Honestly, I don’t ever remember getting the flu when I was a kid. The “stomach flu?” Sure. Absolutely. I probably had that a dozen times. (God bless my Mom!) But the real flu—high fever, sore throat, aches, fatigue, congestion, vomiting and diarrhea —REAL flu? Nada. For some reason, it is definitely more prevalent now. Ever since my eldest started elementary school, she has gotten it every year. It’s usually a very mild case, and she is typically back to her normal energetic self within 3-4 days. Not this year. As of two weeks ago, both girls had it in tandem, and it lasted a solid 7-9 days.
I started off the week making sure that their faces were washed, teeth and hair were brushed and that they were in fresh pjs every morning so that they could spend the day curled up in what I affectionately dubbed their “plague nest” of pillows and blankets in front of the tv. Meanwhile, I alternated between children’s dye-free ibuprofen, acetaminophen and the occasional lukewarm baths and cold washcloths to keep their fevers at bay. Despite my best efforts, by the end of the week, we looked like extras from a zombie apocalypse movie. And yet, it could have been so much worse—their cases were mild. Their fevers never spiked above 103.4, we had less than 12 hours of acute digestive explosions, and everyone, for the most part, was able to sleep through the night until at least 4:30 am. I attribute this overwhelming success to the natural methods I used to help cope with the flu. Now, I am not a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, naturopath, herbalist or witch doctor. I am just a mom, sharing what I used to help my household. So, please keep that in mind and use your best judgement.
Natural Ways to Cope with Colds, Viruses and the Flu
Elderberry Syrup (Sambucus)
Elderberry Syrup has become a lot more main stream over the past decade, and for good reason. This stuff is amazing. Elderberries have been used in folk remedies for thousands of years and recent studies have shown them to be a very strong anti-viral when cooked (they’re poisonous when raw). Elderberry syrup is known for shortening the duration and minimizing the symptoms of both the flu and the common cold. Honestly, anything that keeps viruses from multiplying and has minimal side effects is worth a try in my book. It is my number one go-to remedy as soon as anyone in the house starts to feel under the weather. I like to buy it in 16-oz bottles using Amazon’s subscribe and save program, and my favorite brand is Nature’s Answer Sambucus. Typically, I take 2TB of the syrup, mix it with a cup of warm water, and give about 2oz of this concoction to each of us twice a day.
Oscillococcinum by Boiron
This homeopathic medicine may be a mouthful to say, but our household has found it to be incredibly effective at reducing our symptoms whenever we are fighting off a virus. It tastes so much like yummy sugar pills that occasionally I have wondered if it is truly effective or if it’s just a placebo effect. But my own anecdotal evidence points to it being truly effective. My youngest gets fevers whenever she gets sick. High fevers. Like, 104-105 degrees. Truthfully, they freak me out a bit.
There have been times when I have tried every single trick I can think of: alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen, climbing into a lukewarm bath with her, cold compresses, and nothing seems to be working as quickly as I want it to. Then, inspiration will strike and I’ll give her some Oscillococcinum. More often than not, her fever will drop a degree within 20 minutes. And that buys me some extra time for the ibuprofen to kick in. And aside from the fevers, it also seems to help with aches, pains and general malaise. So, whether it’s a placebo effect or not, I don’t care. Oscillococcinum works for us.
Cool Mist Humidifier & Ultrasonic Diffuser
Whenever my youngest gets sick, her allergies seem to flair up as well. So, not only am I dealing with fevers, sore throat, vomiting, etc., I’m also coping with an eczema rash, swollen itchy eyes and the occasional outbreak of hives. I’ve taken her to the pediatric allergist and been told that this kind of reaction to a virus is fairly common. Honestly, I don’t know what the connection is. All I know is that I often end up giving her some kind of antihistamine for a few days while she’s sick. Coupled with all the congestion and nose blowing, she inevitably ends up with nosebleeds as a result. (As I said earlier, by the end of the week, we really do look like a horde of blood-stained zombies.)
So, this is when I break out the cool mist humidifier. It adds moisture back into the air without adding heat (goodness knows I don’t want the added heat because it might make her fever worse). I’ve tried a few different humidifiers over the years, and so far my favorite is the White Dolphin Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier Oil Diffuser. It runs about $40 on Amazon.
With a 1.6 liter capacity and the added ability to diffuse essential oils, it does a great job. And I love both its clean design aesthetics and how easy it is to keep the water tank clean. I actually put this in our family room where the girls had their “plague nest” and it blended in seamlessly with the decor. And at night, I add about 5 drops of NOW Lavender essential oil and 5 drops of NOW Eucalyptus oil to the diffuser to help the girls sleep well and clear some of their congestion. Amazon actually sells these essential oils in a bundle of three along with NOW Tea Tree Oil for about $16. Since I use the tea tree oil in both my laundry and my DIY disinfecting wipes, this works out well.
