“The recent increase in allergies and asthma in children comes from environmental causes and triggers—which means there are environmental solutions. Even how kids eat can decrease their risk of asthma and of asthma attacks. For instance, in an Italian study of over 18,000 children, eating fruit rich in vitamin C five to seven times a week was associated with a dramatic reduction in overall wheezing, chronic cough, nighttime cough, and severe wheezing episodes.”
We sure do take our breath for granted—except when it’s taken away. It’s amazing how allergies and coughs can interrupt a seemingly simple daily action like breathing. Suddenly, all your child can think about is wheezing and phlegm.
This chapter is all about ailments that can take your breath away. From allergies and asthma to coughs and pneumonia, the conditions covered in this chapter turn simple breathing into a labored activity.
If your child is coughing right now, you’ll want to read this chapter closely to identify the right ailment and best course of treatment. Here’s hoping the coughing and wheezing can be replaced with clear breathing and restful nights of sleep.
Ahhhh, springtime! Flowers blooming, green leaves blossoming, temperatures rising. But wait: not everyone cherishes the end of winter. Allergy sufferers would gladly endure another snowstorm if it meant an extra day with clear nasal passages.
Spring and fall most frequently trigger seasonal allergies, an immune system response when the body mistakenly interprets substances like tree, grass, and plant pollens as bodily threats. The body’s immune system treats these irritants as it would germs associated with a cold or flu—it releases antibodies and histamines. It’s these histamines that generate the allergy symptoms your child experiences.
The most common symptoms include congestion, coughing, runny nose, sneezing, and watery or itchy eyes. These symptoms are most often triggered by pollens and mold. If your child suffers from seasonal allergies, and would prefer living exclusively in summer and winter, then check out these treatment options.
Allergies Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
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Science Says |
Quercetin’s effect on allergies is unmatched by other natural substances. It has been shown to prevent the influx of calcium into mast cells and basophils, thereby keeping histamine and other preformed mediators from being released. Stinging nettle leaves block both lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, enzymes that increase inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC) is an extraordinary antioxidant and mucoregulator.
If seasonal allergies persist, your child can always try one of these additional treatment alternatives:
• Use a neti pot with non-iodized salt in distilled warm water to flush out the nasal passages and alleviate congestion.
• Eat small daily doses of locally produced honey (for those children one year and older). Honey produced by bees theoretically contains bits of local flower pollens that can act to desensitize sensitive immune systems and help your child more easily tolerate seasonal pollen exposures.
• Increase consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, flaxseeds, or walnuts (assuming your child is not allergic to these foods), known for anti-inflammatory actions.
Here’s a quick test. Can you name the most common chronic condition that affects children? Here’s a hint: the answer has something to do with the section you’re reading right now. You guessed it. Asthma is the most common chronic condition and typically shows up around the age of five. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. children miss nearly 13 million days of school per year due to asthma complications.
Asthma affects your child’s ability to breath due to inflammation and subsequent narrowing of the airways. The most common symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing, or tightness in the chest. An asthma attack occurs when the wheezing is severe, coughing is uncontrollable, or your child experiences paleness, sweating, chest pain, rapid breathing, or an inability to catch his breath.
Some researchers believe there is a link between asthma and genetics, certain foods, obesity, or even environmental factors such as air pollution, allergies, tobacco exposure, and stress. However your child develops asthma, the most important goal is prevention, followed closely by successful acute and chronic management. Here are the conventional and alternative treatment options.
Asthma Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
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Researchers in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York reviewed five clinical studies of anti-asthma TCM herbal remedies, including licorice root extracts. Speculated mechanisms for activity include anti-inflammation, inhibition of airway smooth muscle contraction, and immunomodulation. The NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) published a statement on the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbals for asthma treatment, noting, “Preliminary clinical trials of formulas containing Radix glycyrrhizae (licorice root) in combination with various other TCM herbs have had positive results. All of the trials reported improvement in lung function with the herbal formulas and found them to be safe and well tolerated.”
John D. Mark, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics (Division of Pulmonary Medicine) at Stanford University School of Medicine, notes, “By using mind-body therapies such as relaxation and guided imagery, I have found that many children and young adults with asthma have been able to decrease their use of rescue medications. Many of these same patients have also been able to lower the dose or even discontinue controller medications such as inhaled corticosteroids.”
Looking for additional natural alternatives for your child’s asthma symptoms? Make sure she’s getting plenty of vitamin D—research has clearly demonstrated that children with low vitamin D levels are more likely to suffer from asthma. Also, increase intake of fruits and vegetables—rich in natural antioxidant vitamins and minerals—to help prevent and reduce asthma exacerbations.
