Simple Pleasures with Fibromyalgia - The Fibromite / Discuss

missahomespun    says:

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over-the-counter products
are ineffective for treating coughs and colds in children under six, and
shouldn't
be given because of the risk of side effects. The FDA is echoing that
parents shouldn't give the medicines to kids under two.

In the meantime, with kids already in school, chances are that the first
round of sneezing and hacking has already begun, and the kids are bringing
home
the germs to mom and dad. Dr. Alan Greene, M.D., author of Raising Baby
Green explains the conundrum, "Parents think that the FDA is taking
something away
from them, but they're not. The reason they took the medicines away for kids
under two is because the studies have not shown that they worked any better
than placebo. So, you're not losing anything."

The good news is that there are many safe and effective ways to counter cold
symptoms.

Quiet a Cough:
A recent study showed that buckwheat honey
is an effective cough suppressor (Never give honey to children under one
year old; it can cause a rare but serious form of food poisoning).
Researchers
divided 100 children with colds into three groups: One group was given honey
before bed; another group was given a cough syrup containing
dextromethorphan
; and the third group was given nothing. The next day, parents reported that
the honey was more effective than the cough medicine.

Dr. Greene recommends another surprising food remedy for cough: two ounces
of dark chocolate, which will quiet a cough for up to two hours. In addition
to chocolate, don't overlook cough drops. "I'm a huge fan of cough drops for
kids," says Dr. Greene. "For children who are over four and old enough to
use them without choking, cough drops not only relieve the cough, they
stimulate you to create saliva, which has antibodies to help fight the
virus."
Be careful with any cough syrup or drop containing dextromethorphan (DXM).
According to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse
, very large doses can cause numbness, nausea and vomiting, and increased
heart rate and blood pressure.

Ease a Sore Throat: To ease a sore throat, try
Throat Coat
or warm tea. Warm water with honey and lemon can also be soothing.

Loosen Congestion: To fight congestion, use a vaporizer in the bedroom for
young babies, and hot steam before bed for older children and adults. Try
standing
in the bathroom with a hot shower running for a few minutes or lean over
basin or sink full of steamy water with a towel draped over the head and
basin.
Just make sure it's not too hot!
In addition, preservative-free saline nose rinses help as does keeping the
head elevated while sleeping.

Get more sleep: Dr. Greene recommends
valerian root
, which has been used safely for hundreds or years, or a cup of
Sleepy Time Tea.

Boost Immunity: Yes, chicken soup really does help, says Dr. Neil Schachter,
author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu, who has the science to
back up the claim. "In addition to providing nutrition, fluids, and
mucus-dissolving warmth, chicken soup actually reduces the inflammatory
compounds that
rise with a cold and flu, called cytokines, which trigger body aches, fever,
and fatigue," explains Schacther. "Studies have actually shown that chicken
soup inhibits the release of neutrophils, thus reducing the discomfort of a
respiratory infection."

Adding zinc and vitamin C to the diet can also help. Dr. Green explains that
studies have shown that zinc lozenges have shortened the duration of a cold
up to five days for those who are zinc-deficient, but you must start taking
them at the first sign of symptoms. Vitamin C can be very beneficial for
athletes,
children, and people living in close quarters. The jury is still out,
however, on how well zinc and Vitamin C work for most other people.

So here's your shopping list for getting through cough and cold season:

Buckwheat honey
Dark Chocolate
Throat Coat
Vaporizer
Valerian Root
Sleepy Time Tea
Chicken soup (in jars, canned or home made!)
Zinc lozenges
Vitamin C supplements


Any other suggestions?
I hope everyone has a very mild cold/flu season.
Healing Hugs,
Melissa
Posted at 4:36AM, 8 October 2008 PDT (permalink)