Remember your childhood. Ran on the street, got wet to the skin and now slowly get into your room so that mom would not notice. Usually this did not succeed, and soon you are already sitting, wrapped in a blanket, with hot tea, and soft socks with mustard are put on cold feet. And today, many mothers trust this method.
It would seem that today pharmacies are simply bursting with an abundance of drugs for the prevention and treatment of colds. However, they all have side effects, and in addition, the price bites very much. Therefore, mustard continues to be laid in socks, and many mothers firmly believe that this folk remedy will easily help to cope with all the unpleasant symptoms.
From antiquity to the present
In the days of our great-grandmothers, there was practically no medicine, except what nature gave. It was believed that at the first sign of a runny nose, the only thing needed would be mustard in socks for the whole night. The next morning the child was much better. However, our grandmothers did not even suspect that they were using a complex method of reflexotherapy. They saw the end result, memorized and passed this experience on to future generations.
Skin contact
What happens after mustard gets in socks? The child’s skin is very sensitive, and acupuncture points are located on the feet, the stimulation of which can lead to a significant improvement in the state of the body. It is this mechanism that uses this method. Poured mustard in socks causes irritation of biologically active points, among which there are also those that are responsible for the respiratory system. It causes slight irritation of the skin surface due to the essential oils contained in the seed. The surface of the foot heats up somewhat, metabolic processes are activated in it, which leads to a decrease in the manifestations of the common cold.
Is this method suitable for baby’s delicate skin?
Mustard in socks for colds is most often added to babies. Adults prefer more serious methods, ranging from alcohol tincture of propolis to antibiotics. But in order to protect the children's body from drugs, mothers often use various folk methods. The famous doctor Komarovsky says that this method is only suitable to reassure parents, the treatment process is underway, you can not worry.
In fact, there are two points to which you need to pay attention:
- This method also has its contraindications. Mustard in socks with a cold is poured if the child does not have temperature, irritation and sores on his legs, as well as allergies. In addition, children up to a year should not be subjected to such a procedure. It is much safer to call a nurse and make paraffin boots.
- The effectiveness of the method is not always the same. If mom only suspected the onset of the disease, then this makes sense. Then poured mustard in the socks of the child is able to prevent the further development of the disease. But if the first stage of the disease has already been missed, there is a severe runny nose, cough, fever, then experimenting with alternative methods is categorically undesirable. Now, only at the final stage, when the temperature finally dropped, can mustard compresses be used to accelerate recovery.
Preparation for the procedure
It is very useful to buy a child. Water procedures will warm up the body, which favorably affects the state of the respiratory organs. Do not forget that all this applies only to those children who do not have a fever. You can optionally pour water into the basin and steam the legs. Now wrap your baby in a bath towel and dry thoroughly. Make sure that his legs are completely dry. If moisture remains on them, mustard powder will absorb it and begin to burn the skin. Of course, this is not the effect you are counting on. Mustard in the socks of the child usually falls asleep before bedtime. Then you can be sure that she will have enough time to act. In addition, mustard powder will not prevent the child from moving.
How to pour
You will need to pick up good socks, high enough and dense. You should not choose wool, as the baby will be too hot and, most likely, you will find their contents on the bed in the morning. Dry mustard in socks is poured at night before bedtime. Before this, it is very important to make sure that the child does not have a temperature, and his legs are completely dry.
Young mothers often ask how much powder should be poured. It depends on the size of the foot of the child, that is, on his age. From a year to three, one teaspoon will be enough. A preschooler will need a tablespoon, and a teenager can pour two. By the way, experienced mothers and grandmothers advise the following method. Take a cotton sock in the middle of which sprinkle powder. Shake well so that the mustard is well distributed. Now put it on the child’s leg and insulate it on top with a woolen or terry sock. So the child will be comfortable enough, and there is a chance that he will not remove it until the morning.
Does this method help
There are a lot of opinions. Mustard in socks with a runny nose has been used for so long ago that, probably, this remedy has a right to exist. The action can be compared with no less popular mustard plasters. Despite the ridicule of some doctors, many know for themselves that such a compress provides some relief. Here it is necessary to clarify, judging by the reviews of doctors, they are not against the use of traditional medicine methods. However, they categorically do not accept that parents use them at their discretion, without resorting to a consultation in the clinic. Only a pediatrician can evaluate the condition of the crumbs and give recommendations to mom, including foot baths, mustard in the socks and various warming ointments.
Instead of a conclusion
The position of the doctors is understandable, do not self-medicate, since mustard, poured in socks, acts only as an adjunct as part of complex therapy. And now I would like to once again turn to the reviews of parents. Here, belief in mustard is ineradicable. Hundreds of years will pass, and all the same, experienced grandmothers will tell young mothers how to fill mustard seed in socks. Numerous reviews suggest that if you noticed the first symptoms of a cold and managed to conduct such an event, then the disease will go much easier, if at all.