As children’s immune systems build and mature, it’s normal to get a few bouts of illness. I have put together a list of natural remedies for the five most common childhood ailments for you.
Of course, please seek help from your medical professionals if the symptoms are severe, worsening, the child is in severe pain or you are in any way concerned. These remedies are simply options you can try at home if you feel comfortable and confident administering them for mild ailments.
1. Natural Remedies for Chicken Pox
Chicken pox is a viral disease that usually comes with fever, headache, aches and pains, fatigue and an itchy, blistering rash. Try these remedies for relief.
Homeopathic Remedies
Rhus Tox is good for skin conditions such as shingles, chicken pox and cold sores with blisters. It can soothe intense itching.
Pulsatilla is indicated if the child is clingy, teary and thirstless despite fever.
Sulphur is good for dry, itchy skin, when the rash is slow to develop and for skin that takes a while to heal.
Flower Essences
Sizzled Bits blend is great for fever and to remain hydrated. Emergency Essence would be useful for distress or relentless scratching. Spinifex Essence can be used topically or orally to assist with soothing itch (get in touch for a personalised essence with this one in it).
More Natural Remedies
If you can, try to get kids to resist scratching to prevent reinfection and scarring (easier said than done!!)
Warm oatmeal baths (oats in a clean sock or muslin) make a creamy, soothing soak for relief of itchiness.
A combination of neem, jojoba and lavender oils can help with the inflammation and itchiness. Calendula cream to soothe and heal and Vitamin E to reduce scarring would also be useful.
Keep kids well hydrated and resting as much as possible too.
Find out more from Owen Homeopathics here.
2. Natural Remedies for Earaches and Infections
Earaches and infections are so common in children because they have smaller tubes (called the Eustachian tubes) that connect the middle ear to the throat. When your child has a cold, germs from the throat can travel up to the middle ear and cause an infection. These remedies may provide some relief if you catch the infection early enough.
Homeopathic remedies
Belladonna is good for a sudden onset with throbbing and intense pain, when the ear is red and hot (often the right side) and worse from warmth, noise, touch or movement.
Chamomilla is indicated if they have stabbing, tearing pain, if they are angry, irritable, restless and very sensitive to pain. Earaches can be linked to teething episodes in young children.
Ferr Phos is a good remedy when the child is feeling off, or seeming ‘off colour’, or has only a slight elevation in temperature.
Hepar Sulph is for inflammation and when pus is forming, but hasn’t discharged yet. If there are wheezing and throbbing sounds and when you can often hear one’s own breathing.
Pulsatilla can be used once discharge has commenced and it is yellow-green in colour. Also useful for pain from congestion during a cold.
Flower Essences
Emergency Essence taken orally or rubbed on the back of the ears can reduce distress and pain of earaches.
Consider the emotional implications of earaches and infections, especially if they are recurring. For example, is there a lot of arguing in the household? Is the child hearing conflict? Is the child struggling to communicate or handle stress in the household?
Get in touch if you would like a personalised essence to address the emotional aspects.
Natural Remedies
Try making up a salt sock. You simply fill a (clean!) sock with salt and warm it up in an oven or microwave and place gently on the affected ear. This can help to soothe and draw out infection.
Garlic oil is a great remedy for earaches - you can often find it at the health food store or you can make it up yourself. The herb eyebright is also one to consider to use topically or as a tea.
Ear candles can be helpful after an illness where congestion is an issue. They are NOT to be used when an infection is active.
Chiro treatments, bowen therapy or massage to support the lymphatic system can also be useful. Another area to investigate is food allergies.
For more information, see Owen Homeopathics Fact Sheet for Earaches.
3. Natural Remedies for Worms
Worms! Nobody likes them but thread worms and pin worms are very common childhood ailments. The symptoms usually include itchy bottoms and vulvas at night, restless sleep, teeth grinding, behavioural changes and changes in appetite.
Homeopathic Remedies
Calc Carb is a good one for ravenous appetite in growing children, diarrhoea of undigested food, feelings of crawling and constriction in the rectum. Calc Carb is a valuable remedy to eradicate the disposition to worms and it suits growing children very well.
