Parents today, are more concerned about their child's healthy diet and hygiene compared to earlier days. They are more inclined towards quality when it comes to providing medical assistance to their children. They are also now well aware of the side effects of conventional drugs and are keen towards trying alternative treatments, which come with no side effects. 

Studies prove that conventional drugs suppress diseases and antibiotics hamper digestion. But homeopathy on the other hand, offers natural remedies, which are safe, and has long-lasting effect by boosting your body's immunity.

Below are some of the conditions, in which homeopathy works wonders with the kids:

1. Acute conditions such as cold, flu, sore throat and stomach infections, etc. These conditions are self-limiting. Homeopathic remedies not only cure these acute problems, but also prevent their recurrence.

2. Chronic diseases like eczema and allergies are cured completely and never reoccur when treated with homeopathy. In both the above cases, homeopathy works miraculously. Alongside the healing process, it boosts the child's self-defense mechanisms to fight against diseases. While antibiotics may be too harsh for the child's body, homeopathy is a safer option, since it does not have any side effects.

Homeopathy is also effective in treating colic, earache and reduces pain and discomforts. Some of the common problems of children where homeopathy works well are fever, teething, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, kidney diseases, infant colic, jaundice, eczema, convulsions, ear infection, fungal infections, warts, thyroid problems, and other growth related problems.

Not just physical symptoms, homeopathy also treats mental and emotional disturbances.
- You can take help of homeopathy treatment if the child is cranky or restless, and it is very beneficial even in case of hyperactive children.
- It is also effective in increasing concentration.
- Homeopathy works perfectly for specially challenged children as well.
- One of the plus points with homeopathic medicine is that it is easy to administer given their light doses and consumable taste.
- In addition, injections are not required. Furthermore, homeopathic treatment helps in all stages of childhood.

Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. It works on improving immunity rather than only curing the disease. Thus, it is very important to complete courses in homeopathy medication. Even though handy, homeopathy does not allow self-medication. It is always advisable to seek a doctor's help.

Homeopathy Is Best For Children 

Tonsillitis, in the easiest terms, is the swelling of tonsils in our throat that is accompanied by symptoms like throat pain, difficulty in swallowing/ drinking, altered voice and fever etc.

As in the case of most infections, the occurrence of tonsillitis is more common in children due to relatively lower immunity and habits that invite infections. Let's take a look at the first line of defence when you have a cranky child with swollen tonsils.

1. Make your child gargle with salty warm water: This treatment is most helpful in any infection in the mouth. Add half teaspoonful of salt to a glass of warm water and make the child gargle with the mixture as many times in the day as possible (to a maximum of 5 times). Continue till the condition prevails.

Make sure the child spits out the water and not drinks it.

2. Antibiotics: Consult the ent specialist and have the antibiotics if it is a bacterial cause as per the doctor. Take the alternative treatment prescribed in case of other causes. The entire course of medication should be completed even if the kid gets better sooner to eliminate all traces of bacteria.

3. Painkiller/numbing lozenges: Painkillers that are prescribed by the doctor can be given to ease the pain. Same is the case with lozenges but care should be taken that he/she should not have too many of these.

4. Allow him/her to take rest: It does help in a betterment of the condition!

5. Give warm (not hot) soothing food: Soup, ginger honey mixture, ginger tea can help soothe the inflamed tonsils in most cases. The condition, more often than not, gets better within 7-10 days.


Best Ways to Deal With Tonsillitis in Kids

Ear aches are a common complaint for many children. An ear infection can be explained as an inflammation of the middle ear. Unlike other aches, this one cannot be soothed by scratching or applying pressure and hence makes children cranky. Ear infections are usually triggered by bacteria or viruses. 
This causes inflammation that narrows the tube in the ear and allows fluid to build up. This fluid buildup is responsible for the pain.

