It can be a very scary time for parents when your child develops breathing difficulties or some sort of respiratory distress.

The common cold, cough, flu season, and environmental and food allergies can affect a child more severely causing breathing difficulties and possibly wheezing.

Here are a few tips and remedies to ameliorate the situation:

• Use a vaporizer or cool mist humidifier in your child’s room especially at night.
• Run a shower to create hot steam and have your child breathe the steam
• Use essential oils such as:
  • Eucalyptus
  • Pine
  • Peppermint
  • Thyme
  • Put the oils in a basin with a cloth over your child’s head breathing in the hot steam. Also apply on your child’s chest or under their nose to open up nostrils.
• Strengthen the lungs with mullein, yarrow, and lobelia tinctures and drain mucus from the head with myrrh.
• Tea tree oil on a cloth to breathe will open up the lungs quickly.
• The following supplements can strengthen the lungs:
  • Beta-carotene
  • Chlorophyll
  • Dimethylglycine (DMG)
  • Micelized vitamin A
  • Oregano oil
  • Vitamin C
  • Garlic
  • Echinacea
  • Gingko biloba
• Use homeopathy such as ipecacuanha for wheezing, sequential homeopathy for nasal sprays, colds, flu, allergies and shallow breathing.
• Give electrolytes to help with dehydration and drinking fluids to loosen up mucus.
• Use ginger, peppermint or sage teas, Breathe Easy tea by Traditional Medicine and Breathe Deep by Yogi Teas
• Apply a mustard compress to open up the lungs and drain mucus (1/4 cup of white flour and dry mustard – mix together with warm water to make a paste and spread on a paper towel (like a sandwich) – one on top and one on the bottom. Place on the chest area for 15 minutes or when the child says it’s becoming too hot and uncomfortable. This compress can be very helpful for bronchitis.
• Supplement with magnesium, either orally or transdermally.

If your child has more serious issues with breathing that require medical attention, then call 911.

However, there may be a chronic underlying condition such as asthma.

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