Contents
After all, the weather is beautiful. This is the best time for family picnics and excursions. Meanwhile, your baby, instead of enjoying the aura, has a sore throat. Again. Where do these infections still come from? Is there any way to prevent them? And finally – how to treat them when they appear.
Where did these infections come from?
Contrary to appearances, fall and winter are not the times when children catch throat infections most often – most cases occur in spring and summer. They are partly to blame cold drinks and ice cream. With a high external temperature, these delicacies cause the throat to experience a very large shock. This makes it irritated and dry, and the natural protective mucus disappears from it, which makes it easier for pathogens to penetrate the mucosa.
The ubiquitous ones have a similar effect allergens. More and more children are allergic to various types of pollen. A runny nose makes children breathe more frequently through their noses and their throats are also dry.
They are also important nurseries and kindergartens. The little ones are very open-minded and don’t mind if someone is drinking juice from the same bottle. They are also happy to share food. This ensures the rapid spread of pathogens. It is enough for one child to be sick, and the parents do not react in time and send them to kindergarten for a small epidemic to break out.
Again…
And it happens very often. Statistics show that infections of the upper respiratory tract, including throat infections, are the most common cause of visits to a pediatrician (more than half of all reports). It is estimated that children between the ages of 2 and 5 catch this type of infection up to eight times a year!
What exactly do children get sick with? In about 70 percent. cases are all kinds of viruses. This infection can be identified by a red throat and sometimes by the presence of tiny bubbles filled with a colorless liquid. Usually there is no fever.
In the course of bacterial infections, an additional whitish coating appears on the tonsils and tongue. Fever is also the most common. The exception is infectious mononucleosis, which, although it is a viral disease, gives similar symptoms. Bacterial infections are much rarer, but at the same time more dangerous, because if left untreated, they can cause many serious complications.
With an air rifle for war
It would seem that in view of such an epidemic of diseases of the throat and upper respiratory tract among children, the market should have a huge arsenal of drugs. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many throat infections can be used from the age of six, and some from the age of ten! Parents are helpless, because they often think that the only drugs that remain for them are safe, mild and… ineffective. Is it really so?
Strength in nature
Nothing could be more wrong. In the case of small patients, it is not worth using chemistry by force. It is absolutely unacceptable to use antibiotics on your own that were not used in the previous disease. Especially since, as already mentioned, most throat infections are caused by viral infections. If the child’s condition is not very acute, it is better to use natural remedies that are not only mild, but if properly applied, they can also be very effective.
Herbal infusions cannot be overestimated. The one made of sage, which has high antiseptic properties and protects the throat, works especially well. Rinses made on the basis of this herb should also be used prophylactically.
The home medicine chest should also contain thyme or turnip. The former can be easily grown in an ordinary pot on the kitchen windowsill.
The real remedy for the throat, however, is an inconspicuous mushroom – Icelandic lungwort. All thanks to the large amount of mucus it produces. They are similar in texture and viscosity to the natural mucus that covers the throat. Thanks to this, they can replace it when the throat is dry and irritated. The fungus also has an antiseptic effect.
All nature’s treasures are also available as supplements. Interestingly, lungworm products are so safe that they can be used not only by children, but also by pregnant women.
Better to prevent than to cure
However, in order not to face frequent dilemmas with what to treat our child, it is better to simply prevent infections.
If your child goes to kindergarten, make them aware of the importance of good hygiene. It may not be possible to avoid all risky behaviors, such as eating an apple together, but it may at least reduce the number of times a toddler is exposed to infection from another child.
Also, try to keep your child’s throat from being exposed to sharp changes in temperature. Do not give him iced drinks, and ice cream is better to eat in a shady park than in the scorching sun.
If your child gets sick often, you should also think about ensuring that the air in the rooms where he stays is properly humidified. It is best to place a humidifier in the child’s bedroom, because this is where he spends long hours while sleeping. If you cannot invest in the device, you can replace it with an open container of water.
Lungworm lozenges are also perfect for prophylaxis. They are available over the counter, so if your toddler gets sick often, it is worth having them always at hand. Children are happy to accept them as they come in a variety of flavors.