Cold and cough are the most common ailments in adults and children. Common cold happens when the mucous membranes of the throat and nose come down with an acute viral infection. This syndrome involves the sinuses; in most cases. A cough can also be due to an allergy or infection to environmental pollution and dust.

Common cold hits a child’s ability to sleep, eat and function on normal levels directly. Irritation levels go up in houses where children suffer from cold and cough, causing a lot of disharmony and friction. It is also not very wise to give strong medication to children every time they are down with a cold and cough. It is therefore advisable for you to give age old home remedies from the kitchen shelf, to children suffering from cold. I have tested few of these on my children over a period of time and found them to be very effective and am sharing some of them with you below:-

1)Massage warm coconut oil on your child’s chest and upper back just before sleeping.

2)Ensure that your childs sleeping room is warm and cozy, and there is no direct draft of a fan or air conditioner on the his person.

3)Give your child ginger tea every morning.

4)Boil a bunch of basil (tulsi) leaves and make your child drink its water when warm, every morning.

5)Make a string of five to six de-skinned garlic cloves, and put it like a necklace around your sleeping child.

6)Hot lemon tea with honey is also excellent to treat cold.

7)Give orange or other juices which are rich in vitamin C and prevents the body from getting dehydrated.

You should also let your child get lot of rest when he is down with cold and cough, even if he is not running a temperature. Keep him away from chilled drinks, milk and banana when he is suffering from cold. Also do not give water for half an hour after having any fruit. Minimize his intake of tomatoes, peanuts and black eyed beans at such times. Keep him firmly away from chocolates, fatty sweets and fried eats.

Let your child inhale steam and take steam baths if possible, to fight cold and cough. Gargling with warm salt water is also very soothing for the throat. Fresh air, sound sleep, deep breathing and mild sunbathing are also excellent for the treatment of this virus.