5 traditional home remedies for your kids to try before turning to Panado
Traditional medicine, also knows as alternative medicine has been used for centuries and has served as the primary option for many families.
Picture: iStock
Living in South Africa means you are part and parcel of a culturally rich nation. Our diverse country also means that we have a diverse option of remedies we can use for healing medical-related conditions, even for our children.
A lot of adults today grew up in a generation where they were given traditional medication to heal flu-related symptoms, treat burns, and even heal sore throats.
Also read: Google generation versus traditional medicine advocates
According to the World Health Organisation, traditional medicine is ‘’the sum total of knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses’’.
This form of medication is therefore recognised internationally.
Now, it’s easier to go for the pink liquid suspension to manage pain and fever.
Before you do, here are some traditional medications that you can use before you consider modern medicine.
Wild dagga
Wild dagga is an indigenous plant that is used for a multitude of medical conditions. It is used to treat epilepsy and other conditions like congestion, flu, and coughs. The plant is boiled, prepared and consumed like tea.
Tumeric, ginger, and honey
Tumeric is used in the Indian community for more than just flavouring a curry. According to Culture Trip, an online blog that explores different cultures, Tumeric has been used in India for centuries to heal many ailments, including congestion and smallpox. Added with fresh ginger, milk, and honey, it is known to heal coughs, even in children. This tea is also known for helping with pain and building a strong immune system.
Aloe Ferox
According to Fawzi Mahomoodally, a Medical Biochemist, the bitter latex found in aloe Ferox “is used as laxative medicine in Africa and Europe and is considered to have bitter tonic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties”.
Rooibos
Besides merely being a refreshment drink, Mahomoodally teaches us that “when administered to a colicky baby, cured the chronic restlessness, vomiting, and stomach cramps that rooibos became well known as a healthy beverage, leading to a broader consumer base”.
Chamomile tea is also used as a relief for colic.
Honey and lemon juice
According to Reader’s Digest, a drinking mixture of fresh lemon juice and honey is known to soothe pain related to a sore throat. Honey has anti-inflammatory elements, thus its use to alleviate pain.
Please note that the above article does not serve as official medical advice. If your child’s symptoms are persistent, ensure that you see a medical practitioner.
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