I am NOT a medical professional; I am simply a mom who had four children and tried everything to keep us out of the ER when viruses were going around. These are natural home remedies handed down or discovered and found beneficial.
- Vinegar compress – Dilute household vinegar with water 1:1 and soak a washcloth in the mixture. Apply to the back in strokes for a few minutes before a cool bath.
- Vinegar foot application: Soak a cotton ball with household vinegar and apply to the feet.
- Lavender foot application: apply a few drops of lavender essential oil to the bottom of the feet – this works well at bedtime.
- Cool bath: Run a mildly warm bath and allow the child to sit in it until cool.
- Cold compresses: apply cool, damp cloths to the forehead, back of the neck, belly, back, and/or feet.
- Hydrate well with cool liquids, including water, peppermint (or other safe herbal tea), diluted juices, jello water, Gatorade, Pedialyte, etc.
(If you don’t mind food dyes or flavorings, this works well. A recommendation to my mother-in-law by her pediatrician in the 1970s.)
Jello Water: For fever-induced dehydration or vomiting/diarrhea recovery. Add boiling water (½ the recipe calls for) to a packet of flavored gelatin and stir to dissolve. Add cool water (3x the recipe calls for) to gelatin and stir. This is easy to drink and provides liquid, electrolytes, and a bit of protein.
James and Cindi Runyon 