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Cough and Cold Remedies
How do you stop a potential cold and cough before it gets a hold?
Or
Minimise the symptoms and the duration of a cold and cough?
With HOMEOPATHY
Colds and coughs are illnesses that all of us dread due to the physical and mental misery they can cause. Also, despite what the advocates of conventional medicine may tell you no cure has been found for the common cold. Paracetamol, Lemsip and other such conventional medicines may relieve symptoms, by suppression, i.e. they reduce the temperature that usually accompanies many viral infections and dull any aches and pains. However, a high temperature destroys viruses: a fact that our intelligent bodies know as do the medical profession. In fact the suppression of a high temperature is not such a good idea, unless it is getting dangerously high. Whereas, Homeopathic Remedies have been known to STOP a cold in its tracks.
The following is a list of remedies and the symptoms that they can help with.
` Aconite
Aconite may stop the cold before it starts if it comes on suddenly or if you suspect the onset of a cold. Take a single dose. Acute, sudden, violent illness with high fever. Sudden and great loss of strength. Headaches are full, heavy, pulsating, and hot, with a bursting sensation. Coughs are hoarse, dry and hacking. The nose is dry and blocked, or there is a small watery discharge. Sneezing with a throbbing in the nostrils and pain in the root of the
nose. Smell is acute and sensitive. Better in the open air, with rest and warmth. Worse cold winds, dry weather, pressure/touch in bed, noise, light, evening, night and ice cold drinks. UNQUENCHABLE THIRST.
` Allium Cepa
Profuse watery nasal discharge with sneezing. Any discharge burns nose and upper lip. Eyes water and are sensitive to light. Headaches are dull and aching in the forehead. Coughs are hoarse and hacking on breathing in cold air. Tickling in the throat. Breathing is difficult with pressure in the middle of the chest. Better open air and cold rooms. Worse damp cold weather, warm rooms, rest, lying down, afternoon and evenings.
` Antimonium Tart
Rattling in the chest when breathing, very little coughed up. Shortness of breath, before or alternating with coughing. Must sit up to breath or cough. Coarse, loose, rattling cough; chest feels full yet less and less raised. Nose runs profusely and frequent sneezing. Loss of smell and taste. Headache as if a tight band around the head. Head hot and sweaty. Better from sitting up, belching, expectoration, vomiting and motion. Worse from warmth, warm rooms and weather, lying down, cold dampness, sour things and milk.
` Belladonna
Sudden violent onset, often with hot, red skin, flushed face, dilated pupils, mental excitement or delirium. (esp children). Hot, sensitive and painful ears. Eardrum red, bulging and throbbing. Light hurts the eyes causing squinting. Throbbing/hammering headache esp forehead, temples and back of head. The throat is dry, hot, painful, feels constricted, worse on swallowing. Coughs are tickling, short and dry. Better light covering, semi-erect, rest in bed, leaning head on something. Worse heat, drafts, taking cold, noise, light, motion, pressure, lying down, afternoon, evening and night. GREAT THIRST FOR COLD WATER.
` Bryonia
Nose, mouth and throat feel dry. Bursting, splitting headache with pain over left eye going to occiput. Worse any motion. Frontal headaches with frontal sinuses involved. Scalp very sensitive, cannot bear slightest touch. Throat feels dry and constricted, tough mucous loosened only after a lot of hawking. Worse coming into a warm room. Cough dry, hard, very painful, must sit up. Wants to breath deeply, but causes coughing. Better pressure, rest, cool open air, quiet, cold food and drink, drawing knees up, damp air. Worse least motion, stooping, exertion, coughing, deep breathing. From dry cold or heat, becoming hot.
` Drosera
Pain in the chest and tightness on coughing or sneezing, has to press the chest with a hand.
Beating and hammering, especially in the forehead from the inside out. Worse stooping. Spasmodic, dry, irritating cough, deep and hoarse. Attacks follow each other rapidly, can scarcely breathe. Constant dryness of the nose, painful sneezing. Nose bleeds from coughing, stooping or blowing. Fluent discharge when sneezing. Throat feels sore, rough, scraping with dry sensation. Difficulty swallowing solid food. Deep hoarse voice, needs exertion to speak. Better from pressure, open air. Worse lying down, warmth, becoming warm, talking, laughing, cold food, warm drinks.
` Gelsemium
These colds come on very slowly, there may be 2 or 3 days of feeling tired, generally out of sorts and a bit run down, but no real cold symptoms yet. This is a powerful message telling you a Gelsemium cold may be on its way. Taking the remedy may well arrest it at this stage.
Aching, tired, heavy, sore, dull sensation with dizziness, drowsiness and trembling. Dull headache with a band like pressure. Pain in the temples extends to the ears. Scalp is sore to touch. Coughs are dry with a sore chest. Thin, burning nasal discharge, as if hot water flowing from the nose. Throat feels rough and burning with hoarseness. Painful swallowing from throat to ear. Better in open air. Lying with head held high. Worse from damp weather or thinking of ailment. THIRSTLESS.
` Hepar Sulph
With this cold mucus spreads from the throat to the ears and from the ears to the throat.
The sinuses are always involved, the mucus being thick, yellow-green and constant. Boring pain in temple and root of nose. Painful earache. Ears sensitive to touch and wind. Coughs are dry, hoarse. Loses voice and coughs in dry, cold wind. Coughs up thick yellow sputum.
Sinusitis. Post-nasal drip. Nostrils sore and bleed. Offensive discharge. Nose blocked and sneezes in cold air. Splinter like sore throat. Difficulty swallowing with a plug like sensation.
Swallowing can cause pain up in the ears, with a simultaneous sensation of a fishbone in the throat. Better damp weather. Wrapping head up. Worse inhaling cold air, dry winds, open air and drafts, touch or motion, at night, on waking, blowing the nose, or single parts getting cold.
This is a sinusitis remedy par excellence as long as there is lots of thick green-yellow discharge.
` Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla is another very good cold remedy (especially for children/infants). The Pulsatilla patient requires extra attention, wants to be fussed over, held and not left alone. Children are often more weepy. There is lack of thirst, Headaches are centred above the eyes. Nasal discharge is runny and yellow during the day. There is a loss of smell. Nose is blocked at night. Coughs will be lose and may produce green mucus. They desire fresh air and hate being in a warm, stuffy room. They want a door or window left open, even in the middle of winter. Symptoms get worse after a hot shower or bath.
` Spongia
Nose dry, with chronic dry catarrh, feels blocked. Or fluent discharge alternating with blockage. Irrepressible cough from deep in the chest, sore. Cough is dry, barking, croupy. Worse inhaling, better after eating or drinking especially warm drinks. Throat hoarse, painful, dry, constricted. Worse touch, swallowing, talking. Better lying on back. Bursting headache, worse forehead. Throbbing, pulsation in head. Sensation of hair standing on end. Better lying down, warm food and drink, frosty weather. Worse dry, cold wind, exertion, roused from sleep, touch, pressure, motion, stooping, talking, warm room, at night.
Dosages: take one pill and allow it to dissolve under the tongue, initially every hour for three doses. Re-assess the symptoms and change the remedy if required or continue with the 1st remedy, repeating every 4-6hrs for 1-3 days as needed. STOP on improvement.
Consult a qualified homeopath if unsure or symptoms persist or worsen.
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