My name is Caroline and I am the Medical Herbalist at Chartwell Apothecary and Natural Healing Clinic in Westerham. I thought it might be useful to highlight a few items that you probably have in your kitchen cupboards that you could use to support you and your families health to ward off the seasonal ailments that are currently doing the rounds.
Children can be very prone to infections, picking up everything going at nursery school, then bringing them home to spread around the rest of the family. They can exhibit signs of illness rapidly like spiking a temperature, experiencing vomiting and or diarrhoea, appearing very unwell one minute, and then half an hour later bouncing back. When symptoms are extreme it can be very distressing for a parent to observe their baby feeling unwell, particularly if it occurs in the middle of the night.
If you have something available that you can use in the first instance (First Aid) then it may help to ‘nip it in the bud’.
Bath time is the perfect scenario for administering herbal medicine in a gentle and supportive way to babies and beyond. Whilst a baby is splashing and playing in a warm bath they can be absorbing many therapeutic constituents through their skin.
- If sleeping well has hit a problematical phase, *then pour a cup of water onto a teaspoon of chamomile flowers or a tea bag made in jug, cover with a saucer for ten minutes then strain into bath and adjust temperature. Chamomile can also gently ease tummy ache which some children are particularly prone.
- For chesty, wheezy coughs choose some Thyme. (We stock a Decongestant Tea which is perfect for this purpose)
- For sore throats which can often be the first sign of a viral infection an infusion of dried sage made as above * then cooled and used as a gargle will soothe the discomfort. Use as often as required. This might be difficult for young children to achieve so again add as a tea in the bath.
My go to family infection remedy is:
Garlic & Onion Syrup
Slice up an onion and 3-5 cloves of garlic place in a jam jar until full. Drizzle any honey over until the jar is full. Screw on lid. Shake several times over 2-3 days then strain off the liquid through a sieve into a bowl and then return liquid syrup back into the jar and label. Keep in the fridge and at the first sight of infection take 1/2 – 1 teaspoon 1-2 times a day. The active constituent in the garlic and onion is Allicin which is both anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal so a good place to start.
For a hacking cough, streaming head cold, and a or blocked nose or sinusitis try equal parts of powdered Nutmeg/Ginger/Cinnamon/Cloves mix 1/4 level teaspoon of each put into a saucepan and pour over 100ml of water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, then strain into mug. Dilute to taste with water or apple juice. This will act as central heating from the inside out and warm the patient up if feeling shivery. Could also be used as a steam inhalation for older children by placing the remedy into a bowl sitting over the bowl with a towel over the head and breathing in deeply for 10 minutes, or again use 1/2 small cup of the main mix in the bath for younger children.
For itchy skin conditions like eczema, take two handfuls of porridge oats and tie up into a muslin square with a rubber band, and hang under the running hot tap as the bath is filling. This activates the oat milk which can be squeezed out and used as a sponge to cleanse irritated skin. Use instead of other bubble baths or cleansing agents which can irritate damaged skin.
If symptoms persist or worsen then you must seek medical advice.
I am available in the herbal dispensary for free over the counter advice on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday from 10:00 – 14:00.
Chartwell Apothecary & Natural Healing Clinic
01959 928227
