Does your child fall ill often? These could be the reasons
Cough, Sniffle, Sneeze, Repeat…
Is this story of your child who falls sick often and often again? Do you wonder, “Isn’t my child having too many colds? Is there something wrong with his system?”
The truth is, children start to get cold after about six months of age when the immunity received by their mother begins to fade. This is the time when they have to build up their own immune system.
On average, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers get about 7-8 colds a year. And during school age, they get 5-6 colds a year. However, there are several factors which may affect the immunity of a child and make him fall sick often.
Factors affecting the child’s immunity
- Lack of outdoor play – Remember your childhood? Always excited and ready to go on the playfield. Isn’t it? Now, kids just want to spend time on a mobile phone or simply watching TV for hours! It’s time you encourage him to get some outdoor activity. An inactive child may have weak immunity. Don’t worry about the germs he can bring home from the playground; little dust will do no harm. Exposure to dust and allergen will strengthen kids’ ability to fight the germs.
- Lack of hygiene – Kids get plenty of exposure to germs naturally. Germs can be found everywhere from the toys they play with to the places they go for play or school. But that doesn’t mean you will keep your child in a cocoon to prevent exposure – it is not going to work. Instead, just teach him basic hygiene habits like washing hands before eating, brushing teeth properly, and make trimming nails a weekly practice.
- Eating an unhealthy diet – It goes without saying that kids love all the unhealthy stuff – pizza, burger, and colas. But, it’s very important for you to understand that regularly consuming a diet high in additives, preservatives, and sugar can adversely affect digestion and increase inflammation leading to weak immunity. Therefore, make sure your child eats fresh and wholesome food. Make it a practice to include 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in your family’s diet every day.
- Stress – Don’t be surprised? Even kids get stressed – poor score, bully in school, fight with friends – and their bodies react the same way you react to stress! Their body secrets stress hormones which can lead to decreased immunity. So, allow children to perform at their pace. Don’t pressurize them to score more or join activity classes. Listen to them patiently, encourage talking and sharing, and be their confider.
- Lack of sleep – You may sleep for 6 hours and still wake up with a fresh face. This isn’t the case with children. They require at least 10 to 14 hours of sleep per day depending on their age. Lack of sleep may produce physical stress that prevents oxygen from freely circulating in the child’s brain. This results in a weaker immunity and makes them more vulnerable to germs.
- Antibiotics abuse – What do you do when your child falls sick? You immediately rush to the doctor and pop him a pill. But, do you know excessive antibiotic dose can lead to antibiotic-resistance in your child. It may also weaken your child’s immunity. Therefore, do not resort to antibiotics for a bout of cough or sneeze. Try to see if there are alternative cures available.
So, the next time your child falls sick, try homeopathy. Homeopathy can help you in boosting your child’s immunity naturally. Homeopathic natural medicines work by providing symptomatic relief naturally, as well as by addressing underlying immune imbalances that can cause your kids to feel unhealthy.
With homeopathy, you do not have to worry about side-effects or antibiotic resistance. Apart from treating some common childhood illnesses like cold, cough, and stomach disorders, homeopathic medicines are also found to be effective in treating psychological and developmental disorders of a child. Moreover, children love the sweet taste of homeopathic pills over other bitter-tasting medicines.