7 Ways to Ease Cold and Flu Symptoms Without Medicine

Article at a Glance

  • Very few cold & flu medicines are suitable for young children.
  • Parents always want to help but are sometimes at a loss on what to do.
  • Ease their symptoms with seven simple suggestions.

You are that mom who follows her kids around the playground with a bottle of hand sanitizer, but some how your child still managed to come down with a bug. What now? With so few cold & flu medicines suitable for young children, many parents are at a loss on how to help their children.

Luckily these seven simple suggestions can help ease some of your child’s symptoms.

1. Herbal Teas: A simple warm tea made with honey and lemon can help soothe a sore throat and calm a cough. You can also use herbal teas with slippery elm or cherry bark.

2. Mints: Sucking on a mint can help calm your child’s cough. But be careful about giving mints to small children or to children at bedtime as they can be choking hazards.

3. Extra Pillows: Tucking extra pillows under your child’s head at night can help ease nasal congestion and coughing. If your child moves around a lot at night and won’t stay on the pillows, elevate the head of their bed a little by sticking a couple of books under the bed’s legs.

4. Humidifier: Placing a warm mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom at night can help ease a sore throat, loosen up nasal congestion, and prevent coughing. If you don’t have a humidifier, leaning over a bowl of steaming water or standing in steamy bathroom can also help.

5. Warm Bath: A warm bath with chamomile or lavender fragrances can help calm your child and soothe dry nasal passages.

6. Layer Clothing: Children with fevers have a tendency to alternate between feeling too hot and too cold. Dressing children in layers helps them add or shed layers as needed.

7. Damp Towel: Placing a cool, damp towel on your child’s head can help ease headaches by shrinking dilated blood vessels. It can also help bring down a fever.

For More Information:

When children catch a cold, make them feel better safely

Share this article:





Stay connected to your children’s health:

Want pediatric news, kid-friendly recipes and parenting tips?
Sign up for our patient parent newsletter:

Other great ways to connect: