What's Up Doc?
Home remedies for
common ailments...
Sore Throat
Heat 1 cup water + 1 TBSP
lemon juice + 1 1/2 TBSP honey and drink.
It feels sooo good on a sore throat!!
Also, gargling salt water is supposed to help
kill germs and may help prevent an oncoming cold.
Aches, Pains & Sore
Muscles
Click here to learn how to make your
own hot pack.
Soaking in a warm bath with a couple cups of Epson salt works
wonders too.
Cuts, Scrapes &
Infections
Soak in 3% hydrogen
peroxide, 5-10 minutes, several times a day. This has even
healed tough gangrene!
Constipation
Try
sipping warm water with a bit of lemon in it, just before
bedtime.
Fever
The
reason our body develops a fever is to raise our temperature
in effort to fight against a foreign invader. Instead of
rushing to give meds to break the fever right away, take a
long (up to an hour) soak in a very warm bath to help your
body raise its temperature high enough to fight the germs
it's trying to fight. Afterwards, you can rinse to cool off,
and then would be a better time to take a fever breaking
medicine if you choose to. Here is a great explanation of
why we get fevers and what your options are for treating
them. Of course, if the fever is very high, you need to
see the doctor! And remember to keep your child home until
he's been fever-free for 24 hours!
Fungus, Skin
Infections, & Boils
Soak with hydrogen peroxide.
You may spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide &
water to the area, then let it air dry. Or make a solution to
soak in.
Splinters
Soak in epson salt to help
draw out the splinter.
Stuffy Nose, Cold,
& Sinuses
Use
some diluted hydrogen peroxide (half water) in your nose and
ears to kill bacteria... In your nose you can either apply it
by tilting your head back and spraying in the solution, or
carefully using a q-tip... just don't inhale- breathe through
your mouth. Afterwards blow your nose. You can also drop in
some diluted peroxide into your ears, then rinse & dry
with a clean cotton swab.
Repeat these steps a couple times (a few hours apart) when
you feel a cold coming on to get rid of it. Some people swear
by this method, although I haven't tried it.
Swelling From Sprains
& Bruises
To
reduce swelling, soak in a warm bath
with two cups Epson salt.
Tummy Ache
If
your child has a tummy ache but no other symptoms, send him
to lie down and rest. If he's not sick, he won't stay down
for long. Things to consider: what's he eaten lately- can
food be the cause? When's the last time he went to the
bathroom? Constipation is a major cause of tummy aches. Ask
if his last stool was "long like a log or round like a ball"
or if it was tough to get out. Can he be worried about
something?
Vomit
According to
Dr. Hull, the basic treatment for
a sudden onset of vomiting is: "bowel rest (nothing by
mouth for the first 3-4 hours for new onset vomiting),
clear fluids (frequent sips of Pedialyte, Rehydralyte,
Ricelyte- meaning a teaspoon or two every few minutes),
and observation (watching for signs of dehydration,
especially in a child under 3-4 years, or when accompanied
with diarrhea, or high fever). Assume that the vomiting
will pass fairly quickly- in 8-12 hours or so - and report
to your doctor if it seems to go on longer, particularly
if there's something else going on with the child that
makes you worried- diarrhea, high fever, anything abnormal
in the stool like blood or excessive mucus, or if there's
severe abdominal pain." He also says medications are
generally discouraged.
DIET: For children under 2 try the BRAT diet... bananas, rice
cereal, apple cause and juice, and toast. For adults and
children over 3 here are some general recommendations for a
clear liquid diet include: Clear snacks and drinks like
cranberry, grape and apple juices, clear snack drinks like
HiC, Koolaid & most juice boxes, bullion or clear broth,
Jello, popsicles. Be sure to dilute the drinks half with
water or ice. The first foods to reintroduce are small
amounts of starchy foods, like crackers, bread or pasta.
Avoid dairy, buttery, oily, or spicy foods. For more info on
the clear liquid diet, click here.
When to Stay Home
Sick...
- Stay home until you're fever-free for 24 hours. Even with no other symptoms, you're still brewing an infection!
- Stay home from health-care/hospital settings for 7 days from symptom onset or symptom resolution- whichever's longer.
- Stay home if you've vomited two or more times. A single episode could be brought on from many things- nerves or too much bouncing around, so wait to worry about it until it happens twice.
- Stay home if you have diarrhea. Loose, watery stools probably mean you're dealing with a virus, so stay home and keep hydrated! If you see blood or mucus in the stools, it could be a bacterial infection so contact the doctor.
- Stay home with coughing or breathing trouble. It spreads infection.
- Stay home with a rash that's spreading. You may need to check with a doctor to see if it's contagious.
- Stay home when lethargic.
- Stay home when on antibiotic treatment for the first day or two.
Know of more remedies I ought to add to the list? Contact me.
Off-Site Links of Interest: Parents' Common Sense Encyclopedia
(answers to common questions that come up in this pediatrician's office)
Disclaimer: The information given on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.