Natural Remedies for Children's Allergies and Sinus Infections

You want to offer your children some meaningful relief from the symptoms of allergies and sinus infections without dosing them with antihistamines that will make them drowsy and lethargic. But you're not sure where to turn for help. Your home may very well hold some ingredients you can use to whip up natural remedies that are both safe and doctor-approved.

Honey and Lemon

• If your child has a sore throat caused by the postnasal drip that usually accompanies sinusitis and some upper respiratory allergies, that old-fashioned remedy of honey and lemon can work wonders, according to the website of "Parents" magazine. It also can dry up congestion, according to Dr. Lane Johnson, associate professor of clinical family and community medicine at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine. Combine a tablespoon each of honey and lemon juice, heat briefly in the microwave until the mixture is just warm and give the mixture to your child a teaspoonful at a time.

Allergic Skin Rashes

• In "The Holistic Pediatrician," 2nd Edition, Dr. Kathy Kemper offers some natural remedies against the maddening itch that accompanies allergic skin reactions to poison ivy and other common skin irritants. She suggests that you try rubbing affected areas with ice, which can reduce itching significantly. Particularly effective for blistering rashes, Kemper says, is a paste made of water and baking soda. Just rub it into areas of irritation. Kemper reports that some of her patients have found relief by rubbing milk of magnesia onto areas of skin irritation.

Nasal Congestion

• "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Children" is loaded with suggestions for treating the nasal congestion that accompanies sinus infections and some allergic reactions. Dr. Helen Baker, a clinical professor of pediatrics in Seattle, suggests running your shower on hot for several minutes to steam up the bathroom. Have your child sit in the bathroom for 15 to 20 minutes. The warm, moist air will loosen up nasal secretions, bringing relief. Similar results can be obtained by hydrating your child's nasal passages with homemade saline nose drops. Mix a quarter-teaspoon of salt into a half cup of warm water; the mixture can be kept for a couple of days. Put two drops in each of your child's nostrils.

Runny Nose

• A runny nose often accompanies upper respiratory allergies and sinusitis and can make life miserable for your child. Saline nose drops or spray can help to clear out irritants that are causing the runny nose, according to Dr. Ted Kniker, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Here again, your homemade saline solution can bring relief.

Itchy Hives

• A common manifestation of allergic reactions, hives sometimes can be itchy, driving both your child and you to distraction. Dr. Stanley Wolf, clinical professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine, recommends that you have your child soak in a tub that has been half-filled with warm water, to which has been added half cup of baking soda, cornstarch or an oatmeal-based skin care product called Aveeno.