Runny, stuffy nose. Fever. Sore throat. Headache. Cough. Your child’s cold. You try to do all the right things to help: hot soup, plenty of fluids, ice cream for the sore throat, hot chocolate for the congestion.

WRONG!

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit there is insufficient scientific “proof” that dairy products increase congestion. On the other hand, I have witnessed and experienced the effect both in myself and in my children. Many doctors agree that dairy products increase mucus production, despite the lack of scientific corroboration.

It could be due to a mild sensitivity to milk or some kind of allergy, or it could be something much more complicated. In my practice, and in my experience as a patient and as a parent, dairy products DO appear to thicken the mucus secretions in people with colds. If that is not the case for you, that’s great. It may, however, be the case for your child.

Cheese, ice cream, milk chocolate, milk - all seem to thicken the mucus. The result is decreased ability of the mucus to drain out of the sinuses. This can result in a buildup of pressure within the sinuses, the notorious “sinus headache”. Avoidance of all dairy products until mucus production recedes is, possibly, the best course of action.

Tomorrow: some things you can do to help reduce your child’s congestion

Permalink: Alternative Medicine: Cow’s milk - bad choice during colds/respiratory infections

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