RSV Home Remedies for Children and Adults
Infectious DiseasesRespiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

What Are the Best Home Remedies for RSV?

What Are the Best Home Remedies for RSV?
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Updated on January 30, 2026
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While respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe and even deadly complications, particularly in high-risk groups (babies, older adults, and individuals who have chronic medical conditions or are immunocompromised), the virus is not typically a serious threat to most other people. If you or your child is not at high risk of RSV, you can usually ride out a mild infection at home with supportive care — over-the-counter medications and home remedies aimed at managing symptoms.

“The type of supportive care that’s recommended can depend on individual symptoms,” says David Banach, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and head of infection prevention at UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut. For example, there are over-the-counter drugs that can help with nasal congestion, alleviate coughing, and reduce pain or fever, he explains.

How to Treat RSV at Home

In most cases, there are three main things that can help someone with RSV feel better, says Sharon Nachman, MD, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases and professor of pediatrics at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine in Stony Brook, New York. They are:

  • Lots of fluids (it’s especially important to prevent dehydration)
  • Rest
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce fever and pain

What about antibiotics? “Antibiotics aren’t prescribed for RSV because it’s a viral illness, not a bacterial infection,” says Dr. Nachman.

In general, recommendations about RSV home treatments are the same for adults and older children, says Nachman. One important warning is that children under age 19 should never be given aspirin, because of the risk of a life-threatening metabolic condition called Reye’s syndrome, according to Stanford Medicine.

Although children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen is safe (follow the directions on the label), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recommend over-the-counter medicines to treat cough and cold symptoms in kids under age 2, because of potentially serious side effects.

If you aren’t sure about which over-the-counter medications are safe for children, check with their healthcare provider.

Is It RSV or a Cold?

Understanding the differences between RSV and the common cold is crucial for prompt and effective treatment.
Is It RSV or a Cold?

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Natural Remedies for RSV

There are a number of nonmedication at-home remedies that can help a person with mild RSV feel better, says Nachman. These include:

  • Honey Nachman typically recommends honey to soothe a sore throat or help with a cough. “Adults can put it in tea, and children, provided they are over age 1, can have a scoop in their juice. However, don’t give honey to an infant or baby less than 12 months old,” she says. A bacteria called Clostridium botulinum can be present in honey and cause infant botulism in babies under 1 year old, according to KidsHealth.

  • Vaporizers and Humidifiers “I recommend these because they do get a lot of water into the air. For kids and adults who are ‘breathing water off’ because they are breathing fast, that will help their secretions be a bit wetter,” says Nachman.
  • Baths or Showers The steamy air produced by baths and showers can help clear congestion, says Nachman.
  • Saline Nose Drops or Sprays These can help keep nasal passages moist and help with stuffiness.

  • Nasal Suctioning With a Bulb Syringe Used with or without saline nose drops, these devices can help relieve stuffiness and are good for babies.
  • Deep Breathing “For adults or children who are old enough, they can take deep breaths and blow them out. That makes them cough and get rid of the thick, sticky secretions in their lungs,” says Nachman.

Nachman doesn’t recommend nebulizer treatments for RSV. “They don’t seem to make you get better faster, and they can be difficult to use,” she says.

When a Baby or Adult With RSV Needs to Go to the Hospital

Anyone with RSV who has difficulty breathing, a high fever, or develops a bluish tone to their skin (especially the lips and nail beds) will require immediate medical attention.

“Watch how your baby breathes,” says Nachman. “If they are having trouble, they may need to be tested and go on oxygen.” This is true for older children and adults as well: If they are working hard to breathe, they may need supplemental oxygen, says Nachman.

It’s estimated that more than 100,000 and possibly more than 200,000 people (mostly babies and older adults) are hospitalized in the United States each year because of RSV, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), often for severe infections such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) or bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs).

As many as 10,000 adults 65 and over and 300 children younger than 5 die from RSV each year, the CDC estimates.

Adults and babies hospitalized with RSV may receive:

  • Intravenous fluids
  • Humidified oxygen
  • Mechanical ventilation (from a breathing machine)

For immunocompromised patients, doctors might opt to use the antiviral medication ribavirin or intravenous immunoglobulin.

The Takeaway

  • Unless you belong to a high-risk group, RSV is not typically a serious threat, and you can treat it at home with plenty of fluids, rest, and Tylenol.
  • If you prefer to not use medications, you can try home remedies like honey to soothe a sore throat or cough, humidifiers or vaporizers to loosen mucus, and steamy baths or saline nose sprays to clear congestion.
  • If you aren’t sure about which home remedies or over-the-counter medications are safe for children, check with their healthcare provider.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Reye Syndrome in Children. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
  2. Should You Give Kids Medicine for Coughs and Colds? U.S. Food and Drug Administration. November 7, 2024.
  3. Infant Botulism. Nemours KidsHealth. March 2023.
  4. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Mayo Clinic. October 4, 2023.
  5. Surveillance of RSV. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 7, 2025.
  6. Increased Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Activity in Parts of the Southeastern United States: New Prevention Tools Available to Protect Patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 5, 2023.
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Jane Yoon Scott, MD

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Jane Yoon Scott, MD, is an infectious disease physician and an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Scott enjoys connecting with her patients, empowering them to understand and take ownership of their health, and encouraging them to ask questions so that they can make informed and thoughtful decisions.

She graduated with the highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, then received her MD from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her internal medicine residency training and chief residency at Temple University Hospital, as well as a fellowship in infectious diseases at Emory University. She is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.

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