Oak bark has long been known as a unique healing agent. In time immemorial, people noticed that the oak lived for several centuries, and believed that its leaves, acorns and "skin" (bark) are able to give a healthy and full longevity to a person.
Adults quite often resort to the magical properties of oak bark. It can be found in toothpastes, in cosmetics, as part of some medicines, and is used in cooking. And, of course, many parents have a question whether it is possible to give oak bark to children and how to do it correctly.
This natural natural storehouse of useful substances is highly valued by traditional medicine, and recently it has been recognized by official medicine. There was also a place for oak bark in pediatrics, and more and more often, children's doctors recommend that moms and dads in a given situation brew it for a child. Let's look at these situations and find out exactly how to use this remedy in the treatment of children.
Healing properties
Oak bark has a huge spectrum of action. These are both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Everyone knows the astringent property of this natural raw material. They are provided by tannins, ellagic and gallic acids.
Specific bitterness is given to it by quracetin - a plant glucoside, which has a decongestant and vaso-stabilizing effect. Acids help to remove toxins from the body. Tannins, astringents and flavonoids strengthen the immune system, have a strong immunomodulatory effect.
Oak bark relieves inflammation, reduces swelling, helps to restore mucous membranes, has a bactericidal and antifungal effect, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, moderately relieves pain.
Dosage form
Most of the organic substances that give such incredible medicinal value to oak bark dissolve quite easily in warm water, so the most popular form of use is a decoction or water tincture. In addition, the tincture can be alcoholic and oily.
You can buy a decoction or tincture of oak bark at any pharmacy, its cost is available for a wide range of patients - about 100 rubles. The tincture is accompanied by instructions for use, which can answer most questions about the use of the drug.
How to prepare yourself
Many parents seek to prepare their own medicine. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
You need to harvest raw materials in the spring, choosing young oaks growing far from highways and industrial enterprises. The thickness of the bark of such trees is no more than 0.5-0.7 cm.
Having made two circular cuts on the trunk at a distance of about 15-20 cm from each other, you will need to draw two vertical lines between them with a knife. The resulting piece of bark must be intact, not touched by either pests or fungal woody diseases.
Freshly cut bark cannot be washed, it is enough just to clean it of dust. Raw materials should be dried in a well-ventilated area, hanging on a rope or spread out on paper, while not allowing direct sunlight to hit the workpiece. If the bark crumbles easily, it is properly dried. If it bends, it should be dried.
Store dried and finely crushed oak bark in a dry and dark place, in a linen bag or in a cardboard box.
At what age to apply?
Decoctions of the bark can be used in the treatment of children from birth, but this must be done wisely, carefully, additionally diluting the recommended proportions of ready-made decoctions with saline... After a year, babies are allowed to dosage and concentration on a general basis. Children under 3 years old should be given oak bark only with the permission of the pediatrician. Children from 7 years old and adolescents are allowed external use of alcoholic infusion.
Contraindications
Like any product saturated with organic substances, oak bark has its own contraindications. For example, it cannot be used to treat children with vascular, heart, liver and kidney diseases.
It is not worth applying the infusion on extensive eczema and skin lesions with a large area. It is also unsafe to use oak bark for children with diseases that are accompanied by severe fever.
Side effects
Oak bark has not only a lot of healing properties, but also side effects. First of all, taking it can cause an allergic reaction in a child - reddening of the skin, itching, burning in the mucous membranes, increased pain, nausea... In case of allergies, you should immediately stop taking decoctions and infusions and seek advice from an allergist.
If the pediatrician has already prescribed any medications, be sure to inform him of your intention to start giving your child oak bark.
The fact is that this, quite powerful in its effect, natural remedy is capable of enhancing the effect of some drugs and reducing the effect of others. Only a specialist is able to objectively assess the feasibility of using traditional medicine, especially such a powerful drug as oak bark.
Features of practical application
The drug is used in the treatment of children exclusively externally and nasally. You cannot drink decoctions and tinctures.
In terms of their effectiveness, drops and rinses, which can be prepared from oak bark, are not inferior to traditional pharmacy medications. The advantageous difference between natural raw materials is in the absence of any toxicity.
Alcoholic infusion of oak bark (1 tablespoon of raw materials per 400 ml of vodka) children can be used exclusively externally, and the child must be over 7 years old. Such an infusion in its pure form cannot be applied to open wounds, bleeding abrasions, severe burns: it can cause irritation. Therefore, as a rule, an alcoholic infusion is diluted with water or saline in half.
Natural oak raw materials show the same effectiveness both in the treatment of viral and in the treatment of bacterial ailments.
