Croup is a very common medical condition that growing children have. The condition is mainly caused by a viral infection. Herpes that usually causes croup in children may be the parainfluenza virus. Your child may have contracted the disease by breathing in the air exhaled by someone struggling with croup. It can also be contracted by arriving touch with the cough or sneeze of somebody with parainfluenza virus.
The age group that's most affected by croup is 6 months to 3 years of age. Though not a serious issue, it does cause a large amount of discomfort and strains the child's respiratory system. You can try these natural home remedies for croup to treat the condition effectively.
Symptoms of croup
According to Healthline,
“Symptoms are usually most severe in children under the age of 3. It is because a child's respiratory system is smaller than an adult's. Symptoms which are common in most cases of croup include:
- cold symptoms like sneezing and runny nose
- fever
- barking cough
- heavy breathing
- hoarse voice
Immediate medical attention is required if croup threatens your son or daughter's ability to breath. Contact your doctor as quickly as possible if you notice symptoms like:
- high-pitched sounds when breathing
- difficulty swallowing
- blue or gray skin coloring round the nose, mouth, and fingernails
Croup that persists longer than one week, reoccurs frequently, or is accompanied by a fever higher than 103.5 degrees, should be brought to a doctor's attention. An examination is needed to rule out bacterial infections or any other more serious conditions.”
Causes of croup
According to Mayo Clinic,
“Croup is generally caused by a virus infection, most often a parainfluenza virus.
Your child may contract a virus by breathing infected respiratory droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. Virus particles during these droplets may also survive on toys and other surfaces. If your child touches a contaminated surface and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth, an infection may follow.”
Home remedies for croup in children
Here are the 8 best natural treatments that will help treat your child's croup.
1. Warm Steam
To treat croups inside your child, the first natural remedy you need to rely on is warm steam. You may create this using a hot shower. It really works on croup because it gives respite from congestion, which makes eases the breathing. Also, the heat from the steam helps thin the mucus, which in turn, makes expelling out easier.
For the remedy, you have to run a hot shower and shut the door of the bathroom so that the steam does not escape. Now, with your child, sit in this steam-filled self-created sauna bathroom not less than 30 minutes. Your child needs to inhale this steam.
You should repeat the remedy when required.
2. Moisten the Air
The second remedy is an extension of the first one. Humid air helps treat croup in children by making breathing easier. For this remedy, you will have to make the room where your child sleeps a little humid using a humidifier. This will help lower the intensity of your child's coughing fits, giving them overall relief.
If you don't want to use a humidifier, then there is an alternative option. You can put a hot bowl of water inside your child's room. This will help moisten the environment in your child's room. Keep your water out of your child's reach to ensure safety.
3. Prevent Dehydration
While suffering from croup, children tend to get dehydrated. So, to make sure your child's speedy recovery, you have to keep them hydrated at all times. This will also reduce the difficulty they're having in breathing. Also, the fluids will thin your son or daughter's mucus, thus making their expulsion easier.
You should provide you with child small amount of fluid as they may refuse large amounts of it at one time. If your baby is very small, breast milk or water should work fine. For older children, you can serve soups fruit drinks and fruit pops, along with water.
You can also serve your child some homemade bone broth. This can also give them strength because the coughing fits are likely to make them feel really weak.
To fight the problem apart from keeping our child hydrated, you need to feed them more of any fruit juice, citric juices and/or herbal teas.
If your child refuses large amounts of fluids at one time, give smaller amounts more regularly.
4. Sponge Bath
One of the most common the signs of croup is fever. To bring it done, try giving him or her a sponge bath.
You want to use cold water instead of warm, to regulate the body temperature of your child. This gives her or him a quick relief from the fever. It will also ensure your child sleeps better. Sleep is key to speeding up the process of recovery.
For the remedy, you need to soak a washcloth in a bowl of water that is at room temperature. Now wring out the excess water. While using cloth, clean your child's armpits, hands, groin, and feet. This can be done two to three times a day, depending on the intensity of the fever.
For older kids, a cold water shower should work.
5. Acrylic Massage
The next remedy requires you to gently massage your child's chest with essential oil. This will help ease the muscles which have tightened due to the constant coughing, and this will, in turn, promote good sleep and relaxation.
For the remedy, you need to mix half a cup of warm, olive oil (make sure it is extra-virgin) with about 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Apply the mix on your child's chest, and massage gently in aa circular motion. Due to the soothing aroma of eucalyptus oil, your son or daughter will sleep better.
You may also massage your child's feet with this particular mix. It will help them relax.
6. Upright Position
Whenever your child has difficulty in breathing, put them in an upright position. This will automatically make breathing easier. Should you lay them flat, then you definitely expect a coughing fit.
7. Ginger
Ginger is another good home remedy for treating croup. Since it is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial antitussive, it will help relieve your son or daughter's congestion and help treat all of the symptoms associated with croup. The inflammation in the air passages due to the intense coughing can also be treated by ginger.
Prepare some ginger tea for your child. For this you will need to boil 6 glasses of water, and to it, add half a mug of sliced ginger. Make sure the ginger is sliced thinly. Also, add two cinnamon sticks for flavor. Allow it to cook at a low flame for about 20 minutes. Now remove the pan from fire, and then add natural honey. You need to give this tea to your child four times a day.
8. Rest
Rest is essential to help your child's body heal and repair itself. You need to ensure your child gets the right amount of rest and sleep.
You need to stop them from playing or playing around because the cough might get worse. It is just about a couple of days of not playing. 
Additional tips for croup
Here are some tips that will help your treat and stop croup.
- If your child in not even 24 months of age, dodge over-the-counter drugs, unless prescribed through the doctor.
- To prevent the virus from spreading and affecting others encourage your son or daughter to cough into their elbow.
- You have to teach your child how to sanitize their hands. They need to clean their hands frequently, and with special care before a meal.
- You have to keep your child away from possible sources of infection.
- To help build your child's immunity, you have to expose their hands, feet and to the early rays of sunlight. The first rays wont damage their skin.
- You should keep your child away from cigarette smoke when they're suffering from croup. This will help safeguard their healing breathing from further damage.
- To enhance the functioning of your child's defense mechanisms, you need to introduce probiotics and ascorbic acid into their daily diet.
If despite trying these home remedies your child's croup is not cured, then you need to consult a doctor. Also you can take these natural treatments in addition to the medicines prescribed through the doctor.
That is all we have on today's post on natural home remedies for croup in children. Was this helpful? Will you be recommending it to other people too? If you have some remedies that you would like to share with us, then please so in the comment section below.
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