Besides fevers, coughs will be a very likely visit to your pediatrician. They are a nuisance to deal with since they can keep everyone awake. It is also a signal that something else could be brewing within the lungs. Are there natural home remedies that can help? This mama has your back with some essential oils that can help to open up the airway for a cough, as well as some homeopathic remedies.
What Type of Cough?
The first thing to look at when your child has a cough is to ask: what type of cough is it? How would you rate the cough? Some coughs are not an emergency, while others can be a warning that a pediatrician needs to evaluate. Here are some common ways to rate your child’s cough.
If your child has a cough and is playing well, eating well, and sleeps well, this would generally be a nuisance cough. On the other hand, if your child is coughing and it keeps them awake during nap time and night time, this is a nuisance cough that may require treatment. Then there is the type of cough that your doctor will need to be contacted with right away. A child that is lethargic, coughing up green stuff, vomiting, has a fever or a fast heart rate needs to be seen by your pediatrician. (1)
Not to Worry Cough
In a typical, non worrying situation, a child will not have a fever. They might also be acting normal and appear generally well. The cough can still be there during the day and night time but they seem to be fairly normal. If the cough does not seem to be interfering too much with their sleeping, eating or playing and also steadily improving, usually means they are on their way to better health.
At a time like this, using essential oils for support and some homeopathic remedies could be an option. Keeping secretions thin and moving is the best way to not have them build up in the lower airways. (2)
Call Your Doctor Cough
There are different situations for when a doctor should be notified of your child’s cough. If you have any concern regarding your child’s cough, do not hesitate to contact the pediatricians office anyways, as you know your child and their behavior best.
Some situations that would require a visit would be if your child’s cough persists and there might be something in their throat, blocking the airway. Call 911 immediately so the object can be removed to restore the airway. If the cough is also not getting better but seems to be getting worse, and also if you see any type of thick yellow-green mucus. When there are allergies present as well as a cough, the airway might be tightening up, and the cough is an effort for the body to open up the airway. If your child also has a fever, chills and is generally ill, there might be something else like a bacteria infection or a virus infection happening and you will need to see the doctor. (3)
Calming a Cough
A humidifier has always been our go-to in order to thin out the mucous and get it moving out of the lungs. Maintaining the proper humidity in the room will give the breathing passage moisture that they need. When we first started using humidifiers, our pediatrician recommended a cool mist humidifier instead of a warm mist humidifier. This is mainly because if the moisture in the air is over 50% then the environment may encourage growth of molds. (4)
There are also diffusers you can use but if you are using a diffuser do not run it all night in the room. Instead there are intermittent diffusers which can be used with your choice of essential oils that turn on and off in 30 min increments. This is important because the olfactory system goes into overstimulation mode if the diffuser is on all day and nigh. The body does not benefit from this type of use, especially with children.
A chest rub that you can buy from health food stores already pre-made or some DIY chest rubs can be a great relief from coughs during the night. Most pre-made chest rubs from the health foods stores already have essential oils in them, in that case only use the chest rub, not diffuser and chest rub together.
Essential Oils for Coughs
It is important to note here that the type of essential oils that your child should be using for coughs varies greatly on their age and stage.
Click here to get a list of safe oils for children.
When looking at which oils to use, look at the oils that have anti-inflammatory and expectorant therapeutic properties. Some common oils for opening up the airways are:
- Lavender
- Rosalina
- Tea Tree
- Marjoram
- Frankincense
- Petitgrain
- Spearmint
- Sandalwood
- Chamomile
Homeopathic Remedies for Coughs
Choosing a homeopathic remedy for coughs really depends on the symptoms your child is showing with that cough. There are dry coughs, loose or wet coughs and spasmodic coughs. Some remedies can support barking coughs, or viral coughs. The same remedies can be used for both chronic and acute coughs but has to be changed as the symptoms alter. (5)
Here is a great resource for figuring out which remedy to use.
I do offer 1:1 consultations for mothers looking to make informed decisions with essential oils. You can start by grabbing your FREE children cold and flu blends, so you can help maintain your child’s health naturally.
Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, I’m here to help.
Much love,
Krystina
With colds coming soon these are good to know. I always keep the humidifier going in the winter.
Those are such life saviors!
This is very informative, especially for first-time moms. At least they won’t have to worry big time when their kids get a cough.
Yes, no need to stress sometimes:o)
Great read! I didn’t know you could use essential oils!
Yes, very easy to use oils in every part of maintaining health!