Holistic Treatments for Respiratory Illness in Children

There's a sick 8 year old behind me, coughing a bit but in good spirits. It's day 2 since he started showing symptoms of an upper respiratory infection: runny nose during the day, congested nose at night, cough and a bit of difficulty breathing.

A few years ago, he was hospitalised for croup and his blood oxygen level dropped so low that he had to wear an oxygen mask for a couple of days. There was a croup epidemic at that time, and the children's ward was full. It was really scary listening to them coughing like that, especially through the night. That was  a wake up call for me to find the best remedies and treatments for respiratory illnesses that has helped him stay well and get over infections quickly.

Common respiratory infections like colds, influenza, and acute bronchitis are not bad in themselves; with each infection you build up your immunity naturally. However, the condition can deteriorate pretty quickly in children because their immune systems are weaker.

I've compiled a short list of these treatments, some of them I've discovered through my research and some have been passed on by my grandmother and aunties.

Healing Diet. With asthma running in both sides of the family and a nut allergy on top of that, his diet has always been nut-free and we try to avoid sugar, wheat and dairy products. I've listed some articles below that take the hype out and provide evidence on why certain foods must be avoided.

The basics of a healthy diet is the same for all ages and is really very simple: whole, seasonal, and sustainably-grown food. It's not realistic to expect children to get all the essential nutrients from their food, though. Supplements are still needed and again, it doesn't have to be complicated. A high quality multivitamin, preferably one with iron such as Floradix or Clinician's MultiVitamin and Mineral Boost throughout the year.

Vitamin C. As soon as the colder weather arrives, I start giving him more Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in divided doses. That is, two to four times per day depending on how busy we are. The dosage depends on need. I'm not a big fan of megadoses, but I do increase the dosage up to bowel tolerance when fighting an infection. The Mayo Clinic has published a comprehensive guide to Vitamin C supplementation.

Rest and warmth. Nip it in the bud by staying at home as soon as the first symptoms appear. It is dismaying to see so many children who continue going to school with full blown symptoms. Not only are they at high risk of prolonging the illness and developing complications, they also spread the infection to other children.

Healing Soups and Herbal Teas. Taking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated is a well-known treatment for respiratory infections. However, children are never keen on drinking water or juice all day. So I include healing soups or, if they can't swallow chunky pieces of food, clear broths. Here are a few delicious healing soup recipes:

• Super Immune Boosting Chicken Soup  
• Seriously Healing Soup
• Homemade Bone Broth
• Super Soups (Vegetarian)

Herbal teas are another absolute must haves in our household. I usually buy an organic tea blend and have it at hand all throughout autumn and winter. My favourites are the Expectorant Tea Blend from the Wellington Apothecary and the Immuno Boost Tea from Artemis. My son loves to stir some honey on his warm tea himself, though I have to keep a close eye on how much he puts in it!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey. We have two ways of taking this wonderfully effective remedy. First is to mix a teaspoon each with a cup of warm water for drinking once a day. The second way is to make a delicious homemade cough syrup using this recipe from Mary Younkin.

Aromatherapy. Getting some sleep is nearly impossible if you have a congested nose and a cough. Good thing my grandmother has taught us a very effective remedy: aromatherapy massage with diluted essential oils. I find that my son is ok with the most commonly available essential oil, eucalyptus, diluted in an almond oil carrier. But to stay on the safe side, read this Essential Oil Blend Recipes for Babies and Children. I rub the diluted oil on his chest, back, arms, legs, hands and feet just before bed time and this helps him sleep soundly. Last night, I had to listen closely to make sure he's all right because he was sleeping so quietly. No coughing at all! A very deep healing sleep.


REFERENCES
I have put together a list of evidence-based articles that helps explain the rationale behind this treatment plan:

• The Dangers of Cow's Milk by Linda Fonden Palmer
• Got Proof? Lack of Evidence for Milk's Benefits by Dr. Mark Hyman
• Against the Grain by Michael Spector
• Managing Respiratory Infections with Herbs 

And a couple of videos on pediatric massage:

• Pediatric Acutherapy and Tui Na (Chinese Medical Massage)
• Baby Massage: Coughs and Colds 

 

So what if you are unwell? A holistic, drug-free approach to heal and recover from respiratory infections

Traveling through four cities across three continents, and spending time in huge enclosed spaces such as malls, airports, and the hospital meant my immune system had to work non-stop these past couple of weeks. Add to that the drastic change in temperatures and humidity, the emotional ups and downs, lack of sleep...and you have the perfect formula for those viruses and bacteria to get an upper hand.

