Tips for treating kids' colds

Here are some tips to help your child get through that stuffy-nose misery.

1. Keep them home if they are contagious or too sick to participate in school activities. This may help your child get better faster and help avoid spreading germs. 
2. Treat a fever and those aches and pains by giving your child acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). Always use recommended products and dosages. 
3. Prevent dehydration by giving your child water, watered-down juice, Pedialyte, popsicles and chicken soup.
4. Fight a stuffy nose with saline drops. Research suggests that children ages 6 to 10 who receive a nasal saline rinse recover faster from colds or flu. 
5. Prevent irritated skin by wiping your child' nose with a warm, wet cloth. If irritation does occur, rub petroleum jelly on the area to soothe it. 
6. Keep hands clean by washing hands regularly. This habit will help keep them healthy and germ free. Sing "Happy Birthday" twice to make sure those hands get washed thoroughly! 
7. Honey can be used to soothe a sore throat or cough. 
8. Steam up their lungs by running a steamy shower and then bringing them into the bathroom. The humidity relieves the upper airway swelling that can cause coughs. 
9. Try a cool-mist humidifier to loosen congestion and help them breathe easier. 
10. Rest. Getting an adequate night's sleep will help your child recover as fast as possible. 

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