Home Cures For Children's Croup

When children are affected with croup, they lose theirboiling a pan of water on a stove in a corner of a
usual cheerfulness and become irritated. There is asmall room, adding a few drops of eucalyptus or
high pitched cracking noise with the intake of eachmenthol oil. This will moisten the air and help the child to
breath. Some of them develop barking cough. Theybreathe more easily. In case of a older child, fill a kettle
complain of a slight obtuse pain in the wind- pipewith sprout, half full of hot water, adding a little oil of
somewhat below its orifice. Slight swelling is formed oneucalyptus. The child should be made to inhalr steam
the outer side of the throat opposite the same place. Itensuing from this water. This simple remedy helps to
aches a little when pressed with a finger. The faceopen the wind-pipes and relieve the congestion.
seems red and looks puffed up. There is fever withIf the above treatment is faithfully carried out, the fever
hard and very quick pulse. The breathing becomeswill run its course without any trouble and complication
difficult, frequent and shorter. Some children are obligedor serious after- effects. The child can then be placed
to remain in bed, while others feel better at times andon an all fruit diet for few days. He may eat fresh juicy
are able to walk about. Their voice becomes hoarsefruits like apple, mango, pineapple, papaya, grapes, pear,
and sharp.peach, and melon during this period. Thereafter he may
The use of antitoxin for the treatment of this disaesebe allowed to gradually adopt a well-balanced diet,
may apparently prove successful, but it is harmful inaccording to his age. The emphasis should be on
the long run. The disease can be prevented bywhole grain cereals, raw or lightly-cooked vegetables
following a proper diet and avoidance of indigestionor fresh fruits.
and constipation.An excellent home remedy for croup is the use of
The real treatment for this disease, as with all othergarlic. Chewing a clove of garlic dissolves the
fevers, is avoidance of solid foods for first few daysmembranes, reduces temperature and relieves the
of the treatment. The child-patient should be given onlypatient. About 15 gms. of garlic can be used in this way
orange juice and water in small quantities so long asafter every three or four hours for a week. After the
the fever lasts.membrane disappears , the same quantity of garlic
The child with croup should be kept in bed and isolatedshould be chewed daily. The croup patient has no
from others. Cold-packs applied, after every twosense of taste or smell and merely finds the garlic hot.
hours, to the throat will be effective.Onion is another effective home remedy for croup.
If the child's breathing becomes difficult and he seemsOnions should be roasted on hot ashes and juice
to be struggling to get his breath, immediate actionextracted from them. This juice should be taken by the
should be taken to provide warm, moist, air to restorepatient in doses of half a teaspoon mixed with equal
the normal himidity of the room. This can be done byquantity of honey three times daily.