Anytime your kid starts coughing, you immediately wonder if it’s bronchitis. That ailment must have done some seriously impressive marketing to be so top of mind among parents.
Truth be told, not every cough equals bronchitis. Defined as an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, bronchitis occurs when the airways and trachea become inflamed from infection or irritation, thereby affecting the way air is carried to and from the lungs.
There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis usually occurs during the course of a viral illness such as the common cold or influenza. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by a productive cough that lasts three months or more. It usually develops from a recurrent injury to the airways from an inhaled irritant like smoke or dust or in children with underlying respiratory issues.
Most parents automatically assume bronchitis needs to be treated with antibiotics. In fact, many types of bronchitis are not caused by bacteria but by viruses or allergens and are therefore not treatable with antibiotic therapy.
However your child develops bronchitis, you’ll want to know the conventional and alternative treatment options available.
Bronchitis Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Conventional Remedy | Treatment Alternative | |
| Generic Treatment | Azithromycin | Pelargonium |
| Sample Brand Name Treatment | Zithromax Children’s Syrup | Umcka Cold Care |
| How it works | The antibiotic fights the bacteria associated with bronchitis to fight infection. | Boosts the body’s immune system and supports its natural defense system |
| Dosage | Take one tablet per day for five days with or without food. | Under 2 years: consult a doctor; 2-5 years: 1⁄2 tsp 3 times per day; 6-11 years: 1 tsp 3 times per day; over 12 years: 11⁄2 tsp 3 times per day |
| Active Ingredients | Azithromycin | Pelargonium sidoides |
| Common Mild Side Effects | Upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, mild rash | None |
| Less Common Serious Side Effects | Severe allergic reaction, blurred vision, hearing loss, face swelling, skin yellowing, irregular heartbeat | None |
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Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as scented geraniums or storksbills. The Department of Pneumology at University Hospital in Freiburg, Germany, studied the effectiveness of Pelargonium sidoides in the treatment of acute bronchitis using a multi-center, prospective, open observational study design. Over 2,000 patients were given a Pelargonium sidoides treatment solution in age-specific dosages for 14 days. Researchers found significantly improved Bronchitis Severity Score (BSS) after treatment. Furthermore, mild adverse events were only reported in 1.2 percent of patients and serious adverse events were reported in none.
If that coughing just won’t quit, you can always get the humidifier from your closet and run it all night long for your child. Diffusing peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil may help ease discomfort as well. During the day, drinking tea with honey, cinnamon, cloves, or ginger can help ease coughing symptoms. If your child can gargle, consider warm salt water to help relieve inflammation and irritation.
Toddlers and dry coughs go together like orange juice and minty toothpaste. There’s nothing like a persistent cough to destroy nighttime sleep, irritate the most mild-mannered youngster, and ultimately challenge the patience of a loving parent.
Rest assured you’re not destined to night after night of 3 A.M. wake-ups. Treatments abound to loosen phlegm and alleviate both chest and throat congestion.
Dry and wet cough symptoms and treatment options are not the same, so we’ll cover them separately in the next two sections. Dry coughing symptoms are hard to miss. Your child will feel that incessant tickling sensation in his throat. Intense bouts of hacking coughs are common, as are difficulty breathing and even talking.
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Parental Guidance |
| “The staples in my home are Chestal for cough and congestion, elderberry for the common cold, and garlic/olive oil for earaches.” | |
| —Allison, mother to 4-year-old boy and 16-month-old girl |
Unlike many other ailments covered in this book, a dry cough cannot be traced to one universal cause. Instead, it can be the result of many ailments including the common cold, laryngitis, asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory tract infections, sinus problems, and even pneumonia.
Regardless of cause, a dry cough that interferes with sleep is better off addressed than ignored. Here are the conventional remedies versus natural equivalents to help your offspring regain a spring in their step.
Dry Cough Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
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Researchers in Austria compared the safety and efficacy of homeopathic treatments for cough and acute respiratory complaints in children and adults. The onset of improvement within the first seven days after treatment was significantly faster with homeopathic versus conventional treatment. Also, the Department of Pediatrics at the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted a comparison of the effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine on nightly cough and sleep quality in children and their parents. After studying 139 children, ages 24 to 60 months, researchers found honey to be more effective in controlling cough symptoms compared to conventional treatments. Additionally, honey-treated children slept more soundly.
Maty’s All Natural Baby Chest Rub is another great option for alleviating dry cough symptoms. It contains a proprietary blend of essential oils, including eucalyptus, lavender, and chamomile, to boost immune function while calming cough symptoms. Your child can also drink a combination of decaffeinated green tea and honey to decrease coughing spells. Finally, a mixture of turmeric with warm water or milk can help your child sleep more restfully and ease a cough.
