I have two kids under the age of five. They've been suffering from bouts of acute bronchitis since birth especially my younger son who had to be hospitalised at least five times due to severe chest infections. Why are they so prone to coughs and colds? I'm scared to give them cold drinks or ice cream because I'm worried that they might worsen their condition. Please suggest an Ayurvedic remedy.
M.K., via email
The first thing I can tell you is that you're not alone. I often receive letters from parents whose children fall ill with chest infections. Our airways normally produce mucus every day. But these secretions don't usually accumulate because they are continuously cleared in the throat and swallowed along with saliva. But when the air passages in the lungs are inflamed, they often produce large amounts of discoloured mucus that comes up when you cough.
Bronchitis often follows a respiratory infection such as a cold. You can also develop non-infectious bronchitis from allergic conditions such as dust mite allergies. In most homes, bedding, upholstered furniture and carpeting provide an ideal environment for dust mites to accumulate.
Exposure to pollutants like household cleaners and cigarette smoke can also trigger a bronchitic attack. Do you need any more reasons to give up smoking?
Antibiotics don't effectively treat most cases of bronchitis because the condition usually results from viral infections and environmental causes. Though it's best not to suppress a cough - because coughing helps remove irritants from our air passages - if it's keeping your children awake at night, give them just enough cough medicine so they can rest well.
I suggest you take your children to an Ayurvedic practitioner who can examine them in detail before prescribing any medication. I have found the long-term use of indukantham ghritham (for its immune modulation effects), agasthya rasayanam (a tonic for the respiratory system) and haridrakhantam (for its anti-allergic effects) work well for school-aged children. You could also:
- Give your kids milk boiled with 2-3 grams of turmeric just before bedtime.
- Boil 500ml of water with 4-5 basil leaves (tulsi) or with 2-3 grams of dried ginger. Get your children to drink this throughout the day.
- Boil water with vasaka* (adhatoda vasika) leaves flavoured with honey.
- Vacuum your home regularly and ensure your kids don't enter the room for at least 20-30 minutes after it is cleaned.
- Remove carpets, rugs and other dust mite habitats.
*Available at shops selling herbal products
