Table of contents:
- Is it safe to use balm for children?
- Dangers of using balms for children
- 1. Reye's Syndrome
- 2. Poisoning
- 3. Irritation
- How to relieve muscle aches and pains in children
When your child complains of achy body and sore muscles, you may immediately think of applying a balm to the affected part of the child's body. Eits, wait a minute. Is the use of balm for children really safe and effective? Before applying the balm to your little one's skin, you should first pay attention to the various considerations of the following experts.
Is it safe to use balm for children?
According to an internal medicine specialist from Boston Children's Hospital in the United States (US), dr. Anthony L. Komaroff, balm is not safe for children. Furthermore, dr. Anthony Komaroff explains that the use of the balm is intended to relieve minor muscle pain in adults, not children.
Clinical pharmacy expert from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the US, Thomas Kearney also warned that the use of balms for children is not recommended. According to him, balm can even harm children.
If you buy a balm, usually the packaging label or product brochure also states that the balm should not be given to children under 12 years of age. Especially if your child is under 2 years old. So, don't use the balm if your child has muscle aches or pains.
Dangers of using balms for children
Be careful, you should not underestimate the side effects of using balms for children. In one previously unrecorded case, a 17-year-old US teenager died of an overdose of muscle pain-relieving balm. Although this is the first time this has happened, experts urge parents to make this case a warning that balm is not a type of drug that is safe and free of side effects for all ages.
Here are the various dangers of using balms for children.
1. Reye's Syndrome
As explained by dr. Anthony Komaroff, balm is made from an active ingredient called methyl salicylate. This ingredient contains aspirin, which is a pain reliever that is not safe for children. The reason is, aspirin is known to trigger brain damage. This syndrome occurs due to damage to the brain and liver function of children after exposure to high doses of aspirin. In some cases, Reye's syndrome can be life threatening to a child.
2. Poisoning
Either on purpose or not, the child could be poisoned by methyl salicylate. For example, if a child licks the balm on their skin, swallows the balm (because of trial and error), or applies too much balm.
According to Thomas Kearney, applying balm to 40 percent of the child's body can cause severe poisoning. These are some of the characteristics of balm poisoning in children.
- Difficulty breathing
- Fussy
- Dizzy
- Headache
- Seizures
- Fever
- Nausea
- Gag
- Ringing in ears
- Hyperthermia (body temperature jumps up)
3. Irritation
Children can also experience irritation after using the balm. The irritation usually occurs on the skin with symptoms of redness, itching, swelling, or a burning sensation. However, children can also experience eye irritation. For example, if a child rubs his eyes with an embalmed hand.
How to relieve muscle aches and pains in children
Instead of using a balm to relieve muscle aches and pains, you should choose the following safer methods.
- Cold compress on the sore or sore muscles.
- Let the child rest.
- Take paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen). Consult your doctor first before giving paracetamol to children.
- Lightly massage the sore or sore area.
- Doing muscle stretches.
- Check with your doctor if muscle aches and pains don't go away after doing the various treatments above.
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