Good thing it's only laryngitis....could be a lot worse! The tropics has a good number of bugs that can do way more harm than render you speechless. Pun intended :)

While I'm not averse to using synthetic drugs, especially pain relievers, most drugs for viral and bacterial infections just target the symptoms and not the underlying cause of the infection. Holistic treatments, on the other hand, help your body's immune system fight and get rid of the virus and/or bacteria causing the infection. So you get better quickly and reduce the risk of further complications, like pneumonia and asthma.

Most of the treatments here came from my grandmother, a healer and herbalist, complemented with insights I've gained from research and my nutrition studies over the years. The treatments don't stop when the virus has been defeated; we need to continue them in order to heal the damage caused by the virus and restore our body to its optimum health.

When you're fighting an infection, you need to sleep and rest. Don't go to work or school, don't even go out of the house. Gentle yoga or tai chi is permitted, but no strenuous exercises. Remember that your cells are engaged in battle - you need to let your mind AND body focus all their energies on that.

I found this short video on how cells fight viruses but if you're really, really interested to learn how our immune system works, here's an awesome lecture for you :)  Immune System 101: An Introduction to Clinical Immunology.

We all know we need plenty of fluids to fight infections, but what exactly should we should drink?

Water (of course!) - is required to for biochemical reactions at the cellular level, but also keeps the respiratory track moist so you can breathe easier. Water also carries toxins out of your body.

Herbal teas and infusions - one of the most effective herbs for treating respiratory infections is thyme. It helps with both bacterial and viral infections. Best taken as a herbal infusion made by steeping fresh thyme leaves in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.

Licorice strengthens our immune system by increasing interferon levels, a key chemical needed for fighting viruses. It soothes and heals sore throats, coughs, colds, headaches. It has an expectorant action, which makes it good for irritating coughs and asthma.

Licorice also improves resistance to physical and emotional stress due to its action on the adrenal glands.  Licorice tea is widely available and can be combined with other herbs due to it's harmonizing action.

If you have a bacterial type of infection, peppermint's your herb. It also contains traces of vitamin B, potassium, calcium and other antioxidants to help boost your immune systems. Other herbs that can help are oregano, olive leaf extract, ginger and echinacea.

Chicken or beef bone broths. Packed with minerals in their most bioavailable form, bone broths also seals your gut to allow you to absorb nutrients easily. The benefits for fighting and healing respiratory infections are just too many to mention so please read Dr. Mercola's article, which includes a recipe for making chicken broth.

A friend of mine, who was a vegetarian for over a decade, narrated that beef bone broth saved his life when he contacted a viral infection in Spain.

What about vitamin supplements? There are two important vitamins linked to treating infections: Vitamin C and D.

Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant. It's antiviral and antibacterial properties have been well documented . When fighting infections, it is recommended to take it at therapeutic levels, which means at bowel tolerance. Drop it back down to moderate levels (500 to 1,500 mg) to promote healing once the infection is gone.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the treatment of respiratory illnesses. While this Vitamin has been mainly considered essential to bone growth, studies have shown that it's also required to activate and bind to our T-cells to get it started fighting foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.

Aromatherapy is another effective treatment for respiratory infections. The power of aromatherapy not just lies with the essential oils, but combined with a healing massage relieves pain, stimulates the limbic system and helps the body get rid of toxins.

My grandma kept a stock of essential oils at hand for practically any ailment :) Whenever we have colds or sore throats, she would put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in boiling water for steam inhalation. She'd also add a few drops to a carrier oil - coconut for us tropical folks - and rubbed them on our chests, back, forehead, soles of our feet.

Now we have more essential oils available: lavender, clary sage, tea trea, and lemon. I found a good list and how to use them here.

Finally, a note on what foods to avoid when you're fighting an infection. Top of the list is sugar and I'm not just talking about sugar but high glycemic index (GI) foods that easily converts to sugar in your blood stream.  Sugar inhibits your white blood cells from doing their work.

Milk and dairy products may increase mucous production and make phlegm thicker and harder to expel. I found a really informative article about milk by Dr. Mercola about milk and upper respiratory congestion.

Other foods to be avoided are processed foods loaded with artificial additives and preservatives that can make your symptoms worse or lead to complications such as asthma.

I'd like to write about immune-boosting and healing foods, but that would be too long so will put that in the queue of blog topics :) For the next blog, I want to answer the most common question asked when I tell people I'm a qualified nutrition adviser: How do I lose weight and keep it off? The answer might just surprise you. Namaste!