Croup - An Infection Affecting The Young

Croup is an inflammation of the larynx, trachea and bronchi. It affects the voice box due to an infection of the vocal cord. In adults this disease is known as laryngitis. It obstructs the breathing which makes this disease severe. This condition should not be ignored, especially in infants as it may be very dangerous. The inflammation leads to stridor or noisy breathing, due to an obstruction in the airway, between the nose and the lungs. Sometimes the underside of the tongue also swells up. The cough sounds like the bark of a sea lion and becomes worse at night.
- Some tips to follow
Remove the triggering agents like baby formula, cow's milk from the house.
Try to eliminate dairy products like cheese, milk, ice-cream and other substances like corn, wheat and sugar.
- Home Remedies for Croup
Turn on the shower with hot water. Let the bathroom fill with warm mist. Take your child into the bathroom and let him breathe the warm steam. This helps in clearing the conjunction and allows the child to breathe.
Another method is to loosely place a warm, moist cloth on the mouth and nose of the patient. The warm fumes help in breathing. Do not overheat the cloth.
Avoid solid foods for first few days of the treatment, instead provide orange juice mixed with water in small quantities till the fever disappears.
Apply cold packs to the throat after every two hours. This solution proves to be very effective.
When the child suffocates, the best thing to do is to provide warm, moist air to restore humidity in the room. Boil some water and add few drops of eucalyptus or menthol oil to make breathing easier. With an older child let him inhale the fumes of eucalyptus oil mixed in hot water.
The child can be on an all fruit diet for few days that includes fruits such as apple, mango, pineapple, papaya, grapes, pear, peach, and melon. Thereafter he can eat a well-balanced diet containing whole grain cereals, raw or lightly-cooked vegetables or fresh fruits.
Lobelia tincture 5-10 drops mixed with 1/3 cup of warm water should be given to the child at least two times a day. Children under 1 year should have a mixture made from 5 drops.
Other herbs like Echinacea, Grindelia, and Yerba Santa in tincture form is also used. Mix 10-20 drops in water or juice to be had thrice a day. It can be given in addition to or with Lobelia.
Make a mixture of fresh onion juice, licorice root, honey and vegetable glycerin. Have one teaspoon or more according to your needs.
You can chew garlic clove as it dissolves the membranes, reduces temperature and relieves the patient. Chew 15 gms. of garlic in every three to four hour period, for a week. Once the membrane disappears, have it daily.
Roast an onion on hot ashes and extract juice from it. Drink half a teaspoon of onion juice mixed with half a teaspoon honey, thrice a day.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.