Fight the Flu

So, the day after I had announced my family was finally healthy, my son woke up with a fever of 104.3°...of course. The pediatrician says that he has the dreaded H1N1 Swine Flu since it started with a cough and fever (and minor sore throat).

So for the last two and a half days I've been battling my son's body temperature that at one reading yesterday was over 105°...forcing him to say he was having trouble moving and was unable to stand. Not a great moment for a mother home alone with two additional younger children under foot!

I eventually put him on a steady stream of Tylenol (every four hours) and Motrin (every eight hours...thanks to a friend who went to the store and dropped it off for me). Even with both of those in his system his fever only dropped down to 102.4°.

The good news in the house is that after a solid night's sleep, his fever is significantly lower and he's toughing it out without either medicine, allowing the fever to do it's job since he's no longer in danger and has some energy back. He's comfortably living the good life upstairs in his room snuggled up with my laptop watching movies and his favorite programs. Thank you Wallace and Gromit!

And in between my many trips up the stairs yesterday, I found some excellent suggestions on Nonchalant Mom's blog gathered from some holistic doctors. These were some of my favorite H1N1 Swine Flu tips to practice at home to ward off and battle the flues going around:

1. Salt Baths - Put a handful of salt in your kid's bathtub at night, just use enough to make it as salty as an ocean. Let them take a nice long soak and try to get them to dunk their heads (so that their nose, ears, and eyes get clean with the salt water...probably best to do in the beginning so the water isn't so dirty). And make sure their hair is dry when they get into bed.
   
2. Netti Pot (best) or Saline Spray (at least) - It was suggested that these viruses nestle in the nasal passages and need to be flushed out twice a day. I can't picture my kids using a Netti pot but maybe if they watch us do it they will give it a try? Although I must be honest and say I don't know that I'll be doing this either...I may stick with the saline spray myself!
3. Gargle with warm salt water - This is easy and the kids get a kick out of making the sound! So make it fun and do it twice a day with brushing.
4. Essential Oils - Most essential oils are both antiviral and antibacterial. Before going out into any crowded area, dilute an essential oil such as peppermint, tea tree oil, or lavender with a little bit of olive oil, and massage the mixture all around the outside of your ears and down the sides of your throat. Also dab a little under your nose. We contract a lot of colds and flu through the ears when airborne bacteria land on them. The essential oils will provide a temporary barrier that may reduce that risk.

Some other great tips are to add Vitamin C drops into your day (adults can take the non-chew supplements...my husband and also swear by Zinc when we feel an illness coming on), and to avoid shocking your child's body when they have a fever. My son's pediatrician reminded me that if you put your feverish child in even a lukewarm bath that the body may send a message that it needs to warm up even more. Not what you want!

Do you have any other suggestions you want to share? Please leave a comment! Oh, and read Nonchalant Mom's blog for some other great ideas...many of them have nothing to do with the flu!