How To Tell If Your Child Has Croup & What You Can Do About It
Is your child experiencing wheezing, fever, or a high-pitched, seal-like bark that often induces vomiting? There's a possibility that your little one has CROUP, a common virus floating around this cold and flu season.
What is it?
Croup is on the rise. Many of the common viruses floating around can attack the immune system and induce a horrible cough, namely Croup, causing discomfort in your child and in you as a concerned parent. Croup is an acute respiratory tract infection common in children 6 months to 3 years with a characteristic high-pitched wheeze, bark-like cough, and low grade fever. Your child may wake up gasping for a breath in a panic as this cough makes it difficult to pull air into the lungs.
How to help:
First things first - bring your child outside into the cool night air or into a warm, steamy shower to open the airways. You may want to drive around at night with the windows cracked or have your child sit in a steam bath for 20 minutes. This will help their breathing return to a more calm, steady rhythm. Improvements should occur within just a few minutes. If you notice your child is not improving and is drooling, has thick, gluey type mucus, has an excessive cough with inability to lie down, or has blue or dark lips, take your child to the emergency room immediately.
Homeopathic Remedies for Croup:
Aconite:
Aconite is the best remedy to use immediately during the onset of a Croup-like cough. When you notice your child waking up at night gasping for air, restless, and/or anxious, use Aconite right away. The cough often sounds dry and has a barking, intense sound that may be brought on by cold, dry, air or winds.
Spongia:
Use Spongia when the child continues to experience the dry, Croup-like cough into the next day. If their breathing sounds like a cutting saw, if they have continued difficulty pulling enough air into the lungs or chest, or if their cough makes their chest so tight it feels like they're suffocating, Spongia should do the trick. You may use it after the first night of experiencing a Croup cough even if you have already used Aconite.
Hepar Sulphur
Hepar Sulphur is used for a Croup-type cough that also contains mucus build up. For example, if your child begins with a dry cough and it moves to a wet, choking-type cough, use Hepar Sulphur. You can also use this in addition to Aconite and Spongia.
Other Natural Treatments for Croup:
Immune boosting is key to helping your child overcome Croup. Use immune-boosting herbs and supplements such as Elderberry, Briar Rose Gemmotherapy, Vitamin C, and Zinc. Be sure to use a supplement form of Vitamin C as orange juice may actually increase mucus production. Also, make sure your child is staying hydrated and having a normal amount of wet diapers to assess hydration. If heat and steam work better for your child (versus the cool night air), it may be wise to set up a humidifier in their room. Adding essential oils like eucalyptus and tea tree oil can also help clear the infection. Before bed, try rubbing your child's chest with vaporub, sesame oil, or a few drops of eucalyptus, lavender, or tea tree oil to relax the muscles that spasm during coughing fits. Avoiding foods like dairy, sweets, and citrus may also help decrease inflammation and mucus build up in the throat. Just be sure to keep a close eye on your little one and if symptoms worsen or persist, further evaluation may be needed.
If you try these tips and your child is still feeling under the weather, something more chronic may be happening internally. Contact Dr. Martin help discover the root of the issue.
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