Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Tina Smith. Tina is a freelance writer and blogs at Smashed Picket Fences. Most recently she published a short story in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: New Moms.”
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A year ago, my son had a terrible dry cough for almost two weeks. In the daytime it was fine, but at night he would cough and cough all through the night. He would wake up tired and cranky. The doctor gave us some prescription cough medicine to try and the pharmacy listed all the dangerous side effects.
We gave him the medicine, because that is what loving parents do right? No change. He still coughed through the night and on top of it, couldn’t sleep and in turn we didn’t sleep. The next day I was reading up on natural cures just to see what else was out there. I read over the suggestions, one of which was honey. I thought: “well it cant hurt.”
He began his nightly hacking and I came in with a spoonful of honey. He liked it better than the cough medicine, so I got points for that. Even better, the cough subsided. Silence filled our hallway and everyone got to sleep. The cough medicine sits in the cupboard; one dose used. I have since been through several honey jars.
When sniffles and sneezes surround us it’s tempting to reach for over the counter drugs for relief. There are a number of natural remedies that work well and here’s a secret: some work better or just as well as over-the-counter medications, especially for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents avoid using over-the-counter cold and cough medicine for children under 6. Some flat out don’t work for children under 12 and others are suspected to do more harm than good.
So let’s dust off those old home remedies. Below are some of the less known and highly effective remedies for the common cold and flu. [click to continue…]