“Mommy, I thought mucus is supposed to be in my nose!” You assure her that’s its usual home. “Then why do I feel it in my mouth when I cough?” Your seven-year-old just scored a quick education in the wet cough. Defined by that phlegmy feeling in your chest, wet coughs are the opposite of dry but are equally uncomfortable for your little one.
Wet coughs result from the presence of excess mucus in the upper or lower respiratory tract. It can impact the lungs, bronchi, larynx, or pharynx. Wet coughs often tag along with other common ailments such as a cold, the flu, or even hay fever.
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Phlegm is the key differentiator between a dry and wet cough. No phlegm equals dry, loads of phlegm equals wet. It’s nice to know such a simple distinction can point you toward the right treatment. You’ll never look at phlegm the same!
Since wet coughs have the distinct symptom of that phlegmy feeling in your throat and chest, let’s dig deeper into the causes. The most common include the following:
• An infection in your child’s upper airway passage or lungs
• A viral illness (e.g., the common cold) that leads to mucus draining down your child’s throat
• Postnasal drip seeping down the back of your child’s throat
• Stomach acid backing up (refluxing) in the esophagus, causing excess mucus production in the throat and upper airway
We’ve got the symptoms and causes clear for wet coughs; let’s now look more closely at treatment options.
Wet Cough Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
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The Department of Pharmacology at Helwan University in Egypt studied the effect of an herbal-water extract (including chamomile, saffron, anise, fennel, caraway, licorice, cardamom, and black seed) on cough. The herbal mixture, compared to a placebo tea, led to significant improvements in cough frequency and intensity as well as a reduction in sleep discomfort.
Think hot, hot, hot when it comes to home remedies for breaking up a nasty wet cough. Grandma’s chicken noodle soup, hot water or tea, and lounging in a steam shower all help break up signature wet cough phlegm. It turns out that chicken soup actually works to decrease the inflammatory response (thereby reducing phlegm production) by inhibiting neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) migration, according to one study by researchers from the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section at the Nebraska Medical Center.
“Daddy, why is Eddie barking like a seal?” Little sisters do have a way with words. “He’s got a case of croup, honey; he can’t help it.”
Croup causes inflammation in the upper airways, notably the vocal chords and windpipe. That barking cough or hoarseness is the signature sign for croup.
Croup is typically caused by a virus and is both most common and most severe in children 6 months to 3 years of age. Older kids can also catch croup, though it’s less common.
It’s possible to at first confuse croup with the common cold. It often begins with cold-like symptoms such as stuffy nose and fever. However, soon enough that seal-like barking begins—usually in the wee hours of the morning, of course—and you know it’s time to choose a croup treatment plan.
Croup Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Conventional Remedy | Treatment Alternative | |
| Generic Treatment | Prednisone | Eucalyptus Oil |
| Sample Brand Name Treatment | Orapred | Young Living Eucalyptus Oil |
| How it works | Helps reduce upper airway swelling | Helps thin mucus in the lungs and airway |
| Dosage | 1-2 mg/kg per day | A few drops diluted into vaporizer or steam |
| Active Ingredients | Prednisone, alcohol | Eucalyptus leaves |
| Common Mild Side Effects | Dizziness, headache, acne, heartburn, insomnia, sweating | Asthma-like symptoms |
| Less Common Serious Side Effects | Extreme mood changes, bulging eyes, skin blotches, irregular menstrual cycles | None |
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According to Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, eucalyptus oil appears to have both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects without the more dangerous side effects associated with conventional treatments like prednisone. One published study, from the Department of Family Medicine at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, demonstrated rapid cough and hoarseness symptom relief with treatment from an essential-oil-based spray primarily containing eucalyptus.
If eucalyptus oil doesn’t do the job, consider a homeopathic remedy called aconitum. Derived from the flowering plant in the buttercup family commonly known as monkshood or wolfsbane, homeopathic aconitum is available in several dilutions in pellet form; the 30c dilution is often used acutely for croup. Aconitum is classically used by homeopaths to treat conditions marked by a state of fear and anxiety with “anguish of mind and body.” In fact, many children with croup do appear anxious and fearful, as do their parents.
“Put your jacket on—it’s 40 degrees outside! Do you want to catch pneumonia?” Parents sure do know how to warn their kids about the risk of pneumonia.
Of course, there’s more to it than the jacket decision. Pneumonia refers to inflammation or an infection in one or both lungs and can be caused by a number of factors including viruses, bacteria, or even foreign matter (food or fluid) that reaches the lungs after aspiration.
The most common form of pneumonia in children is viral pneumonia, which typically stems from the flu. Your child may experience a host of symptoms including cough, high fever, congestion, chest or abdominal pain, vomiting, labored breathing, listlessness, lack of appetite, diarrhea, fussiness, or pale blue coloring of the lips and fingernails.
