There are many things that can trigger off symptoms of flu, colds, cough and stuffed up mucus in anyone, from a tiny baby to an oldster. What you have there is a nasty viral infection, and everybody else gets to know about it because of the coughing, spluttering, sniffing and spluttering through the day. Our muscles ache and we can even feel nauseous with symptoms varying from just mild to pretty severe. Little ones under 4 and older adults over 65 can really suffer from the symptoms. And if you have a weakened immune system, you are also more susceptible, particularly if you have ongoing illnesses like kidney disease, heart disease or diabetes, types 1 or 2.
- Sometimes that needed trip to the doctor is simply not on the cards; you are miles from nowhere or you are strapped for cash, any reasons. But there is a fantastic home remedy which is popular today and gaining in popularly; it’s the honey wrap
- Some people call them chest wraps and they are usually made with honey and olive oil or honey and coconut oil.
- These are touted today as being able to ease coughs and eliminate all that nasty phlegm.
- Let’s check out the science.
What is a honey wrap exactly?
Because honey has excellent antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, it has been used since ancient times by the father of modern medicine himself, Hippocrates. Honey wraps are usually made from a napkin or medicated gauze and applied like a compress to the skin.
A wrap will usually consist of raw honey or coconut oil and some flour to hold it all together like a paste, applied onto the napkin or gauze and kept in place with medicated tape.
- The aim is to help those with rasping coughs and unwanted phlegm, to eliminate the mucus from the lungs.
- Because honey works so wondrously at a superficial level by helping the skin to be moisturized, healing sunburns and wounds.
- it is assumed, naturally, that it will affect the lungs and throat positively when applied to the skin.
- Some argue that it is not honey, but essential oils that some apply to a honey wrap that is responsible for most of the cure.
- And others argue that studies reveal that many of the menthol based vapor rubs are excellent in any case for providing relief from coughing and mucous build up and for clearing the airways.
However, real honey wraps don’t contain any of the above; a honey wrap is flour, coconut oil, and honey.
Many parents have wrung their hands in despair over how to deal with a sick child, particularly a coughing baby, as many over-the-counter medications seem to boost the child’s coughing. Medical experts say that the over-the-counter medications for kids often come with side effects that can be positively dangerous. And in 2008, it was recommended that no over the counter cough and cold medication should be sold for children under the age of 2 – this from the FDA.
That is why a honey wrap is recommended from nature – see for yourself what nature offers through the wonderful honey wrap for your baby.
What you need:
- Gauze bandage,
- Medical tape,
- 1 Tablespoon raw organic honey,
- Some flour to make it into a paste
- Half teaspoon of either Coconut or Olive oil
Directions:
- Cut out a bandage from the gauze a few inches square.
- Then make a kind of pasty patty of the mixture (not too sticky, not too crumbly), apply it to the chest or the back of the baby and then apply the gauze applying with the medical tape.
- Try and not use other adhesives as the medical tape enables the skin to breathe and is not irritating to the delicate skin of the baby.
- Always seek medical advice first before trying out home remedies on your baby, and even carry out a small patch test to make sure he or she is not allergic to anything in the mixture.
Conclusion
Hippocrates knew that honey was the sought after remedy to treat patients for many ailments. Today thousands of years later, it still stands the test of time. It’s effective, its natural and it’s economical and when you are a worried adult with a child coughing his or her lungs out from phlegm buildup, honey comes through as the greatest physician.
