How Parents Can Treat Kids’ and Sore Throats
Coughs and sore throats are common in kids. Here’s how we can treat them.
Coughs and sore throats are one of the most common symptoms in kids, especially if they have allergies to dust or temperature change. However, our scare from COVID-19 has made us more vigilant. With the many viruses and infections swirling out there, we don’t know what our kids may be exposed to. And if they do get sick, it can progress into something worse like pertussis or whooping cough.
So when our kids start coughing or complaining of a sore throat, arrest it early! Here’s what we can do:
1. Have them melt lozenges in their mouth.
While some lozenges have anti-bacterial properties, others focus more on soothing sore throats. Our kids will most likely enjoy melting these in their mouths since a lot of them are sweet and come in orange flavor. But there’s a Chinese version known as Pei Pa Koa which most Chinese swear by to deal with sore throats and coughs.
Just make sure that the kids’ brush their teeth after. Medicine or not — it still has sugar.
2. Hot clear soups to cleanse the throat
Unfortunately, our kids’ beloved cream of mushroom soups don’t cut it as a sore throat remedy. The milk is known to thicken the mucus which will make it harder for them to breathe. Clear soups like Sinigang, Tom Yum, Chicken Tinola, Kansi (Ilonggo version of Bulalo), Bulalo (or in Bisaya, Pochero), Kimchi Jigae are some soups that’ll help melt the mucous and soothe the throat. Some kids even go hardcore by drinking the spicy Shin Ramyun or Mala Beef Noodle Soup.
3. Keep a face towel or hankerchief handy.
Although disposable tissues are easier to stock on, they’re messier too especially if the kjds like squashing them and tearing them to bits! A face towel might be much preferable since it’s easy to wash and sustainable. Best to keep at least two in the bag in case one gets bloody from over-coughing — or when our kids strain themselves coughing.
4. Decongestants help.
In some cases wherein the cough has an accompanying cold, decongestants like a whiff of Vicks or Decolgen can help. The goal is to just soften the mucus so our kids can expel the germs faster which is what the formers can do. Vicks and White Flower can be applied under rhe nose and Decolgen works for kids who know how to swallow pills.
5. Hot calamansi or lemon juice + sugar
Kids love juice and hot calamansi or lemon juice with a bit of sugar helps soothe the throat and melt the germs away. It helps that calamansi and lemon are rich in Vitamin C which strengthens our immune system. For a 12 oz glass, it takes around 10 calamansi to and 2 tbsp of sugar.
If kids are not fond of sour, some parents also swear by Watermelon juice. It hydrates and has a lot of Vitamin C also!
Don’t let our kids’ coughs and sore throats progress!
Coughing and sore throats in kids can be symptoms of deadlier diseases. Bronchitis, Influenza, Pneumonia, and even Tonsilitis usually affect kids more than adults and present the same symptoms, making it hard for some to know which one. Although a consultation with a doctor helps treat coughs and sore throats with antibiotics, it helps to do these tips so that pur kids won’t have to put up with the discomfort for too long.
All the more if our kids have existing diseases like asthma or allergic rhinitis, coughs and sore throats are warning bells enough that they caught some super bug. Don’t let it progress!
More about diseases or sicknesses in kids?
Caught The Flu Bug? Here’s What To Do!
Tummy Ouchies: What Parents Can Do When Kids Have A Stomachache
