Replied by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 06/25/2008
Apple cider vinegar won't harm child. Mine didn't like the taste of 50/50 ACV/honey but they sure did take their share of it. As said before both ACV and honey have antibiotic qualities and the honey also has anti-allergic qualities. The only caution with honey is never give raw honey to infant less than l year old. Another thing to remember is make sure that the honey is produced within a 50 mile radius of where you live (this gives pollen collected for honey from the plants where you live). I think it works it's anti-allergy activity by desensitizing with local pollen.
Another thing that may hasten drainage and healing (works for me) is obtaining the little plastic containers of normal saline like
the ones used in nebulizers, but don't bother to buy the nebulizer, as the best way to use them is to twist little top off and squirt 1/2 of contents up each side of nose. Be sure you have tissues and a good place clear nose/throat when you do this. This can be repeated every hour, if necessary.
Another thing I have done with ACV is putting one tablespoon in vaporizer water. If you don't have vaporizer, you can do the same with stainless steel pot or empty juice can and bringing to boil on stove. I do recommend that you don't use aluminum pot for this. This has your whole house smelling of vinegar for awhile but vinegar is known for removing other odors.
When looking for allergies that may have triggered this by swelling and congestion in the respiratory tract/sinuses, especially look at any exposure to perfumes, colognes, after shaves, paint odors, highly scented bath soaps and such. If you have a lot of those hedges that are blooming now, I despise these darned bushes because their nauseating scent when blooming, make a lot of people sick from allergies.
If this is year round problem, once you get his sinuses opened up, you might want to consider putting him on benadryl to keep the problem under control. You can get the generic tablets of diphenhydramine Hcl. at Sam's Club for less than $5 for 400 tabs. If he has trouble swallowing a pill the liquid comes in 25 mgms. per teaspoonful. You might want to try the liquid first, starting with 1/2 tsp, but don't be afraid to increase to 1 tsp. if needed, unless he is unusually small for his age. My kids were started on benadryl when our elm tree bloomed and kept on it kept on it until the trees leafed out good. Our goldenrod budding was my cue to restart in the fall and it was continued until the first killing frost. Voila! No more spring and fall allergies with all the respiratory problems and earaches, discomfort and doctor bills that accompanied the allergic reactions that caused the congestion in head and chest. The only downside of this is our family doctor's income probably dwindled considerable but looking at it from our side, it definitely was a plus anyway you looked at it.
You will have to observe closely to find his triggers, but it sure pays off when you idientify them, and it probably will be more than one. I always tell people to beware of anything you can see or smell in the air, which covers cigarette smoke, all of those mentioned above, room deodorizers and hairspray. You are probably already aware that sudden onset of sneezing is a heads up alert to exposure to an allergen.
Valerie, you are probably going to be surprised when you see his nervousness, irritation, socialization, speech problems improve
when you have a well child on your hands, instead of a chronically sick one. The speech problems probably come from decreased hearing from congestion and fluids in ear canals, and getting the allergy under control should correct it.
