Cough and Cold

(extract from Singapore Motherhood Forum)

Oral relief

1. Steamed orange and salt
A mother of two young girls, Roni Tam, recalls a recipe that her mother taught her. It is popular in Hong Kong, where she comes from, and also in China. How to do it: Clean the skin of an orange. Cut off the top part of the orange, spread salt on the surface and use a fork to poke the orange to let the salt dissolve in it. Return the top part of the orange, place the whole orange onto a bowl, and steam it under medium heat for 15 minutes. Eat the orange, and drink the remaining liquid in the bowl. Repeat for five days.

2. Ginger water
Ms. Tam also recommends ginger water. How to do it: Cut up and boil old ginger – which has stronger flavour than young ginger – for about 20 minutes. Add some rock sugar to the ginger solution, and drink it. A diluted version of this concoction is safe for children to consume.

3. Honey
Mimi Tjong, a mother of three, swears by this, saying that it is time-tested and that it works. How to do it: Stir one teaspoon of honey in warm water and drink the solution. Do this once in the morning and once at night. Any kind of honey will do.

4. Honey-lemon-ginger mix
Angela W. M., a jewellery designer from Tanzania who is a mother of three teenagers, has a personal favourite – ginger-lemon tea. How to do it: Brew a tea out one tablespoon of grated ginger and half a lemon with two cups of water. Heat the mixture until it boils, then turn the fire off and allow it to steep for about 20 minutes. Stir in two tablespoons of honey, then drink. You can also add one clove of minced garlic before boiling, for its antibiotic properties.




Physical relief

1. Steam it up
Fill the bath with hot water and let it steam up the bathroom. A hot shower can work too. Close the door and window, and turn off the exhaust fan if there is one. Breathing in the steam helps break up nasal congestion. Let your child shower in the steamed bathroom to help her feel better.

2. Get (even more) humid!
As an alternative to steaming up the bathroom, try using a cool-mist humidifier. Place one humidifier in the bedroom where she sleeps to help her breathe better, and hence sleep better.

3. Do a Nasal spray
Unlike highly processed table salt, sea salt has health benefits which include reducing inflammation in the respiratory system. Thus, letting your child use sea salt nasal spray can help slow down the production of phlegm – which would in turn help the coughing subside.

4. Ban the air-conditioner
Turn off the air-conditioner. If it is too uncomfortable to sleep without it, set the temperature to about 25 to 26 degrees Centigrade and aim the blower away from your child.




Even more useful coughing facts!

Coughing Etiquette
An influenza virus – which transfers via droplets and respiratory secretions – can survive up to 48 hours on hard surfaces, up to 12 hours on tissue paper, and about five minutes on hands. Remind your child that germs are not meant to be shared, and teach her how to stop the spread if she is infected.
1. Cover her mouth and nose with a piece of tissue paper when she coughs or sneezes.
2. Throw the used tissue paper into the rubbish bin.
3. Wash her hands with soap or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
4. Get your child to wear a paper face mask when she is around others.

When to See a Doctor
The early days of coughs are not to be overly worried about. But if one or more of the symptoms below persist, it would be best to have a doctor check on your child.
1. Wheezy: when her breathing is wheezy and sounds turbulent or restricted.
2. Lengthy: when coughing for more than three weeks, and it is worsening and affecting her sleep.
3. High temperature: if there is a persistent fever of 38 degrees Celsius and beyond for three days.
4. Uneven breathing: if she is breathing much faster than usual.
5. Too young: when the feverish and coughing child is less than three months old.
6. Bluish: when her lips or face turn a blue and dusky colour