Cina can be used for the perfect picture of the ‘wormy’ child; very cranky, sensitive and easily offended, averse to touch and may hit and pinch others in anger. At night they may grind their teeth, bed wet, cry out during sleep and/or have nightmares. They are extremely hungry or have a variable appetite, picking the nose and have twisting pain around the navel and itching at the anus.
I can order these two in for you if you would like to try them out.
Flower Essences
Worms, Warts & All is the special blend I have created to help with worms. Take it once daily for two weeks. It can be used at times of symptoms and also as a preventative. Use on all ages and pets as well!
More Natural Remedies
Anti-parasitic herbs like wormwood, myrrh, pomegranate, cloves and black walnut may be useful. You can find these made up as tablets or a liquid in health food stores or from a naturopath or herbalist.
Practical tips like showers in the morning with thorough washing, washing bedding and underwear with hot water, washing hands regularly and trimming nails can all help the spread.
Consuming garlic, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and papaya seeds can all help keep worms at bay. Owen Homeopathics has a great fact sheet about worms if you would like more information.
4. Natural Remedies for Fevers
When kids get sick they can run a fever. This is the body’s natural response to illness and infections and is normal and healthy. Letting a fever run its course can reduce the severity and length of an illness.
Homeopathic Remedies
Aconite is good for rapid onset of a fever and if the child is restless, anxious and fearful.
Ferr Phos can be used when they are feeling off colour or just out of sorts. It’s a good general remedy when other remedies don’t quite match.
Belladonna is indicated when the skin is hot, the face is red and there are throbbing pains. Extremities can be cold, while the head feels hot.
Flower Essences
Sizzled Bits blend contains She Oak essence which assists with hydration and Mulla Mulla essence that helps the body deal with heat/increase in temperature. It can be applied topically, misted on or taken orally.
Bulletproof blend supports the immune system while it is raising a fever to battle a germ.
More Natural Remedies
Fevers can also be managed with rest, cool baths, hydration, bone broths, ginger and peppermint herbal teas and immune support such as Vitamin C and Camu Camu.
More information can be found at Owens Homeopathics here.
5. Natural Remedies for Croup
Croup is a viral infection that’s common in children that have had a cold, cough or fever and is most prevalent in winter. It causes swelling in the larynx and trachea in the windpipe. Symptoms are a cough that sounds like a barking seal, a high pitched noise when inhaling and difficulty breathing and talking.
Homeopathic Remedies
There are three main homeopathic remedies for croup. These have helped me so many times over the years. I recommend ALWAYS keeping aconite on hand.
Aconite is indicated for sudden onset of croup (especially around 11pm). Spongia is good for dry barking cough around midnight and Hepar Sulph for a loose, noisy, rattling cough.
Flower Essences
Emergency Essence is recommended for both child AND parent to remain calm and focus on breathing. It can be taken orally, but also a few drops rubbed into the sternum can help. Repeat as often as needed.
A personalised blend can be made for you to include essences that support respiratory function including coughs. Bush Iris essence tends to have a positive impact on lymphatics so can be helpful in settling croupy coughs.
More Natural Remedies
Keep kids well hydrated and as calm as you can. Exposure to cold air and then steam with a shower or humidifier can bring relief. Natural chest rubs and liquid herbs like licorice, thyme, ginger, and white horehound can also be helpful.
Always seek medical attention if required. Check out the factsheet at Owen Homeopathics for more info.
I hope these natural remedies for five common childhood ailments are useful to you! It can be very empowering as a parent being able to treat mild illness at home with remedies from nature.
If you need any help deciding which remedy you need, please get in touch as I am always happy to help. I always have free shipping and just $5 for express shipping to get your remedies to you quickly.
I would love to hear from you. What natural remedies have you tried for these ailments and what have you found works well?
Sources:
Owen Homeopathics
ABFE Ian White
Jessica Donovan, naturopath at Natural Super Kids
Disclaimer:
This blog is not intended to replace the service of a qualified practitioner. Any application of the recommendations set forth in this blog is at the reader's discretion and sole risk.
