
Written by: Stephanie Berube, L.Ac.
With the start of fall and school comes sickness! Cold and flu season is coming and with Covid plaguing us I have a few ways to help your little ones get better faster!
I know that with my little ones it seems like every year around the same time they are catching something. The runny noses, coughs, sneezing, sore throats and even sometimes difficulty breathing. Every year (twice a year in my case) the pediatrician would give my son a steroid or my worst nightmare: the scary nebulizer! I always have to restrain my son to get him to use it. I am able to get maybe a quarter of the mist in his face! It is always absolute torture for me and for him.
After the first few traumatizing experiences with that I decided to turn to what I know best- Chinese medicine. Growing up I was trained that when you’re sick you go the doctor, not your acupuncturist or herbalist. Even though I studied acupuncture and herbs for years, it’s sometimes still stuck in my head to go to the doctor first. Finally I decided it was important to treat my children with everything I have been studying and learning for years. I’m so grateful I decided to take care of my children naturally because even though my son still gets sick twice a year he has not needed the nebulizer in 4 years.
Growing up I was trained that when you’re sick you go the doctor, not your acupuncturist or herbalist. Even though I studied acupuncture and herbs for years, it’s sometimes still stuck in my head to go to the doctor first.
I use 4 different types of herbal tinctures from Blue Poppy Herbs for the different stages of a virus or cold. Sometimes I need to give him all 4 and sometimes I only need to give him 2. It really all depends on how fast we act when symptoms start.
At the beginning stage. When my children first feel a cold coming on (stuffy, sore throat, etc.) on I try to give him CQ Jr. This is my go to! It helps boost his immune system and clear some of that heat causing the sore throat. As my two little ones get older it’s easier to know when these symptoms are coming on because they can verbalize what’s going on. It was so challenging when they were little! It was such a guessing game. I also use this if my husband and I are starting to feel a little sick. I like to take it to prevent us from getting sick as well.
The next formula I use is Lung Qi Jr. This is for that chest cold with the phlegmy wet cough when you can hear that gargle of mucous. This will help clear those lungs and dry up all that phlegm fast. If taken correctly it can clear everything up within a day.
Sometimes the cough is more of a dry, barking, croupy cough. That deep, dry cough that just sounds like it hurts. That’s when I use Moisten Dryness. This helps create some moisture to ease the cough, help nourish the lungs and helps soothe the throat from coughing so much.
The last formula I use is AllerEase jr. This formula is your seasonal allergy relief. This formular is for itchy eyes, runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, and all the symptoms that come with seasonal allergies. This is also great for nasal decongestion.
All these formulas are by Blue Poppy and have the highest standards in testing and quality of herbs. All the herbs are manufactured in the US which gives peace of mind knowing it’s not going to have any “added” ingredients like some other formulas have that are manufactured in other countries. Also, the pediatric line of formulas are all glycerin based which is so much better than the traditional alcohol based tinctures.
All these formulas are modifications of the herbal medicine I use for myself, just with smaller doses and in a tincture to make it more kid friendly. These are also formulas used in Chinese hospitals to help with covid. These formulas are shown to help with worsening symptoms and hospitalization due to covid. Before antibiotics and medicines were produced we used to use our natural resources and herbal products to help heal. Over time antibiotics can damage the body and stop working, but herbs and acupuncture work to help balance your body and allow your body to heal itself.
Over time antibiotics can damage the body and stop working, but herbs and acupuncture work to help balance your body and allow your body to heal itself.
To try herbal medicines and acupuncture find a practitioner or doctor who can guide you and help you find the right combination for you and your family.
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