Overdose can be expressed in clearly felt bitterness in the mouth, excessive dryness of the mucous membranes, nausea and headache. In order not to cause an overdose and to eliminate the unpleasant bitter aftertaste to the maximum, when instilling in a child's nose, adults should first try the obtained broth themselves, it should not be too saturated and bitter. If necessary, it can be further diluted with water over and above the recipe.
Treatment
With diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common childhood companion. Dirty hands disease is especially common in large children's groups - in kindergartens, school health camps, and schools. For diarrhea, children are given enemas with a decoction of oak bark. It is not difficult to prepare such an antidiarrheal broth - mix a teaspoon of oak bark and two tablespoons of dried chamomile, pour boiling water and leave in a thermos for 40 minutes. Then cool and add a few drops of valerian tincture. The resulting product can be used for enemas - 2-3 times a day.
With a runny nose
Nasal drops can be prepared from pharmacy raw materials or prepared independently.
The bark, collected on your own, must be taken and chopped, cooked for 40 minutes over low heat in a volume of water equal to one glass. Then you need to cover the container with a lid and insist the bark for 4 hours. Dilute the resulting broth with water, previously boiled and cooled to room temperature or saline in a ratio of 1: 3. Drops are ready.
Ready-made pharmacy bark for a cold remedy will need 4 teaspoons. They must be poured with 250 ml of boiled water, pre-cooled, and kept on a steam bath for at least 45 minutes. The resulting liquid should be cooled, filtered and diluted with boiled water to a volume of 1 faceted glass.
It is necessary to drip such drops into the nose with a runny nose or sinusitis for about a week, 3 drops in each nostril four times a day.
After oak drops, it is advisable to instill a drop of sea buckthorn or peach oil in each nostril to avoid drying out the sinuses.
For stomatitis, bleeding gums, sore throat, laryngitis and pharyngitis
In these cases, use a special decoction of raw oak. Keep six teaspoons of finely chopped bark in a glass of boiling water in a water bath for at least half an hour. Then the broth should be thoroughly filtered, drained into a glass container. You need to store the resulting liquid in the refrigerator for no more than two days, after 48 hours, the broth must be brewed again.
You can rinse your mouth and larynx with a decoction up to 8 times a day in case of illness, every time after a meal - with stomatitis or periodontal disease, and at least twice a day for prophylaxis during the period of seasonal diseases and with intense dry cough.
With atopic dermatitis, abscesses, wounds, abrasions and burns - oak broth is made according to a different recipe. For 6 teaspoons of raw materials, take 250 gr. water, brew in a steam bath for at least half an hour.
With such a broth, cooled and strained, you can make compresses, wipe the wound. When it gets on the affected skin, it behaves like a strong antiseptic, disinfecting the sore spot. In addition, it creates a protective film that prevents pathogenic bacteria from entering the wound. The mild pain relieving effect helps to relieve discomfort.
With adenoids
The broth can be taken in the form of drip washings of the nasal cavity. Preparing such a drug is also quite simple - 4 teaspoons of crushed raw materials must be mixed with peppermint and St. John's wort. Dried herbs are taken in half the amount of oak bark.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the resulting phyto-mixture with one and a half glasses of cold water, wait until everything boils. Boil over low heat for no more than 10 minutes, then cool and get rid of sediment by filtering through cheesecloth. Rinse the nose with a pipette, 2 times a day for 10 days.
With increased sweating of the hands and feet
Such a delicate problem is quite rare in young children, and almost everywhere in adolescents. With a decoction of such a pathology, you can make baths for the hands or feet. A decoction of oak bark can be added to the bathing water for children over the age of 5 months.
Reviews
Parents' comments on alternative treatment are most often positive. Especially moms and dads note the effectiveness of this remedy for adenoids in children, when it comes to the first stage of adenitis. On the second and third, the oak bark shows less impressive results.
The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
A recognized authority among mothers, Dr. Evgeny Komarovsky highly appreciates the beneficial properties of oak bark, especially if its decoctions are used for wounds, burns and dermatitis. A well-known pediatrician sees benefits from this folk remedy for adenoids, but he is sure that it is unrealistic to cure advanced and complex stages of the disease only with this remedy.
A complex treatment is required, in which, perhaps, there will be a place for the oak bark, but already at a stage close to recovery.
Komarovsky recommends oak bark for taking baths for children suffering from diathesis. In some cases, if the child is not prone to allergies, Evgeny Olegovich recommends taking baths with a decoction for children of the first year of life and a little older with severe diaper rash.
You can see the video where Dr. Komarovsky talks about the benefits of oak bark below.
