you'll get oodles of info.

There are certain yoga moves that are great for adults when sick...I'm sure there are modified yoga moves for children as well. Research on internet unless you know a good yogi.

If her cough is worse at night, prop her upper body up more, or just pick her up and hold her upright on your chest while you walk her around or rock her until the coughing passes. Laying flat worsens the cough.

Running and being really active worsens a coughing fit..which has 2 sides to it...the coughing helps expel the bad stuff, but it's no fun at all for her to cough so much...as long as my kids are acting and looking "normal" without a temp., I can't really stop them from being active, even on their "sick" days, but I make sure they have more calm time so their bodies can rest.

LOTS of water or some low sugar juice. Water is one of the best things to put into our bodies when we are sick.

I also know a chiropractor and a myopracticioner and they both say that even young children benefit from adjustments to help them through their sicknesses and to support a healthy immune system.

As long as she acting and looking normal and her temp and heart rate are normal, unfortunatley her cough could linger for a while. Just keep her comfortable as much as possilbe, knowing that her coughing is actually doing some good for her.

Though I use mostly basic old fashioned 'chicken soup' remedies for my family when thier illness seems normal and/or they are cleared from the Doc. I will give my kids modern medicine if the natural, homeopathic ways are not working. There are pediatric OTC medicines. I think that they have come a long way, but have heard some news about children's cough medicines that it really isn't that helpful or healthy...I really think they should be the last resort. Research some of the Naturopathic children's "medicines" that are out there.

As with anything...make sure you do your homework when seeking the best ways to treat your children. Base your decisions on inner wise mamma instinct, being informed and educated, and making your choice out of love and not fear. Fear always clouds our best judgment..ie: "I won't give my children antibiotics or medicine because it's worse in the long run", when actually using modern medicine may be better choice for a certain situation. OR, "I don't believe alternative medicine works and I only listen to my Dr."....when an alternative approach will work just as well and will be healther in the long run for certain conditions. And ALWAYS make sure any natural medicines you give your children will not interfere with any regular medication they are taking.

Eastern medicine, alternative medicine, old fashioned remedies, AND modern western medicine can all work beautifully together when we empower ourselves enough to be informed and take action. (sorry, just my 2 cents about all the extreme views of medicine in our culture:)

As I'm typing at 1 am, my little one is crying out for me because her cough is waking her up:) Now it's off to take care of her.

Best of luck with finding the right remedy for your daughter.

In peace,
A.
mom of 4

I dont use cough medications either.. My doctor led me to steam up the bathroom and pat her chest. (just like when you pat her on the back) It will help break it up and the steam will help moisten her lungs. This may sound superstitious, but I read to put vicks vapor rub on the bottom of the feet at bedtime,cover with socks, this stopped my sons cough which helped him sleep better. Good Luck and Merry Christmas.

Have you tried vicks rabor rub. I usually put some on their chest (I have a 2 and 4 yr old) a little on their back and on the bottom of their feet (then put socks on) and they will usually sleep through the night without coughing or waking up. Hope that helps, I know you mentioned no meds, but the menthol in the vicks should help soothe them and I believe its a safer alternative.

Hi K.,
There are great homeopathic remedies which are totally safe that are great for coughs. I found this ointment that I had placed on my daughter's chest when she had a bad cough, which really helped alot. Plus, there is a remedy called Chestal, which is a liquid, which I believe is fine for young children. I've also given it to my daughter a few times. You can get it at a Whole Foods type of store.

Besides the humidifier, there isn't much else you can do. Do you know if she has croup? If it's croup, your doctor can give her a steroid shot that will clear up the nighttime coughing quickly. If it's not croup and just a dry cough, try putting some Vicks Vapor Rub on her chest in addition to the humidifier. That might help. Good luck.

I just read about the Vicks on the bottom of the feet trick. One of my girlfriends forwarded me an email about it. I am going to try it next time one of my kids has that awful cough...especially when it gets worse at night. Can't wait to hear how it goes!

The vicks rub on the feet covered with socks definately works. I've done it with both my girls 2yrs and 5yrs and also when they were younger. I've even done it on myself. Works great!!

Mommy of 2 girls!

Honey works wonders!

I too tried the vicks rub and it helped my little girl I used the baby mentholatum I also rubbed a little on her chest and back.

You could put a pillow under her mattress to make it more of a ramp...so that she isn't laying flat...

We've been seeing a homeopathic practitioner for my son and have a lot of success with remedies for coughs. The thing with homeopathic treatment is that there is not just one remedy for "coughs." The remedy is prescribed based on all symptoms present so it really needs to be done by someone knowledgeable. When it's the right remedy, it works quickly. It's well worth trying to find a good classical homeopath in your area.

We are going through the same thing with my 2 year old twins. We are also not a fan of cough medicine because it doesn't seem to work either. Here are a few things that we do:
*humidifier in their room
*Vicks (child vapor rub)- I rub this on their chest, back and the bottoms of their feet.
*honey sticks - you can get these at Sunflower market 5 for $1.00.
Benadryl - 1/2 tsp of benadryl. I do all these things before they go to bed and it seems to help quite a bit. I am sure it probably sounds like a lot - but the more rest they get the better they will start to feel. Good luck!

A little about me:
Working mom with georgeous twin boys - 2 years old. Married to the only man to make me laugh hard enough to pee my pants. :)

Hi K.,

I received an email a while back from my sister that swore vicks vapor rub on the feet would help any cough. My little one had a bad cough about two weeks ago so I thought it would be a good time to try it. I rubbed a good amount on her feet and put socks on her. She did not cough the entire night. I hope it helps.

K.

Put Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of her feet and cover them with socks. I read to do it at night but I have done it during the day too. It works great and right away! I read that it is much better for kids than giving them cough medicine. Give it a try and I hope your little girl gets to feeling better soon!

Use Vics Vapor Rub on the bottom of her feet...apply generously and put socks on her...it may take about 5 minutes to kick in but it works:) Hope this helps:) Another mother to a boy who coughs alot:)

My daughter often would "hold" on to a cough for a long time-especially at that age. My doctor okayed the use of Mucinex the help clear the phlegm. We used the little powder packets, poured one out and split the dose into quarters. It really helped her clear out her lungs and get rid of the cough. I used it only when necessary, maybe 2 times a day for a couple of days. Keep that humidifier going. Also, sleeping propped on a pillow can help too. Good luck!

I just got an email saying to try Vick's Vapor Rub on the feet and then cover with socks. I would try a natural rub instead. Organic Baby makes Achoo Rub which I like. It's made with essential oils. I've never tried the feet thing, but I do know that (as an aromatherapist) the feet are a great place for the body to absorb essential oils safely. I'd love to hear how it worked.

I also like Herbs for Kids throat spray. It seems to help with sore throat and cough.

I shop for both of these at Whole Foods.
Good luck,
B.

Hi K.,

When my daughters get a cronic cough, in which they can't sleep at night I run the shower hot, close the doors and rub a tiny bit of vics vaper rub on their chest and also leave the jar open in the bathroom for a short time. My daughters calm down within 15 minutes and seem to sleep all night. If its real bad we do it again around 2am. I know all the crazy stuff they say about Vics, but I'm sure you are a responsible parent and just a little for those few colds a year is ok. it's better than them coughing up a lung or getting worse due to lack of sleep. I hope it all goes away by the Holiday! Peace to you and your dear one.
S.

Hi K.,

I used Vick's vapour rub (well, actually, the CVS cheaper version). I'm not really sure if it helped, but my 18-month-old son loved it, and will ask to have it rubbed on his chest even though his cough is long gone!

Happy holidays back to you!