Non medicinal treatment for cough in 2 year olds?

Question

My son has a very nasty cough, which seems to be worse at night, and nothing seems to move it. He's been like it for a few days now, and I've tried propping up his pillows, and steaming up the bathroom for temporary relief, but he's coughing so hard he's almost retching with the effort. Can anyone suggest any other remedies that don't involve medicine, as I don't like to dose them with that unless absolutely necessary?

Any serious suggestions welcomed =)

Many thanks so far for all your replies, I'm going to take him to the docs ASAP. I'm also concerned that the problem has gone on for so long, and all your words of wisdom and best wishes mean a lot. I'm now surfing the web for humidifiers, as it does seem to be when the air is very dry that it affects him most. Just to note, I'm not against medicine as such, just giving a child medicinal treatment when a natural alternative is available. I'll update as and when I have news.

Many thanks to everyone, I will continue to check all new answers, and thanks to Yahoo for such a great way of talking to others about their ideas/opinions =)

Answer 1

Good day,

If your 2 year old is retching with the effort of his cough it is time to intervene. That kind of cough is exhausting and tortuous for a little guy. It sounds like he may have an upper respiratory infection. If you do not want this to progress further into the chest and possibly cause pneumonia I would suggest you get your child to the pediatrician for a look. You can inform the doc about your preference for as little medicinal intervention as possible.

I've seen many cases of pneumonia kill adults and children. Please don't hesitate to have your child checked out, even if just for peace of mind.

Answer 2

Buy a vaporizer/humidifier, it is much more effective than steaming up the bathroom and uses less water. They have versions that release the steam after it has had a chance to cool a bit so kids don't burn themselves. Also an old standby is Vick chest rub. It is an ointment that has camphor, mentholatum and they have a baby version that is much gentler for children that has rosemary and mint. The warmth that the mint create on the chest and the vapor of the herb help to loosen a lot of congestion.

If the poor baby is having that difficult of a time you might want to consider homeopathic medicine if you are that opposed to conventional. It's not fair for him to suffer. There are some great herbal remedies (including a peppermint tea). Check out a local health food store. Just be careful because the products are generally marketed to adults so you may need much less than suggested. There is usually a recommended serving guide.

But I do agree with some of the above comments. If your son is on the verge of throwing up from coughing so much you need to consider if it is worth your son's health & comfort to refuse conventional treatment. Millions of kids use Dimetap, Triaminic or whatever without it hurting them. Key thing is to not OVER use them.

Good luck...take good care of that baby!

Answer 3

The first question is what is causing his cough. Is he getting anything up with it, or is it dry. If he is producing something with it you need to look at it, if it is just white that is a good sign, if it is yellow or green than he needs to be seen by an MD. If it is dry and it last more than a few days he needs to see an MD, as this could be a sign of something more serious like asthma, or worse. If he has other symptoms with it like runny nose, or a fever this usualy will clear up on its own if it is a virus.

Treatment for a cough: If it is productive you don't want to stop it, as this is his best defense against pneumonia, with the exception of at night so he can sleep and unfortunatly the best and only real way to stop a cough is with narcotic cough syrup ie: codine Over the counter stuff is all but worthless. Sounds like he really should see a doctor.

Answer 4

I understand you dont want to give him meds for something which can clear up on its own, but i think if hes not better tomorrow you should get it checked out with your GP. It could be a simple cold, chest infection, asthma, etc etc and if it don't improve within a few days i would take him just to be on safe side. You dont have to take any meds, just get some medical advice but better to be safe. My son is 2 son and he had a cough for a few days really nasty cough and he wasn't seeming to get better so i took him to doctor and he said he was having difficulty and sent me to hospital for monitoring and some oxygen. He came home that night and they never gave him antibiotics cos the doctors said antibiotics don't work with a viral anyway. He has asthma now and that is the only time it bothers him is when he gets a cold, it goes to his chest and he has chest infection symptoms and usually has an inhaler until it clears.
IF he is drawing his skin in round the rib cage after a bad coughing fit, my doctor told me to get him to see a doctor soon as he is tired and needs something to help him breathe easier.
Hope this helps, but i know how scary it is when kids are ill, but apart from doing what you are doing with the pillows etc, and its not improving after say 3 days then i would see a doc.

Answer 5

I was told of a great remedy...and it works I've tried and tested it.
1 very large spanish onion.
1 jar clear honey.
Empty clean jar

Chop up the onion very fine. Add a layer of onion then a layer of honey keep doing this until all onion the has gone. Leave in an airtight jar over night (24 hrs). Drain and take a 5/10ml spoonful every four hours. The vapour from the syrup opens your airways and relieves a cough. And it doesn't taste that bad...but a bit wiffy!

Answer 6

My daughters do this during this time of year also. I can't tell you anything that doesn't involve medicine and a doctor looking at him to make sure it's not serious. My oldest daughter almost had a painful surgury because she had a rare problem in her lungs that needed attention quickly. Please take him to the doctor if it's that bad just to rule out the serious stuff. The medicine will give him and you some relief too. My other three daughters got over their bouts of coughing with a humidfier and Delsym cough syrup at night.

Answer 7

If your child is coughing for more than a few days, it's really time to see the doctor, to make sure you're not missing an infection that could become serious. You can discuss whether your son needs antibiotics or not, most doctors are not in favour of routinely handing them out any more.

I use dried carrageen moss, you can buy it in any health food shop, and boil a handful of it for ten minutes in a couple of pints of water. Strain it, cool it and you have a thin jelly like liquid. Sweeten it with orange juice and lemon juice and something like Ribena to make it palatable, and feed as much of it as you like to your son. Usually works within a day or two.

Answer 8

Me and my son suffer with night coughs what I find helps most is putting a wet towel on the radiator in the bedroom, but if it's a persistant cough take the baby to the DR he could need antibiotics.
Hope your son's ok.

Answer 9

make sure he doesn't have pertussis (sp) aka Whooping cough or pneumonia which could be very serious.Make sure he is drinking plenty of fluids to help keep hydrated and maybe get a humidifier to help keep the air moist. Since he hasn't gotten better for a couple of days you might want to consider calling the doctor.

Answer 10

I would say honey in milk only if it is that bad he needs to be seen by a doctor it's a shame I had a cough like that and it's awfull so must be even worse for him he is only litlle hope he gets better soon poor thing