Author Topic: Croup (Read 82684 times)

Charis · « **on:** April 08, 2006, 02:18:40 AM »

My son woke up this morning with the croup. He was out in the damp wind a lot yesterday. I usualy put him in a steamy bathroom. This usualy works and he will be fine the rest of the day. He most often will have it again one more night. What is best way to treat this or a child who is coming down with something. He's had this problem for a while.

4myhoonie · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2006, 06:01:09 PM »

Hi Charis, hope your little one is feeling better by now, but thought i'd answer anyway. i have used Rebeka's garlic remedies with great success and also probiotics to help them get well. she describes it here:

http://welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,71.0.html

here's another great idea:

http://welltellme.com/discuss/index.php?topic=78.0

hope this helps!

ForeverGirl · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2006, 06:45:18 PM »

Another helpful thing is Eucalyptus oil:
From another thread:

"Warm baths with Eucalyptus Oil sprinkled in the water. A few drops of Eucalyptus in a bath a couple of times a day really helps congestion. Eucalyptus fights infection, kills bacteria, and opens the sinuses to drain. When my kids are really clogged, I give them a damp washcloth with a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil in it to carry around and sniff. This has worked AMAZINGLY well."

healthybratt · « **Reply #3 on:** April 09, 2006, 01:21:36 PM »

Quote from: Charis on April 08, 2006, 02:18:40 AM

I usualy put him in a steamy bathroom.

This sounds easy. How long do you leave him there? Any pointers?

Kristin_19_78 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 09, 2006, 03:47:37 PM »

My son has had croup many times in his four years. When it hits hard, usually in the winter, we open a window. I bundle him up really good, and let his room get cold. Within a few minutes, those horrible wheezing sounds are gone. That doesn't cure him, but it has saved us many trips to the emergency room. (he would turn blue from the lack of oxygen) The following night after a spell, I would set up a COOL AIR humidifier in his room, blowing gently on him to prevent another rude awakening. DO NOT ever use a warm air humidifier. We learned the hard way that they are just a breeding ground for bacteria, just waiting to be turned on and made airborne.

Charis · « **Reply #5 on:** April 10, 2006, 03:31:36 AM »

Yes the shower is very easy. We just close the shower curtain and the bathroom door and turn the shower water on all hot. Let your bathroom get good and steamy. I usualy keep him in there till the hot water runs out.

The cold air works great too. We've had to do both when one or the other didn't work quickly. Also we have a nebulizer that has a face mask attachment. We've always used the saline and albuteral in it, but I might just try saline and a drop of the eucalyptus next time. Now though he has had a fever for the last two days and a very sore throught. I've been using garlic and vitamin C and alot of KEFIR. Any other suggestions?

dara · « **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2006, 05:02:18 AM »

Let us know how your little guy is doing. We have treated this in our family a couple times, and if he stops improving with what you are doing, I can tell you about our intensive treatment (baths and herbs and such). I just thought I'd save writing time if he's doing better already. Dara

healthybratt · « **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2006, 05:31:21 AM »

Quote from: dara on April 10, 2006, 05:02:18 AM

I can tell you about our intensive treatment (baths and herbs and such).

Do tell, we're very interested.

dara · « **Reply #8 on:** April 10, 2006, 07:09:39 AM »

Well, kidlet #2 is our "respitory baby" in that he gets resp. infections and coughs more commonly than the others. I usually nip problems in the bud with vitamin C, and garlic. I have bought garlic liquid at the health food store for him when he was too little for a lot of foods with garlic (like garlicy popcorn...) and mixed it approx. like this:

1/2 t. liquid or 1/4 t. powder (garlic powder from caps) with
1/2 t. slippery elm (as a buffer for his sensitive digestion),
a little kid's echinacea tincure (about 20 drops),
and maple syrup to sweeten (about 1 t.)

I mixed this in a small cup, and spoon fed it to him. Of course he didn't like it, but I'd give him a drink to wash it down. When he already had the cough deeply settled in his lungs, and started fevering and keeping me up at night, I would give his this mix every couple hours. I would give him a lot of watery juice with extra vitamin C in it (either ascorbic acid powder, or EmergenC packets). For the cough, I have 2 favorite treatments. One is a ginger bath. A very nicely warm bath with about 2T. ginger powder, and a 10 minute soak. It helps break up the congestion, and helps detox through the skin. ONE WARNING with ginger baths- it is very important to be WELL HYDRATED

dara · « **Reply #9 on:** April 10, 2006, 07:21:34 AM »

WOOPS, didn't mean to hit enter on that post yet. I was saying that you have to drink a lot when taking a ginger bath. Give little man a sippy cup in the tub. I do that twice a day when he's really sick. The other treatment that is particularly effectice is onion poltices on the chest and back. I take a couple hankies, finely chop onion and spread it on one hankie, salt it, and warm it in the microwave until it is just warm (NOT HOT). Put the other hankie on top. You can make 1 or 2 poltices. I use a short length of old bedsheet to wrap over the poltice on babe's chest (and back, if 2) around the chest and safely pin. I do this right before nap time, as it stays in place best when they are sleeping. I don't do it longer than 30 min. or the duration of a short nap, as it makes their skin a little pink. It is amazing how Fast they recover with several treatments being done in the same day. I should mention too that ginger baths are great for any congestive germ and cold. BUT don't take ginger baths while pregnant. Anyway, that works great, and my kids recover in less than half the time their antibiotic treated friends are.

