Homeopathy for colds and flu
As the weather changes and we head in to autumn some of us know that cold and flu season is heading our way. Being prepared with some homeopathic remedies can make all the difference between having a few sniffles for 24 hours, or ending up with a sinus, throat or chest infection. Read on to get tips on how to use homeopathy for colds and flu.
Predisposition and Susceptibility
As with any illness, "catching a cold" is not inevitable. Firstly, even when you are exposed to one of the 100 or so cold and flu viruses, you need to be predisposed to that virus. Secondly, you must have also made yourself susceptible to succumbing to the virus. When you are in an emotionally stable place, been eating, sleeping, and exercising well and had plenty of fresh air, you are not likely to go down with the illness. However, a few late nights at the office working on a stressful client delivery, living on a diet of takeaways, and little, or disturbed, sleep is likely to make you susceptible. As is a strong emotional disturbance such as grief from the death of someone close to you.
The first line of defence is to correct, or treat, the thing that has made you susceptible. For example, a relaxed weekend at home with lots of good, wholefoods, daily walks in the countryside, and early nights. Or a few pills of Ignatia Amara, to help you process the grief.
Dosing
But, if it's too late and you can feel that cold coming, there are some homeopathic remedies that can make the cold or flu less severe and shorter. As with any acute (short, self-limiting disease), the key to treatment is one pill of the appropriate remedy every 15 minutes for four doses, then every 2 hours, stopping with improvement. Try a remedy for a couple of hours and if you feel no improvement, it's worth moving on to your second choice. If your symptoms change through the treatment, change the remedy to match the new picture.
Colds
We are frequently exposed to the 100 or so cold and flu viruses that will bring on a cold, which travel through the air in droplets from a sneeze or cough. When you are susceptible, the virus breaks through your body's defences in the nasal mucus membranes, destroying those cells and setting the appropriate innate immune response in motion, this gives you the hot flushing from the rush of blood to the area, a stuffy nose from the inflammation, and a runny nose from the mucus the body sends to protect those broken cells. If we can stop the process here, it avoids the next stage, which is when bacteria, that is freely present in and around us and usually harmless, from invading our bodies and leading to your personal predisposition - be that tonsilitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, or some other area of infection in your respiratory tract.
Homeopathic first aid for colds
In our repertories (the resource we use to match a symptom to a remedy), there are 146 remedies for the tendency to catch a cold and 401 for a runny nose, so the key is to look for the most characteristic symptoms that sets your cold apart from someone else's. Key to this, is what makes the symptoms better or worse, for example you may have a stuffy nose indoors, but then when you go outside it becomes runny. It's also worth having a homeopathic kit* at home as these contain the most likely remedies you will need for colds, and most other home prescribing needs. For some of you, working with me you may have discovered more unusual remedies that are needed for you, and over time you will learn to recognise the symptoms and go to that remedy instead.
At the first sign of a cold:
This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the most common remedies needed when you first feel a cold coming on.
Aconite - when you have been out in a cold dry wind, then come home and suddenly have burning, dry lips, and a hot dry face. You are very thirsty for cold water and feeling anxious. Your glands might also be hot and swollen. You might be sneezing frequently, and/or have a pain at the root of your nose. Your mucus membranes may feel dry, your nose stopped up, with just a slight watery mucus discharge.
Ferrum phos - You can use this from your homeopathic kit, or like me, you could have a store of this as a Schuessler or New Era tissue salt, for the treatment of any early inflammatory process. As a tissue salt you can take this very frequently, every 15 minutes, as any excess that your body doesn't need is simply excreted. Here you get a superficial redness of the skin, but not the anxiety that you feel with Aconite. There is likely to be great prostration and the lack of desire to move about. You may feel like you want a cold flannel on the face, which makes you feel better. This is useful when you have a nondescript sore throat and cold.
Belladonna - This remedy is more likely to be needed in young children, who tend to throw up higher fevers. The picture is one of very sudden onset, with hot, red skin, flushed face, dilated pupils, and throbbing carotids, a bit like Aconite but much more severe. The heat is burning, with bight redness and dryness.
When the coughing starts after exposure to the cold
There are a huge number of remedies for coughs, but where the cold starts with Aconite symptoms it often follows a known pattern. This is coming in from the cold in the evening with Aconite symptoms as described above. Then after putting the child to bed for a short while, they get a Spongia cough, which when treated becomes a Hepar Sulph cough in the morning. As treatment progresses it goes in reverse order requiring first a does of Spongia, then a final dose of Aconite.
