Flu season is upon us once again. This means facing the difficult task of helping your child feel a little relief from the painful symptoms of flu. The good news is, there are ways to make it go away or better yet, keeping your child safe from it.

When your child has flu, his nose, throat and upper airway become infected. With it come symptoms such as headaches, fever, chills, muscle pain and fatigue.

If your child has a bad case of flu, you can help relieve his discomfort with different home remedies.

Fever

Keep your child’s temperature down by giving him medicines and a sponge bath using lukewarm water.

Cough & Sore Throat

There is truth in what they say about chicken soup. It does wonders in making your child feel a little better by soothing his sore throat. A good way to keep your child from feeling cranky is to give him a popsicle. It’s not only good at relieving sore throat, it is also effective in hydrating your child.

Stuffy Nose

Get your child to breathe easy by using a nasal bulb suction to clear out his nose.

When all these fail to make your child feel better, or when he loses his appetite or is not drinking or urinating well, it’s time to call the doctor. Fever that lingers for over five days should be taken seriously.

By far, the best way to deal with flu is to prevent it. Since flu is contagious, always remember that hygiene plays a key role in protecting your child from it.

Here are a few things you can do to keep flu away from your child:

• Remind your child to wash his hands often in school, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
• Teach your kid to cover his mouth when coughing, sneezing or blowing his nose. Sneezing onto the crook of an elbow is also advised to avoid spreading viruses.
• If possible, give your child a complete set of school supplies to prevent him from borrowing his classmate’s things. Sharing commonly used and borrowed supplies like pencils may lead to the spread of disease.
• Teach him to wipe down his desk with disinfecting wipes.

Remember, mom, that your child’s best defense against sicknesses like flu is still a solid immunity foundation. So aside from our tips above, make sure you give him proper diet, ample rest, enough exercise and the protection of vitamin C and zinc.