homeopathic medicines for the common cold

HomeopathicMedicinesfortheCommonCold

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ByDanaUllmanMPH,CCH

(ExcerptedfromHomeopathicMedicineforChildrenandInfants,Tarcher/Putnam)

Theinformationprovidedhereisnotonlyapplicabletochildrenbuttomostpeoplewiththecommoncold.

REMEDIESLISTEDINCAPITALLETTERSREPRESENTMOREFREQUENTLYINDICATEDREMEDIES

Noteverycoldneedstobetreated,sincethebody'snaturalreactiontothecoldvirusisahealthyresponse.Considertreatingacoldifthesymptomsaresignificantlydisturbingthechild,iftheconditionlingers,orifthechildneedstoattendaspecialeventwithouthavingrespiratorydifficulties.

ACONITUM:Thisremedyisusefulprimarilyduringthefirst24hoursaftertheonsetofacold.Typically,thechilddevelopshercoldorcoughafterbeingexposedtodrycoldweather.Shewakesfromsleepwithadry,hoarse,croupycough,especiallyworseatnightandaftermidnight.Shehasadrymouth,shortnessofbreath,andlittleexpectoration.Thecoughisworsefrombeingcold,drinkingcoldwater,fromtobaccosmoke,lyingoneitherside,andatnight.

ALLIUMCEPA:Thiscommonremedyforcoldsiseffectivewhenthechildhasaprofuse,fluent,burningnasaldischargewhichisworseinawarmroomandbetterinopenair.Thenasaldischargewillirritatethechild'snostrils,causingpainfromsimplywipinghisnose.Hemayalsohaveprofusebland(nonburning)tearingfromtheeyes.Hehasreddenedeyesandatendencytorubthem.Healsotendstohavearawfeelinginthenosewithatinglingsensationaswellasviolentsneezing.Sometimesthedischargestartsintheleftnostrilandmovestotheright.Thechildmayoccasionallyexperienceacongestiveheadacheinthefrontpartofthehead.

Anasbarbariae:Althoughthismedicine(commonlymarketedas"Oscillococcinum")isprimarilyeffectiveintreatinginfluenza,homeopathshavealsofoundthatitcanalsobehelpfulintreatingthecommoncold.Therearenoknownsymptomsfromwhichtoindividualizetreatment,thoughithasbeenfoundtobeveryeffectivewhenusedwithin48hoursofonsetofsymptoms.Considergivingitifyoudon'tknowwhichothermedicinetogive.

Arsenicum:Thesechildrenhaveaburningnasaldischargethatirritatesthenostrilsandupperlip.Theyareverychillyandaresensitivetodraftsorcoldair.Theymay,infact,sneezefromanychangeintemperature.Typically,thecoldbeginsinthenoseandmovesdowntothethroat(onceitgoesdownintothechestadifferentremedyisusuallyneeded).Theyalsohavedrynessofthemouththatleadstoagreatthirstbutforonlysipsofwateratatime.

Belladonna:Thisremedyshouldbeconsideredwhenthereisasuddenstoppingofnasaldischarge,anditisreplacedbyacongestive,usuallythrobbing,headacheandhighfever.

Bryonia:LikechildrenwhoneedBelladonna,childrenwhoneedthisremedyhavelittleornonasaldischargebutamoreprominentheadpainovertheforehead.Ratherthanthrobbingpainhowever,thesechildrenhaveadullache.Theysneezeoftenwhichmaycausestitchingpainontopofthehead.Thelessthenasaldischarge,themorepainfulbecomestheheadache.Theirmouthisdry,aswellastheirthroat,andtheymayalsohaveadrycough.Theyareverythirstyforcolddrinks.Theyfeelworseinawarmroom.

Calcareacarb:ThisremedyisforinfantsorchildrenwhoexperiencefrequentcoldsandwhofitthetypicalCalccarbsyndrome.Thesechildrenarechillyandverysensitivetoanythingcold,thoughtheyprefertodrinkicedrinks.Theymaydeveloptheircoldafterbeingchilled.Theysweatprofuselyandhaveasourperspiration.Likewise,theirstoolsaresoursmelling.Typically,thesechildrenarefairskinnedandpudgywithpoormuscletone.Theymayconcurrently

getasorethroatwithswellingofthetonsilsandlymphnodes.Theyhaveathickyellowishnasaldischargeandrattlingrespirationduetoloosemucusinthethroatandchest.

