Avoid home remedies for children with pneumonia: Doctor

 ZARANJ (Pajhwok): A pediatric specialist in northwestern Nimroz province has described respiratory diseases, especially pneumonia, as dangerous and urges families to take their children to a health center immediately if such symptoms appear, instead of treating them with home remedies.

The doctor says although medicine has advanced and health centers have been established in various parts of the province, families still treat their sick children with herbal remedies and home-based methods, which can sometimes be dangerous for the patients.

Families who prefer home treatments

Ayesha, 35, a mother of five children living in Klokhak area of Zaranj city, told the Pajhwok Afghan News: “There is no clinic in our village, the hospital is far away, and we cannot afford transportation, doctor’s fee, and medicines. When my children get pneumonia, I have no choice but to take them to the local herbalist, who gives them herbal infusions, rubs their bodies with Vicks several times, and massages them until they recover.”

Meanwhile, Naz Bibi, another woman who also uses traditional medicine in addition to pharmaceutical treatments, said: “I took my six-month-old grandson, who had pneumonia, to a herbalist for treatment. He prepared herbal remedies, and my grandchildren recovered quickly. If I had taken him to a doctor, it would have cost at least one thousand afghanis and we don’t have that much money.”

Pediatric specialist: Home remedies can sometimes prove dangerous

Dr. Farhad Hamdard, a pediatric specialist in Nimroz province, told Pajhwok that despite advancements in medicine, many people in villages and districts still relied on traditional medicines and herbal remedies instead of modern medical treatments. In traditional medicine, the cause of illness in children is not diagnosed, whereas in modern medicine, the type of pneumonia, the amount of phlegm, and the child’s breathing are precisely examined, and appropriate medication is prescribed accordingly.

He emphasized that diagnosis plays a key role in treating any illness and no patient should be treated without a proper diagnosis.

He added, “If a correct diagnosis is made before the treatment stage, herbal remedies may have some benefits, but not as much as modern medical treatments.”

According to him, some respiratory diseases that are in the early stages and are mild can be treated with herbal remedies, but treating pneumonia with herbal medicine is difficult.

He explained, “Mild cases of bronchial tightness can improve with herbal medicine, but pneumonia cannot be treated with herbal medicine. Some children have been brought to me who had simple pneumonia, but after being treated with herbal remedies, their condition worsened. Similarly, some children suffering from diarrhea have been taken to a home herbalist, and after receiving herbal medicine, their condition deteriorated.”

He continued, “Some children from districts are brought to us with their chest rubbed with opium or Vicks. The scent and dry breath from Vicks may clear the nasal passage, but it does not play a role in treatment. In modern medicine, alongside prescribed medication, we recommend putting Vicks in hot water for the child to inhale the steam. This is a form of prevention, not treatment.”

A woman who gives traditional drugs to children

Fatima, a resident of Zaranj city, who treats dozens of sick children daily using traditional medicine, told Pajhwok that traditional medicine has been widely practiced among the people of Nimroz province for a long time.

She adds, “Most people, especially in winter when children get sick more often, come to me because they cannot afford medical treatments. Some people give me 50 afghanis, some 100 rupees, and some do not have money at all. Right now, I treat ten patients daily, and even adults with conditions like blocked veins, sore throats, or severe bronchial tightness come to me.”

However, she says she has been supporting her family through home treatments for the past 15 years and has never had any problems with the patients she treated.

sa/ma