healthybratt · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2006, 10:16:33 AM »

Quote from: dara on April 10, 2006, 07:09:39 AM

it is very important to be WELL HYDRATED

...by this I assume you mean that the bath does not provide enough hydration? They need to drink alot of water before/after? I drink alot of ginger tea for viruses, but I've not heard anything about dehydration before.

healthybratt · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2006, 10:17:25 AM »

Quote from: dara on April 10, 2006, 07:21:34 AM

WOOPS, didn't mean to hit enter on that post yet.

You can modify yours posts if like by choosing the "modify" option under each entry.

healthybratt · « **Reply #12 on:** April 10, 2006, 10:18:56 AM »

Quote from: dara on April 10, 2006, 07:21:34 AM

The other treatment that is particularly effectice is onion poltices on the chest and back.

I would be concerned about fumes in the eyes? What kind of onions do you use?

dara · « **Reply #13 on:** April 10, 2006, 12:30:18 PM »

Well, healthybratt, you have a lot of questions, and I don't know that you even have a sick baby at the moment (that you've mentioned)!

The reason you risk dehydration taking a ginger bath is because it is a circulatory stimulant, and causes you to sweat when you take a hot bath in it. Folks who are sick are often already in danger of dehydration, especially if they are fevering. A ginger bath helps you to rid the body of toxins through sweat. It also breaks up congestion. As to the onion poltice, ever notice that sauteed onions do not smell as strong as fresh ones? That's why you microwave it, and by the time the poltice is applied, there are 2 layers of fabric over the onions anyway.

dara · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2006, 10:42:51 AM »

I forgot to mention that I now keep Wild Cherry Bark cough syrup on hand at all times now. It can be homemade, and I plan to make some this fall to have on hand for winter, but I don't have all my tincture recipes refined yet- I can post them when I do. At the moment I am planting a bunch of my herbs, not using them yet. I bought the syrup this time from vitacost.com. I esp. like blends with pleurisy root, and eclampain, and mullein. This keeps my respiratory baby much more comfortable, and loosens the deep hacking coughs.

healthybratt · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2006, 02:32:02 PM »

Sick baby? That's rich!

Only the biggest baby in the house.

My hubby has a virus and I've been trying to get him to drink his ginger tea. He turns his nose up higher than the kids at "yucky" stuff. tee hee.

So, how do I make a ginger bath? I asked Gabe about making ginger tincture, but I don't think he's gotten back to me on that, but I generally have raw and frozen ginger root about the house.

dara · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2006, 04:11:06 PM »

Make the strongest tea you can make (an infusion) and add it to very warm (as hot as can be tolerated for big people) bath. And drink water. Soak for up to 20 min. (for big people). I don't care for ginger tea either. Sneak him some of your Red Raspberry leaf tea- it is a great flu and cold care tea. My hubby teases about the state of his uterus when drinking it too.

healthybratt · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2006, 04:02:59 PM »

Quote from: dara on April 10, 2006, 12:30:18 PM

Well, healthybratt, you have a lot of questions, and I don't know that you even have a sick baby at the moment (that you've mentioned)!

It's always good to be prepared

Baby is sick today (he probably caught it from the big baby, since he refuses to medicate and get well

. High fever, no other symptoms - I think it may be sinus, but I'm doing the ginger bath thing as we speak. My boy hates hot baths - so I steamed up the bathroom before I ran his bath water. I sure hope it works! He's feeling a bit pooped out, but he likes to play in the water.

dara · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2006, 04:14:17 PM »

How old is he? Poor sweetie $:-\$

healthybratt · « **Reply #19 on:** April 13, 2006, 04:28:34 PM »

Quote from: dara on April 13, 2006, 04:14:17 PM

How old is he? Poor sweetie $:-\$

ummm...let's see 1, 2, 3....13, 14...January, February, March...23 months....*giggle*. I can't even remember how old I am.

jenny4wen · « **Reply #20 on:** May 22, 2006, 07:56:40 PM »

Are the ginger baths, and other mentioned remedies good for a 7 month old baby? Little Ben woke up with croup this morning, and it hasn't been bad all day, but tonight it's really bad. No sleep

Plus poor babe, he loves his sleep, so he's just getting cranky about not sleeping.