EUPHRASIA:ChildrenwhoneedEuphrasiahaveprofuseburningtearsfromtheeyesandablandnasaldischarge.Thewhitesoftheeyesandthecheeksbecomereddenedfromtheburningtears.Theeyesymptomsareworseintheopenair.Theprofuseblandnasaldischarge,oftenaccompaniedbysneezing,isworseatnight,whilelyingdown,andinwindyweather.Afteradayortwooftheseprofusedischarges,thecoldthenmovestothelarnyx,creatingahardcoughandahoarsevoice.Thecoughisworseinthedaytimeandisamelioratedbylyingdown.

Ferrumphos:Thisremedyiseffectiveforchildrenwhogetheadcoldswithnosebleedsorwhohavebloodintheirnasaldischarge.

Gelsemium:Childrenwhoneedthisremedyexperienceawaterynasaldischarge,sneezing,andfullnessattherootofthenose.Concurrentwiththiscoldmaybeafever,bodyaches,generalfatigue,achinginthebackpartofthehead,andsometimesasorethroat.

Heparsulphur:Thisremedyisindicatedforchildrenwhosneezefromtheleastexposuretocoldair.Theirnasaldischargeisthickandyellow,andtheirnostrilsandthebonesofthenoseareverysore.Thenasalpassagesaresensitivetocoldair.Sometimesthesechildrenconcurrentlyhaveaheadache.Typically,theyaresensitivetotouchandaregenerallyirritable.

Kalibic:Stringy,ropy,yellowmucusischaracteristicofchildrenwhoneedthisremedy.Whenchildrengetathick,viscidnasaldischarge,thismedicineisinvaluable.Theymayalsoexperiencepostnasaldripwithtenaciousmucusandpainattherootofthenosewhichisbetterfromapplyingpressurethere.Theremaybeaconstantinclinationtoblowthenose.Thedischarge,alongwiththesneezing,isworsebyexposuretocoldorintheopenair.Sometimesthesechildrengetaswollenthroatwhichisrelievedbywarmliquids.Acoughmayalsooccurconcurrently.

Natrummur:ThisremedyismostoftengiventochildrenwhogetrecurrentcoldsandwhosesymptomsmatchthecertainNatrummurcharacteristics.Thesechildrentendtodeveloptheirsymptomsafteranemotionalexperience,especiallyaftergrief.Death,divorce,unrequitedlove,orhomesicknessmaycreateagriefthatisnotfullyexpressed,eventuallyleadingtovariousphysicalcomplaints.Theyexperiencefrequentsneezingandaprofusewaterydischargefromthenoseandeyes,andalossoftasteandsmell.Eventually,thenasaldischargemayleadtoastateofchronicnasalcongestionandthickwhitemucus.Theirsymptomsareworseinthemorning,atwhichtimetheyusuallyhawkupmuchmucus.Dryandcrackedlipsoracoldsoremayaccompanythecold.

Nuxvomica:Thesechildrendeveloptheircoldafteroverindulginginovereatingofrichfoodsorafterprolongedmentaloremotionalstress.Thenosealternatesbetweenhavingafluentdischargeandbeingdryandblocked.Thedischargeisusuallyfluentinthedaytimeandobstructedatnight.Thismedicineisalsoacommonremedyforthesnifflesinnewborns.

PULSATILLA:Thisremedyiscommonlygiventochildrenwhoexperienceeitheracuteorchroniccolds.Typically,theyhaveathick,yelloworgreenishmucus,andablanddischarge(adischargethatdoesnotirritateorburnthenostrilsorfacialskin).Theyhavenasalcongestionthatisworseatnight,especiallyuponlyingdown,whichleadstomouthbreathingduringsleep.Nasalcongestiontendstoalternatesides.Thiscongestionisworseinawarmroomandismorefluentintheopenair.Theysometimesdeveloptheircoldafteroverindulginginfattyorrichfoods.Despitehavingadrymouth,theyarethirstless.Pulsatillaisaverycommonremedyforthesnifflesinnewborns,especiallywhentheirnasaldischargeisyelloworgreen.ThechildrenwhomostcommonlyfitthePulsatillasyndromeareemotional,sensitive,andeasilyhurt.Theyaremoodyandweepeasily.Theycraveaffectionandsympathyandcannotgetenoughofit.Theyareimpressionaonable,somuchsothatifparentsareworriedabouttheirchild'shealth,thechildwilltendtogetworse,whileifparentsareconfidentthatthechildwillgetbetter,thechildusuallydoes.