Common cold amongst children is a very common problem since they are constantly exposed to germs and their immunity system has not yet completely built its resistance to these germs. Usually accompanied by a stuffy nose, frequent sneezing, cough, chest congestion and even fever, it is rather troublesome for young children who get very restless and irritable due to this sickness. One of the best ways to treat a common cold with chest congestion and stuffed nose is to provide adequate rest to the patient so that the body can fight back against the germs. You should keep the patient warm by covering with a warm blanket and also apply warm compress to the nose and chest to ease the heaviness. Since children do not easily agree to take steam inhalation which helps to unclog the nasal cavity and ease the congestion, you can apply a warm washcloth to the sides of the nose and the chest, taking care not to heat it too much. Massaging the chest gently with eucalyptus oil is also beneficial in treating congestions. A traditional remedy involved rubbing the chest with a paste of ground mustard and water to increase the circulation of blood in the chest, ease the congestion and help breathing at night. However this can sometimes lead to irritation of the skin and is not favored much these days.
Apart from this you should increase the child's intake of fluids so that the mucus is drained out of the body naturally. Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water, coconut water and fresh fruit juices are recommended. Provide plenty of hot vegetable and chicken soups laced with ginger, garlic and pepper to provide soothing relief to the throat and chest and speed the treatment. Chicken soup is rich in protein, salts and essential fluid and provides the required energy when the child does not feel like eating anything else. Thus it is cited as a classic remedy for common cold. A spoonful of honey taken twice a day is also effective in treating common cold since honey acts against infections and helps in clearing the chest congestion. You can also make a natural tonic for your child by cooking 1 oz of chopped onion with 2 cups of honey to make thick syrup and give 1 tsp of this syrup to your child every two hours. The anti-bacterial properties combined with the beneficial properties of honey help to cure the common cold quickly and efficiently. In addition to all these, you should try and quarantine your child and keep your child as far as possible from other children to avoid exchange of germs till your child has fully recovered.
answered by G M