Essential oils
Essential oils have numerous health benefits. They are purified compounds obtained from plants, herbs, and fruits. You can breathe them in or apply them (diluted) to your skin. You can use a wide variety of essential oils to treat croup. Some of them include:
- Tea tree
- Anise
- Peppermint
- Bitter fennel fruit
There are not enough studies to understand how these essential oils help treat respiratory infection [3] in children. Studies show that there is a potential that a child may experience an allergic reaction after applying an essential oil. For instance, peppermint oil can lead to laryngospasm [4] and breathing difficulties in children younger than 2 years. Essential oils, such as tea tree oils and anise may also offer hormone-like side effects in young children. For this reason, parents should not give essential oils to a child or should contact a doctor before doing so.