The kids and I are all sick today. John and I have bad colds and Ella has been vomiting. So sad! I’m really glad we’re not scheduled to fly anywhere this week! If we were, we would of course have to change plans with Ella vomiting. Here are some great things to have on hand for those times when you have to travel with a few sniffles or for when a cold pops up as you’re headed to the airport:
EarPlanes
These are a great invention: ear plugs that help equalize cabin pressure. They really do work and are great to use when you’re a little congested so that the pressure changes don’t bother you as much. They come in adult and child size.
Little Remedies Honey Lollipops
With no artificial dyes, no artificial flavors, no medicine, these Safety Pops are great for soothing little throats. An added benefit on the plane is sucking on a lolly during descent can help with ear pressure.
Mucinex for Children
Mucinex is so effective it is the only decongestant I use for my family. (Of course John is too young to take Mucinex, which is recommended for children aged 4 and up.) Before Mucinex was available over-the-counter, my doctor prescribed the main ingredient, Guaifenesin, for me so I could take it for my recurring sinus infections without the side effects that other decongestants have, like making my heart race. Using it allowed me to continue flying even though I was getting sinus infections every month due to allergies. I love the kid’s formula that comes in little granule packets. They are perfect for traveling. Since they are not liquid you don’t have to worry about separating them for clearing TSA and they are light and small. It’s easy to just toss a few packet in your purse to have available just in case you need it.
Hyland’s Homeopathic Cold Tablets
Babies and Toddlers are too young for medicines like Mucinex, which is recommended for ages 4 and up. We have found Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Tablets to be give effective relief to sniffles and sneezes. It’s not like it wipes out the cold completely, but it seems to help make the symptoms less miserable. We actually ran out of these yesterday and today has been a tough one for baby John. Wally is going out to the store to get some more Hyland’s Cold Tablets as I type this.
EarDoc
This is a great tool to have in your travel bag. The EarDoc is intended to help alleviate ear pain due to ear infections or changing cabin pressure on the airplane. So far in my testing I have found it to be very effective for relieving ear pain in adults and in children it at the very least offers a nice distraction to the pain they are experiencing. The EarDoc gives a vibration (adjustable speeds) that you apply right behind the ear. This helps open up the Eustachian tube to relieve pressure.