Easy Home Remedies For Dealing With Croup

* I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL OR A DOCTOR. IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER*

That being said I am a mother of five kids one of which has had croup more times than I can even count or remember. He isn't the first of my kids to ever get croup, he is however my child that gets it all of the time. He has even been hospitalized because of it. So I would say that I know a lot about croup and how to treat and deal with it.

My youngest son has had croup just about every other month ever since he was born with the exception of the summer months when it is warmer. He is now six and most doctors will tell you that kids usually grow out of getting croup by the age of about five or six. Not my kid. He is an exception to the rule. There are some kids that take longer, and we are one of them. 

After three years of running to the ER for breathing treatments every time he would get croup, I finally had enough. It is so tiring and expensive to go to the ER every other month for breathing treatments. I new the signs of croup and I could tell he was getting it with one cough. I finally sat down with his doctor and asked if there was anything that they could give me to give to him when he first started showing signs of croup. Because he got it all of the time and my doctor new that I could really tell that he had croup, she gave me a written prescription for a liquid steroid that would open his airway and help him breath better. Can you say HALLELUJAH!  The liquid steroids worked wonders! When he started getting croup I would give him the medication and then we could make it through those first two nights. That was three years ago and I have only been to the ER once with him since then. That ER visit the steroids weren't working because he had strider and  he was transported to Primary Children's Medical Center for better treatment. After a couple of day's he was released and all was well. 

I decided that I wanted to share what tricks I have learned over the years to help your child deal with croup, but first if you are not very familiar with croup you should know the basics. If you go to the Kids Health website it has a very good explanation of what croup is and how to treat it.

Croup is caused by a virus that children get, usually the cold virus or any respiratory virus. A child gets croup because their airway is not large enough when they get this virus and when their airway gets swollen they have a hard time breathing and they get a cough that sounds like a seal barking. Usually when my kids get croup I have noticed that they are scared because they can't breath well and they usually freak out and cry more, which is totally understandable, it just makes the breathing worse. They can also have a fever and sometime a rash, however my kids never had a rash.

5 EASY HOME REMEDIES FOR DEALING WITH CROUP:

1. Motrin. Croup is caused when the airway gets inflamed and swells. If you think that your child might have croup then give them some Motrin. This will help the swelling go down and will also help with any fevers. *DO NOT GIVE MOTRIN TO BABIES UNDER THE AGE OF 6 MONTHS*

2. Cool mist humidifier. Cool mist is a great way to help open the airway. If you don't have a humidifier then I would strongly suggest that you get one. They aren't that expensive and it is good to have one if you have kids. If you are going to purchase a humidifier make sure that you get a cool mist one and not a hot mist. You need the cool mist.

3. Hot shower. No you don't put your kid in a hot shower. Turn your shower on to hot and let the mist build up in the bathroom, then sit with your child in the bathroom and let them breath in the mist.

4. Cool air. Usually you will discover that your child has croup in the middle of the night. The cool night air can help to open the airway. If it is really cold that is even better, just make sure that you bundle your child up so that they don't get cold.

5. Fluids. Keep your kid hydrated. Your body will do better with fluids while it is healing. It also helps to prevent extra mucus from blocking the airway.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP FIGHT OFF CROUP:

There are other ways that you can fight off croup if your child comes down with it. These remedies involve some medical intervention. They are however all ways that I have dealt with croup with my children. In our most resent round of croup two weeks ago, my three youngest kids got it all within two days of each other. Lets just say that I was a walking zombie that week. Thankfully I was able to use these methods as well.

1. Breathing treatments. If you have a Nebulizer or know someone who does and they would let you borrow it then you can do at home breathing treatments. You do however need Albuterol which is prescribed by a doctor. I have heard that you can use water and have the mist to breath in. I have never done this personally.

2. Liquid steroids. I think that this might be hard to get unless your child has a history of croup like mine does. I will tell you though that it is a life saver!

3. Inhaler. If your child has an inhaler this would be a great time to use it.

Croup is no fun. Not for the child or the parent that spends the night caring for and worrying about their sick child. Hopefully this will help give some guidance to someone who might not be as familiar with croup as I am. 

Remember that you are the parent and if something doesn't seem right or you are unsure about your child's health there is no shame in asking your doctor or health care provider. They are there to help and they will have your child's best interest in mind.