I had the pleasure of meeting Candace Rich APRN, MSN, CPNP and I am beyond excited! You guys, she is a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and treats your primary and urgent care pediatric needs right in the comfort of YOUR HOME! From sick visits, well child, sports physicals, vision & hearing screenings and more. You legit get to stay home; it's the new waiting room!
She sees families in Plano, Allen, McKinney, Fairview, and Richardson. You have to check her out and follow her on Instagram @healthcaretoday10! With cold and flu season upon us she may be your best friend (I know I just found a new best friend) and I am so happy to introduce you! Keep reading for some VERY helpful information on cough and cold medicine. Personally I have spent may trips to the pharmacy and I wish I had this information in front of me!
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Cough and Cold Medicine Written By Candace Rich APRN, MSN, CPNP
Can I be honest here? Thanks, friend, for the freedom. I am a seasoned pediatric nurse practitioner and when I walk down the children’s cough cold medicate isle, I am overwhelmed. It’s one brand name followed by a rainbow of colors with the same name and slightly different symptom management?! I have to stop and read labels see if it is actually going to do what is says it will do … and then is it safe for my kiddo’s age. And if I find the one that treats my child’s age the drug store may not carry it. So, I provided links for your reference and purchase if needed. Because I don’t know about you, but my life runs on Amazon.
It’s one of the most common questions I get asked by parent’s “What cough and congestion medication can I give to my child?”… and I get it! They don’t make it easy on you (or us for that matter). So, friend, let me go refill our coffee and we can jump into my top recommendations.
1. For the littles younger than 4 years old: This is such a hard age group because there is not any great approved decongestant for them. But I hope these help, friend.
- Little Remedies Little Noses Decongestant Nasal Drops For ages 2 years old to 6 years old: DO NOT USE LONGER THAN 3 DAYS. Your child’s congestion will actually get worse if you use longer. This is a great short term solution.
- Humidifier: Cool mist preferably. There are several options on the market some have additives you can put in the water (aka Vicks). Here is the thing, I only recommend items that I know have a benefit. I never recommend anything that that you may purchase that may not have a benefit… and humidifiers that ask you to buy the add in solutions is one of them. They will not hurt your child but they won’t help either. So, it is your personal preference here. But as your friend, I wanted to let know why I don’t go into allllll the humidifiers. You just need a basic humidifier that increases the humidity in the room your child spends time in. The humidity in the room moisturizes the mucus and nasal passages, making the congestion more tolerable for those sweet little noses.
Yes, great question what is the difference between a humidifier and diffuser? A diffused or oil diffuser is a device that breaks down the oil into smaller molecules that are light enough to be diffused (or dispersed) into the air. These are great for making your home smell good, BUT they do not increase the humidity in the air of your home. I personally love lavender or lemongrass diffused. So diffuse away sister, just make sure to set up a humidifier as well if you little one has the sniffles.
- Nasal bulb suction with saline drops
- Classic bulb suction many of you got when you got from the hospital when you delivered your little one.
- NoseFrida very popular and many parents have great success with it. Don’t forget the saline drops! Apply 2-3 drops to each nostril before suctioning. This helps break up the mucus so when you go to suction the nose you get a lot more mucus out.
I know girl, kiddos do not like being suctioned. But its worth doing. So be the brave ma’ma you are and suction that sweet nose. Then get all the snuggles you can :)
2. 4 years and older: I know friend, this is a short list for the LOONG isle of cough and congestion medications. I have taken my years of experience and thousands of patients experiences to give you the things that most commonly provide relief.
3. For the big kids (and yourself) 12 years old and older:
- Mucinex DM
- Theraflu (one of my personal favs)
I hope this helps, friend! Let me refill your coffee for you!
*The not so fine print use all medications as directed by manufacture, do not use if you are allergic to medication, and please use under the supervision of a medical provider. Thanks, friend!
Do you need a pediatric house call or telehealth appointment that offers convenience without compromising quality? Stay home, It’s the New Waiting Room. Full service pediatrics at your doorstep, schedule at www.healthcaretodaytexas.com.