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Parental Guidance |
| “When Phoenix starts to get a cold we immediately start taking oregano oil. I rub it on the bottom of his feet and my husband and I take it internally in a capsule. Oregano is so powerful and helps our bodies fight whatever germs are mustering up strength. I also spend the next few nights cooking with a lot of extra garlic. We will eat garlic hummus, pasta sauces, and use it in omelets. Because garlic helps strengthen our immune systems I know that we are fueling our bodies with something healthy. If I start early enough this combination almost always prevents a major illness.” | |
| —Lauren, mom to 15 month old boy |
With this laundry list of symptoms, you’ll want to battle back against pneumonia right away to help your child feel better. Here are some of the treatment options available. Note that antibiotics are essential in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia. In that case, we recommend the natural remedies listed here be used as complements, not alternatives, to conventional treatment. This is true integrative medicine in action. It’s also important to clarify that pneumonia, just like sinus and ear infections, can be viral or bacterial. Viral infections do not need to be—and should not be—treated with antibiotics.
Pneumonia Treatment Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Conventional Remedy | Treatment Alternative | |
| Generic Treatment | Cefuroxime | Zinc Sulfate |
| Sample Brand Name Treatment | Ceftin (liquid) sulfate | Thorne Research Zinc Sulfate |
| How it works | Stops the production of bacteria associated with pneumonia (not prescribed for viral pneumonia) | Provides zinc to support immune function |
| Dosage | Ages 3 months to 12 years: take twice per day for 10 days in the amount prescribed by a medical professional based on age, weight, and type of infection | Ages 0-3 years: 5-10mg zinc intake per day; ages 4-10 years: 10mg zinc intake per day; over 11 years: 12-15mg zinc intake per day |
| Active Ingredients | Cefuroxime axetil | Zinc sulfate |
| Common Mild Side Effects | Vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach | Nausea, headache, upset stomach, heartburn |
| Less Common Serious Side Effects | Severe vomiting or diarrhea, allergic reaction, yeast infection, sores in mouth or throat, unusual bleeding, seizure | Toxicity due to zinc overdose |
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Researchers in the Department of Pediatrics at the Jundishapour University of Medical Sciences in Iran studied the efficacy of zinc sulfate supplementation on the outcome of children with severe pneumonia. In the study, 128 children ages 3 to 60 months old were divided into two groups. One received zinc sulfate for five days, the other received a placebo. The zinc treated group experienced significantly shorter duration of fever and respiratory distress as well as shorter hospital stays. Additionally, the zinc supplement was well tolerated.
If zinc isn’t your cup of tea, consider adding Schisandra berries, from the magnolia vine, to any herbal infusion. These berries have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a lung tonic.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies contribute to weakened immune systems, leaving children vulnerable to severe bacterial infections. For example, kids with vitamin D deficiency seem to suffer more severe lower respiratory tract infections. Extra vitamin D3 during the winter may help reduce your child’s risk of pneumonia. One study in Bangladesh demonstrated that children hospitalized with pneumonia provided micronutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, and zinc) fared better than controls.
Honey can be used as a safe cough and cold treatment.
Winnie-the-Pooh had it all figured out—it’s all about the honey. People over many centuries have gathered this tasty, sticky delight to treat everything from coughs and sniffles to sneezes and runny noses. Honey may, in fact, be nature’s safest over-the-counter cough and cold treatment and its most potent antibiotic—all without the potentially dangerous side effects of conventional medications.
Coughing is the body’s way of clearing irritated airways to help your child breathe more comfortably. However, persistent coughing may only irritate the lungs and throat further. All that hacking prevents a restful night’s sleep, something parents everywhere want for their little ones.
With all that coughing, it’s no wonder parents reach for whatever can ease the symptoms. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that codeine and dextromethorphan, two common cough medicine ingredients, offer little help for young children. Complications such as drowsiness, headaches, and hyperactivity are common, and more serious adverse effects, like respiratory depression, can happen with overdosing.
Enter honey. You likely think of it as a tasty subsitute for sugar in coffee and tea. Turns out its healing powers may come from the sticky consistency that helps coat and soothe the throat. It may also be the honey’s antioxidants that protect our cells from damage. Studies have shown that antioxidant levels rise after honey consumption. The darker honeys, such as buckwheat honey, contain the highest antioxidant concentrations. More recently, research has proven specific honeys (like New Zealand Manuka) to have powerful antibacterial properties that assist in wound healing.
So while there’s no evidence that honey has cold prevention benefits, it sure seems worth a try the next time your little one starts hacking or needs a topical wound antiseptic.