However, not all ear infections need to be treated with medication. When it comes to treating ear aches in children, picking a natural remedy is a much better option ,since it has no side effects and can address the root cause of the infection. Here are a few natural remedies for earaches:

1. Compress: Hot and cold compresses are very effective ways of treating pain and can be used for earaches as well. Place an ice pack or a warm, moist compress over the ear to soothe the ache. Heat relaxes the muscles and stimulates blood flow while ice controls inflammation and swelling. Hot and cold compresses should not be applied for over 20 minutes at a time. 

2. Water: Some actions can help open up the eustachian tube to the middle ear. Swallowing is one such action. To encourage your child to swallow, offer him lots of fluids. 

3. Oil: Before using oil to treat an earache ensure that your child is not suffering from a ruptured eardrum and there is no fluid leaking from the ear. Pouring a few drops of warm olive oil or sesame oil can help soothe the pain by opening up the eustachian tube. It can also prevent the buildup of excessive ear wax and form a protective layer on the outer ear against bacteria and other infections. 

4. Elevate the head: Elevating a child's head can help improve sinus drainage. When it comes to children, instead of using a pillow below their head, place the pillow below the mattress to create a gradual slope. 

5. Onion: Onions can be used in many different ways to treat earaches. You could either juice an onion and put a few drops of the same in the ear or slice an onion in half and heat it before placing it over the ear like an ear muff. Onion contains anti inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help soothe earaches effectively and quickly. 

If the earache does not reduce or if there is a discharge from the ear, do not continue to self treat it and consult a doctor immediately.

Natural Remedies for Ear Infections in Children

Is your child refusing to grab anything other than chicken nuggets? When your child s nutrition is an aching subject to deal with in your household, remember you are not the only one. Many parents are actually worried about the fussiness of their children over food. But your child s food preferences would also mature with age. Until then, you can consider trying out these following tips to avoid any kind of mealtime hassles.


Respect your child's appetite or lack of one: Respect your child s level of appetite and never force a meal, if your child is not hungry. Rather, serve small portions to give them an opportunity to ask for more, on their own.
Stick to the routine: Maintain a routine and serve snacks and meals at about the same time every day. Also, keep a check on the number of times you serve those mid meal snacks and try to stick to that count.
Be patient with new foods: Have patience with new food. Take time in introducing it to your child by talking about the food s shape, color, aroma and texture, if not the taste.
Make it fun: Try out innovative ways of garnishing your food so as to make the whole eating experience a fun and a thrilling one for your child.
Recruit your child's help: At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods. But keep off those foods which you would not want you child to eat.
Set an example: Set an example by yourself by eating all kinds of nutritious and healthy foods, in order to set that perfect example for your child.
Cut Distractions: Make sure to switch off from any sort of a distraction, such as the television or the washing machine and other electronic gadgets while feeding your child.
Don't offer dessert as a reward: Do not reward your child with desserts at the end of the meal as this sends them an indication that the dessert is the best dish among all.
Do not cook a separate meal: Do not cook a separate meal for your child after he/she has refused the original one as this might encourage picky eating even more.

How To Deal With Picky Eaters (Children)?

If you have been diagnosed with asthma, it is important for you to know about the most common triggers of asthma. Asthma is a medical condition, which is characterised by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. It causes breathing difficulties, tightened chest and coughing. By identifying and reducing your exposure to several asthma triggers, you will be able to manage or control your asthma symptoms and the frequency of your asthma attacks. Here are the most common triggers of asthma you should know about:

Allergies that trigger asthma
Allergies, are common problems and over 80% of people are suffering from asthma and are allergic towards substances like weed pollens, animal dander, dust mites, mould and cockroach particles. Children having large amounts of cockroach droppings in their homes are more likely to develop childhood asthma. Dust exposure may lead to dust mite allergy in asthmatic patients.

Food which triggers asthma
Certain food allergies may lead to isolated asthma, where other symptoms are absent. Patients with food allergies can exhibit asthma as a part of anaphylaxis, which are food induced. The common food items which are associated with allergies include eggs, peanuts, cow milk, soy, fish, wheat, shrimps, salads and fresh fruits. Several food preservatives also trigger asthma. They may include sulfite additives such as potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and many others. These are commonly used in food processing and trigger asthma in sensitive people.