I'll keep on the garlic for now

jeniwren · « **Reply #21 on:** June 28, 2006, 12:30:07 AM »

My son woke up night before last with an awful seal barking cough. I rushed in to pick him up and he was wheezing as bad as I ever did with ashma. If I didn't have a stethescope to tell me otherwise I wouldn't have thought he was getting enough air. Well, without even stopping to pray we rushed him to the ER. Just being upright for awhile eased the wheezing, but the bark remained. The docs ended up giving him an injection, which I can't remember the name of. Some kind of steroid, no antibiotic though. The cough died down right away and he was much better. After that we came home, steamed up the bathroom, turned the cool mist humidifier on in our room, and set him up in a pack n play for the rest of the night. He did great.
Tonight is another matter. He was fussy and coughing all day with a runny nose. He napped pretty well. I've gotten him up once tonight. I steamed up the bathroom, suctioned his nose as much as I could, nursed him. He wouldn't let me just hold him upright, he wanted to climb and twist and cry. Finally I laid him down at a loss (with the humidifier blowing right next to his crib). I have a baby monitor set up and I've been listening to him for an hour and a half. He has a gagging cough that I just don't know what to do about. I went in once, but he was sleeping. He's coughing in his sleep and I feel like I shouldn't wake him, but at the same time I can't sleep hearing him cough like that.
What should I do? I gleaned some ideas to try tomorrow during the day, but what about tomorrow night?!

JOLENE · « **Reply #22 on:** June 28, 2006, 02:08:49 AM »

Hi! You could try elevating his bed while he sleeps. Just put books or whatever under the crib posts, or try putting a pillow under the mattress. I know he probably moves around a lot in his sleep, but maybe it will help.

still*learning · « **Reply #23 on:** June 28, 2006, 02:45:27 AM »

Hi Jeniwren,
I feel for you because my daughter had this and it was so scary to wake up to her in the middle of the night with this! I have asthma too and I thought she was having an asthma attack! She did not start the bark coughing until the paramedics were here. We had a very sleepless night out on the couch the two of us and once morning came around (Around 6 am) her symptoms got so much better!

Croup primarily rears its head at night for about 3 nights so hopefully you are about through it. The things that we did that helped were the humidifier, sleeping proped up and when the barking starts sitting in the bathroom with the shower running on HOT and letting it get all steamed up! That helped the best. Night air is supposed to help as well.

They gave my daughter a steroid too that did really help. It is supposed to stop the swelling that causes the barking cough. Other than that there is really nothing else you an do but just let it run its course.

kamom · « **Reply #24 on:** June 28, 2006, 09:02:54 AM »

We also have one that is prone to croup.

Very scary!

Now which works better, the cold night air( I'm always scared I'll make it worse with cold air)
Or the hot shower steam. Thats what I usually do, but I think the cold air would be easier then sitting on the toilet for half the night

Last winter I completely wore out all my ideas on how to get her over it and finally had to use a steroid, after a very scary night>

Now she finally learned to swallow capsules, so I am building her up with regular garlic etc.

kittyninja · « **Reply #25 on:** June 28, 2006, 11:25:33 AM »

Just wanted to say that the bark cough could also be whooping cough,that's what my friends 5 mo old sounded like and everytime they took her to the doc or er they just treated her for a upper respiratory virus and sent them home. FINALLY-they tested for whooping cough and it came back positive and the health dept quarantined the whole family for 2 weeks!!

That was the 1st case of pertussis here in Tucson in YEARS!! So any way-just err on the side of caution. The baby ended up with wc and rsv at the same time.

I just wanted to post this even some of you might already have it figured out!! Hope everyone's babies are feeling better-it's so hard.

DawnsEarlyBirds · « **Reply #26 on:** June 28, 2006, 01:14:06 PM »

With 7 kids I have spent my fair share of hours sitting in a steaming bathroom in the middle of the night! SO, when a friend who's father was an old country dr. told me he says, "just open a window and let the cold air in", I just knew I had to try that. Worked like a charm! My son stopped "barking" almost immediately and I was able to sleep! I wonder if sleeping with a window slightly open in the winter would prevent croup in the first place?

Julie G · « **Reply #27 on:** June 28, 2006, 02:39:56 PM »

Being in the south there is no cold night air

...would a cold air conditioned house work the same? My kids don't have croup...just curious in case it pops up.

still*learning · « **Reply #28 on:** June 28, 2006, 03:13:30 PM »

I am curious about the cold night air as well but being that I am in Florida and my daughter got the croup in October I wasn't able to test the night air out. Has anyone ever done that before?

Another thing to add is that I read that a sign the croup is coming on is a hoarse voice. Before we put our daughter down to bed that night she did have a hoarse voice and I just thought it was from running around that night outside!

jenny4wen · « **Reply #29 on:** June 28, 2006, 04:49:08 PM »

Croup is a virus that affects the voice box, hence the funny voice and barking cough. It swells the tiny voice box, so in children, it restricts the airway. I've heard laryngitis in adults is the same virus. The steroid shot takes the swelling down instantly, so it helps right away. The cold works by taking the swelling away (kinda like icing an injury) so they find relief after about 5 minutes in the cold air. I found with my daughter, who had this at thanksgiving (in minnesota, a cold time of year) that outside worked better than a steamed bathroom. Also, popsicles seemed to help her.

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Author Topic: Croup (Read 82684 times)