Microwaveable Hot/Cold Packs
Flax Bean Bags
Ok, I am addicted to these overgrown bean bags. They are filled with flax seeds and can be heated in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on the size and the brand). There is nothing quite like climbing into bed on a chilly night with one (or three!) of these on your feet. I use them for everything from warming my feet, to fighting menstrual cramps and alleviating sinus headaches. Everyone in our household has at least 2 of these flax bean bags. And they are particularly helpful when someone is experiencing chills from the flu. Over the years, I’ve bought them on both Amazon and Etsy and had a lot of success with each. I’ve even given them as gifts.
Microwavable Stuffed Animals
When my eldest was little, she had a microwavable stuffed pig by Intelex that she loved. It was great for comforting a sick child. However, it wasn’t washable, which is problematic when dealing with sick kids. After about 3 years, we had to throw it out because it was absolutely disgusting.
Then, I stumbled across a German company called Senger Tierpuppen that makes a line of organic cotton and wool stuffed animals, called their Cuddly line. Each adorable stuffed animal contains a zippered pouch for a cherry stone bean bag. Cherry stones are dried cherry pits. (Not to be confused with the small edible clams found off the coast of Maine that go by the same name. I still laugh when I think of the time I was vacationing in Maine and saw a sign advertising cherry stones for sale. I went into the shop and asked for 5 lbs, saying I wanted to sew them into pillows for my family members. Needless to say, the sales lady was nonplussed, not sure whether I was obtuse, deranged, or pulling her leg. That’s when learned that cherry stones can mean either clams or cherry pits!)
But I digress, the outer stuffed animal is machine washable on the gentle cycle and the inner cherry pit bag can be stored in the freezer as a cold pack or heated in the microwave or oven. Just use caution when microwaving—I have microwaved them for too long and had them catch on fire, which isn’t particularly helpful at 1am while cradling a sick child. I ended up replacing the burnt cherry pit bags with a small flax seed bag from Etsy and haven’t had any more trouble. Though, honestly, you could even try replacing it with rice in a sock.
Unfortunately, Senger Tierpuppen stuffed animals are pricey. They retail around $60 each on Amazon. That said, their quality is second to none—mine have lasted 7 years and are no worse for the wear. I also frequently find them gently used on ebay for a much cheaper price. That’s where I’ve bought several of ours. And since they are washable, I have no qualms about buying them used.
Roll-On Essential Oils
I am a newbie when it comes to using essential oils ON my children. However, after this recent bout of the flu, I am a total convert. After about 4 days of malaise and restless nights, I decided to put a few drops of both frankincense and lavender oils in a roller bottle with a carrier oil and roll it on the girls’ feet and under their jaw before bed. I chose lavender essential oil to help the girls relax and frankincense for its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.
It was the turning point in their illnesses. My eldest slept deeply and soundly for 14 hours straight. My youngest slept deeply and soundly for 16 hours straight. I have never seen the like. Ever. Honestly, around the 12-hour mark I started poking at them to make sure they were alive. They were fine, just sleeping really well. After that deep sleep, they started to make immediate improvements.
Organic Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is my secret weapon in my flu-coping arsenal. It soothes sore throats, settles queasy stomachs and alleviates gas pains. And it’s cheap and easy to make. To save money and ensure I get the best quality product, I like to buy loose leaf organic peppermint tea. I have a recurring subscribe and save order on Amazon for Davidson’s Bulk Organic Peppermint Leaves. It comes in a 16 oz package, costs me around $12, and lasts about a year. I make iced peppermint tea in the summer and hot peppermint tea in the winter when anyone is sick. It’s super easy to make. I just put a tablespoon or two of the loose leaf tea in a stainless steel tea ball, put it in my glass teapot and pour boiling filtered water over it. I steep the tea for about 10 minutes and it’s ready. Sometimes I add honey, sometimes we drink it plain. But it helps every single time.
Sore Throat Soothers: Tropical Orange Pops
Last but not least, when my kids are sick, they live on my homemade Tropical Orange Pops. These popsicles are easy to whip-up in my Vitamix blender and have no added sugar. They are simply orange juice and frozen fruit (pineapple, mango and strawberries). They are easy on the stomach, soothe sore throats, and the bromelain in the pineapple supposedly reduces nasal inflammation and helps suppress coughing. And, the popsicles are delicious!