Asthma induced by exercise
Strenuous exercise may lead to the narrowing of the airways in maximum people having asthma. Exercise acts as a primary trigger for asthma symptoms in many people. Patients having exercise induced asthma are likely to feel chest tightness accompanied by coughing and breathing difficulties after completing an aerobic workout session. Although the symptoms subside, they may reoccur within some hours. You should warm up properly and slowly before a rigorous workout session to prevent an asthma attack.

Smoking
People who smoke are more likely to have asthma. If you have asthma and still smoke, the symptoms of wheezing and coughing worsen. Pregnant women who smoke increase the chance of wheezing in their to-be-born babies. You should absolutely quit smoking if you have asthma.

Infections which trigger asthma
Several infections such as cold, bronchitis, flu and sinus may cause asthma attacks. The respiratory infections, which are viral or bacterial, are a common cause and trigger asthma, especially in children. Asthma is also associated with severe heartburn. According to studies, more than 85% people with asthma also suffer from heartburn. This is a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

Asthma - Common Triggers Behind it?

Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis, refers to the unintentional passage of urine during sleep. Enuresis is the medical term for wetting, whether in the clothing during the day or in bed at night. Another name for enuresis is urinary incontinence. For infants and young children, urination is involuntary. Wetting is normal for them. Most children achieve some degree of bladder control by 4 years of age. Daytime control is usually achieved first, while nighttime control comes later.

The age at which bladder control is expected varies considerably. Some parents expect dryness at a very early age, while others not until much later. Such a time line may reflect the culture and attitudes of the parents and caregivers.

Factors that affect the age at which wetting is considered a problem include the following:

The child's gender: Bedwetting is more common in boys.
The child's development and maturity
The child's overall physical and emotional health. Chronic illness and/or emotional and physical abuse may predispose to bedwetting.
Causes

No one knows for sure what causes bed-wetting, but various factors may play a role:

A small bladder: Your child's bladder may not be developed enough to hold urine produced during the night.
Inability to recognize a full bladder: If the nerves that control the bladder are slow to mature, a full bladder may not wake your child, especially if your child is a deep sleeper.
A hormone imbalance: During childhood, some kids don't produce enough anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) to slow nighttime urine production.
Stress: Stressful events, such as becoming a big brother or sister, starting a new school, or sleeping away from home, may trigger bed-wetting.
Urinary tract infection: This infection can make it difficult for your child to control urination.
Sleep apnea: Sometimes bed-wetting is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the child's breathing is interrupted during sleep.
Diabetes: For a child who's usually dry at night, bed-wetting may be the first sign of diabetes.
A structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system. Rarely, bed-wetting is related to a defect in the child's neurological system or urinary system.

Symptoms

Wetting during the day
Frequency, urgency, or burning on urination
Straining, dribbling, or other unusual symptoms with urination
Cloudy or pinkish urine, or blood stains on underpants or pajamas
Soiling, being unable to control bowel movements
Constipation
Most kids are fully toilet trained by age 5, but there's really no target date for developing complete bladder control. Between the ages of 5 and 7, bed-wetting remains a problem for some children. After 7 years of age, a small number of children still wet the bed.

When to see a doctor: Most children outgrow bed-wetting on their own, but some need a little help. In other cases, bed-wetting may be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical attention.

Consult your child's doctor if: 

Your child still wets the bed after age 7
Your child starts to wet the bed after a few months or more of being dry at night
Bed-wetting is accompanied by painful urination, unusual thirst, pink or red urine, hard stools, or snoring
Self-Care at Home-
Here are some tips for helping your child stop wetting the bed. These are techniques that are most often successful

Reduce evening fluid intake.
The child should urinate in the toilet before bedtime.
A system of sticker charts and rewards works for some children.
Make sure the child has safe and easy access to the toilet.
Some believe that you should avoid using diapers or pull-ups at home because they can interfere with the motivation to wake up and use the toilet.

Bedwetting - 7 Possible Reasons Behind It

Don't wait any longer, manage your Baby Doctor online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Baby Doctor - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES