Hello doctor…Any home remedies for runny nose for my 10 months old child?
I really dont know, what the home medicines do to help with the cold, for your child.
Runny nose is usually a symptom of viral infection, and it is usually, pretty harmless.
Symptoms of cold could be quite annoying, especially for children. Little babies have
narrow nostrils and may find it difficult to breath through, while having a runny nose.
We Paediatricians do try with medication to dry up the nasal secretions. Symptomatically
it may help a child, but it does not cure the illness. Which is why they say, “Cold ..if
you treat it, It gets cured in 1 week, If you dont, then it resolves in 7 days”
Regarding home remedies…
Anyone can invent a home medicine and recommend to anyone else. That is the trouble with
home medicines.
I would have to admit many of these home remedies we get to know are pretty harmless, as
they usually are food items and are unlikely to cause any harm. But, I do understand why
most Paediatricians yell at the mothers for having given such medicines to their
children. If you happened to work in a government hospital, you would know the perils of
some of such remedies. It is a very common problem and quite often they get admitted in
a pretty serious condition. We too in our hospital see children following ingestion of
such harmful substances.
Camphor is one such stuff. It is such a lethal chemical, that can drive the child into
coma and make the child seize. It is even toxic to adults and which is why people have
sensibly banned its use in the temples. List of harmful substances that is being used as
a home remedy is too long.
“Home remedies”, “Herbal treatment”, “Natural cure”, ….When you hear those words, it is
quite soothing and reassuring. But in the interest of our children’s health, we ought to
be always asking this question ..Is it really safe? …all the time.
The key to wisdom is this – constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are
led to question, by questioning we arrive at the truth
Dr M. Saravanan
Paediatrician
Rio Children’s Hospital
Madurai