Spongia - This is rarely in a homeopathic kit, but worth having at home. The mucus membranes are dry, giving a hacking, barking, croupy cough. The cough is worse from talking, but better when eating or drinking, especially warm foods. It tends to be worse after a little sleep, so the child may go to bed with no cough then wake after a short time, before midnight, and start coughing.
Hepar Sulph - Once the body has started to produce a little pus in the respiratory tract, the cough becomes looser and becomes a Hepar Sulph cough. If coughed up, the mucus is thick, acrid, yellow and ropy. This is likely to be worse in the morning and if the child is uncovered.
For other types of cough, try and work out the right remedy for yourself from the pamphlets that accompany the homeopathic kits. If you really struggle you can call one of the homeopathic pharmacies during business hours and they may be able to help for free, or you can call Homeopathy 247, for a fee.
Influenza
After succumbing to a flu virus the body's natural response is to spike a fever, raising the body temperature to a level at which the virus can no longer replicate or survive. Taking something like paracetamol interferes with this process and prolongs the life of the virus. Whereas pharmaceutical products work against the body's natural process, suppressing it, homeopathy supports the body in completing its natural response to disease. The ideal result being a less severe, quicker, and complete recovery. To support your recovery, go to bed for a couple of days, stop eating so that your liver can focus on raising your fever, and drink lots of water so that you remain hydrated through the fever.
Influenza can be a much more serious problem, and for those with the predisposition, it can lead to complications including post viral fatigue. For this reason, it's even more important to catch it early and treat it homeopathically, but if you haven't been able to do that and end up with problems, make an appointment with me and I should be able to help.
Below are a small selection of remedies to consider for influenza. Ainsworths homeopathic pharmacy sells a mixture of Arsenicum Iodatum, Gelsemium and Eupatorium Perfoliatum (known as A.G.E.), which can be useful to have at home if you are susceptible to the flu. Other key influenza remedies to consider in addition to the ones listed below are: Baptisia, Bryonia Alba, Rhus Toxicodendron, Pyrogenium, Mercurius Solubilis, and, Kali Bichromicum.
Anas Barbaraiae (Oscillicoccinum) - Oscillicoccinum is the brand name of the well-known Boiron manufactured over-the-counter cold and flu remedy in France. And in fact, most people in France who use it have no idea it's homeopathic. Elsewhere, it goes by the name "Anas Barb.". It can be used for all types of influenza, especially in the early stages, but also at the end during convalescence. In the very early stages of influenza, take Anas Barb. 200c every 2 to 3 hours, repeating as necessary.
Arsenicum Iodatum - Characterised by drenching night sweats, weakness and debility. The discharges will cause burning, usually a thin acrid, watery nasal discharge. There can be a tendency to diarrhoea. The cough will be hacking, with stopped up nostrils.
Gelsemium - For influenzas with overpowering aching, tiredness, heaviness, weakness and soreness. Dizziness, drowsiness and trembling. Mental prostration, anxiety, apathy and dullness. Wants to be alone. The face looks hot, heavy and fatigued, with drooping eyes.
Eupatorium Perfoliatum - For influenza with distressing, violent aching, bone-breaking pains. Bursting severe headaches and a thirst for cold water. High fevers, but chilliness and wants to be covered. Painful cough. Hoarseness, with aching soreness of the trachea. In contrast to Gelsemium where the patient wants to be left alone, this remedy is better for conversation.
Individualisation
Homeopathy works by matching your individual symptoms to those of a remedy that has that same picture. For acute illnesses, it is considered safe to use through self-prescribing at home, for short periods. It should not be used long-term without the support of a qualified homeopath.
*Homeopathic Kits
If you don't already have one, I would suggest you to get a homeopathic basic/essential kit to keep at home. Helios has a 36 basic remedy kit, Ainsworths a 42 essential remedy kit, and Stellar online has various options including the Mega kit of 90 remedies by Lisa Strbac, which would be useful if you live somewhere where remedies are hard to find. With the exception of Stellar online, I believe you would need to call the pharmacy to order a full remedy kit.
Disclaimer
This blog is for information only and should not be considered advice.
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