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- Drink plenty of fluids to keep mucous secretions thin and easier to cough up
- Do not become overheated. Use multiple layers to keep warm, so they can be removed easily.
- Use a nasal syringe to remove mucous from an infant's nose so they can breathe and eat more easily.
- Keep rooms cool but not cold
- Use a humidifier or vaporizer to keep the air moist. Humidifiers and vaporizers each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
| Humidifiers | Vaporizers |
|---|---|
| Humidifiers provide a cool mist. | *Vaporizers provide a hot mist. |
| keep room cool | * heats room |
| no risk of burns | * risk of childhood burns (boiling water, steam) |
| * noisy motor | quiet |
| * must clean often (molds exacerbate asthma) | no mold growth |
| ?? no place to add scented products | ?? has a container to add scented products to |
- Scented products do not increase the effectiveness of vaporizers or humidifiers.
- Many scented products indicated for use in vaporizers are poisonous if accidentally swallowed by a child.
- Many scented products can make asthma symptoms worse
- Do not add Vicks VapoRub or other scented rubs to the water of vaporizers or humidifiers.
- Use scented products only if your machine has a special container to add the product to.
- Most humidifiers do not have containers intended for scented products. These products are for use with vaporizers only.