Flu, Cold and Winter Illness - Review your Natural Options!

Last night it was brought to my attention that there is a virus that is going around and attacking kids. It's no your normal Flu Bug or your normal Summer Cold - this one attacks the lungs. It starts with cold symptoms and can cause complications in kids with asthma or other respiratory problems.If your child is wheezing, having difficulty breathing take him/her to the Dr right away.

The illness also can cause coughing, sneezing, fever, aches and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.

There isn't a huge percentage of kids hospitalized - this is a good opportunity to review precautions we can all take to avoid illness this winter....

1) Teach your kids to WASH THEIR HANDS after going to the bathroom & when ever they sneeze or cough. 
2) Teach your kids to Sneeze or Cough into their elbow sleeves.
3) Disinfect your door knobs, phones, TV remotes, light switches every night before bed. Hand each child big enough to reach their light switches or the bathroom counter a Lysol Wipe (or handmade wipes made with Deflect or Shield Essential Oils) - and teach them to wipe up bathroom counters & light switches before they leave the room. You may want to leave a canister of wipes on the bathroom counter for them to use as they leave each time.

Here's a recipe for Natural Lemon Disinfecting Wipes: 

This recipe uses Simply Aroma's Natural Lemon & Tea Tree Essential Oils. I love the smell of Lemons and there are many natural benefits to using essential oils....

Lemon does more than smell good - it helps to calm coughs and wheezing, helps your body naturally cleanse and detoxify, helps to reduce blood pressure & improve mental clarity. It's also a Fever reducer and you can use it as a disinfectant around your house. 

Tea Tree is antiviral, antibacterial and helps to relieve earaches, may kill bacteria and fungus, and reduce allergic skin reactions. It also alleviates infections such as acne, fungal nails, lice, scabies and ringworm. Adults with respiratory colds can boil water and add a few drops of tea tree oil to the water then after removing the pot from the heat put a towel over your head and breathe it in for 10-15 minutes to help relieve congestion.****

Shield: Another Essential Oil that I personally use whenever I or one of my kiddos gets a cold is Shield. It's my favorite blend from Simply Aroma! From Simply Aroma's webiste: (Shield is a protective blend that covers a broad spectrum of anitimicrobial activity and contains properties that strengthen the immune system.This oil is a blend of 6 different therapeutic grade essential oils, including cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary and frankincense. 

Article about the Respiratory Virus: http://bit.ly/1ry4xV0

Disclaimer: This blog is not a replacement for medical advice from your Dr, Dentist or Chiropractor. I am not a Dr - these are just tips and ideas that have helped me personally. Please seek their advice at all times and if you have any concerns please wait to try these methods until you've spoken to your medical professional.