| The common cold is the most frequent
infection in all age groups. Children especially contract a lot
of colds. Colds are caused by a viral infection that effects the
respiratory system. Colds often respond well to homeopathic remedies
which is a tremendous advantage over modern medicine which has no
cure for the common cold. Homeopaths generally advise that a cold
or two every year is not a bad thing, as it “cleans out” the system
and hence, the adage: don’t cure a cold, let a cold cure you. Still
others say that you never know what your "innocent/ordinary"
cold might erupt into--a flu, a pneumonia? Consequently, if you
see a clear remedy picture, you might be safer giving the remedy
than risking what may be down the line. Jim Henson, creator of
"Sesame Street", died from a cold gone horribly wrong.
If you are finding that you are having more than two colds a year
it would be advised to seek help from a professional homeopath to
strengthen your immune system. Homeopathy emphasises treating the
underlying imbalance in the immune system rather than simply fighting
the infection--although in the moment, fighting the infection may
be the priority. Note that some of the remedies below say, "for
the first stage of the cold". So, don't wait around to see
what your cold is going to do, or you might miss the opportunity
to give Aconite or Belladonna or some other first-stage remedy,
which may have been your only chance to prescribe with confidence
for the duration of the cold.
The following remedies may offer symptomatic relief so long
as the remedy you choose is well indicated for your individual symptom
picture.
| REMEDY |
KEYNOTE SYMPTOMS |
OTHER SYMPTOMS |
MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER |
MAKES YOU FEEL WORSE |
|
|
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|
| Aconite |
Comes on suddenly.
Fearful, restless, cheeks hot and red.
First stage of cold. Caused by exposure to cold dry winds |
Sudden dry painful cough/croup
watery mucous, sweats on uncovered parts. High fever with
sensitivity to light. Thirsty, watery runny nose, possible
bright red nose bleed. |
Fresh open air, sleep
|
Warm stuffy room
In the evening and at night
Lying on affected side. Irritated by music, dry,
cold winds.
|
| Allium cepa |
Profuse, bland, watery discharge
from eyes. Nasal discharge is profuse and burning. Warm rooms
aggravate, better in open air. |
Eyes run but the discharge
is usually bland
Violent sneezing.
Mucous burns/corrodes top lip. Tickle in larynx, hoarseness,
hacking cough worse breathing in cold air
desires onions |
Fresh air
|
Evening.
Cold air.
Stuffy room.
Getting feet wet.
|
| Arsenicum album |
Complaints are usually right-sided.
Watery, burning nasal discharge. Restlessness, weakness, anxiety,
thirsty for sips at frequent intervals, chilly, desires company. |
Right nostril burns/corrodes
top lip watery thin discharge, but nose feels blocked. Excessive
sneezing, Irritation, tickling of the nose. Cold might move
to chest.
|
Heat, elevated head,
Warm drinks, company
|
Wet, windy weather.
Midnight to 2am. Sight or smell of food.
|
| Belladona |
First stage of cold, sudden
onset,
high fever, red face, cold extremeties, throbbing pains,
patient radiates heat. |
Skin hot, dry with high temperature
Throbbing headache, very thirsty or not thirsty at all
sore throat on right side
Tickly throat, light hurts eyes
Eyes glassy
Eyes dilated
delirious in high fever
dry barking cough
desires lemons or lemonade |
Sitting upright or standing.
In warm room
|
Jarring, movement,
Noise, drafts.
From lying down.
After 12noon,
3PM |
| Bryonia alba |
A Cold slow to develop, painful
coughs--patient holds chest when he coughs; worse from slightest
movement, dry mucus membranes and very thirsty, worse for
company, worse for having to answer questions, very irritable,
wants to be alone. |
Better for being still and
quiet.
cold moves into chest. A painful, dry, spasmodic cough. Left-sided
headache, otherwise, right-sided complaints. |
From applying firm, cool pressure
to head and chest.
In cool surroundings |
For movement.
Bright lights.
Eating, noise
and touch
9pm and 3pm.
|
| Dulcamara |
Worse from damp and cold/damp
weather, worse from change of weather, worse from drafts.
|
Thick saliva and hoarse voice
Possible cold sores
Thirst for cold drinks
Post-nasal drip, lumbago or an Earache, watery diarrhea |
warm, dry air.
Movement
|
For rest.
At night.
Cold, damp weather
|
| Euphrasia |
The opposite of Allium Cepa:
Nasal discharge is bland; discharge from the eyes is burning.
Cough only in the daytime.
|
Copious fluid from nose
Bursting sensation as sinuses fill. At night little pains
all over body. Heat/fever descends the body, sweats only on
front.
Later symptoms, chilliness, loose violent cough, pressing
pain under sternum. |
Lying down in darkened room
but may feel more blocked up.
For coffee
|
From warm, windy weather. Being
indoors.
In the evening.
Bright light.
|
| Ferrum phos. |
A cold that comes on slowly.
Beginning of colds when symptoms are vague. Right-sided complaints.
|
Mild fever may be present
Mouth feels hot.
Throat is red and swollen.
Possible nose bleeds.
|
Gentle exercise.
Applying a cold compress to the forehead. |
For fresh air.
In the Sun.
For jarring or touch. Lying on right side. Between
4am& 6pm |
| Gelsemium |
Cold comes on gradually. Patient's
appearance: dopey, drowsy, droopy and dull. You could also
add dizzy! Inclination to sleep. Apathetic. Weakness, chills
run up and down back, headache starts in back of head or neck
and spreads forward, heavy head, thirstless. |
Tiredness, heavy body sensation.
Headache above nape of neck. Tickling in nose gets worse.
Later running nose, watery and irritating
|
Fresh air.
movement,
After urinating.
Bending forward, sweating.
Drinking alcohol. |
Before thunderstorm.
Early in the morning and last thing at night.
Humidity.
Tobacco smoke.
|
| Hepar sulph |
Over-sensitive to pain; anxiety,
irritable, angry outbursts, chilly and worse from cold, intolerant
of drafts, worse uncovering a hand or a foot, swollen glands,
bad odor of discharges, splinter-like pains. |
Cold starts with watery runny
nose. Later, excessive yellow mucous with offensive-smelling
discharge and sneezing. Irritability and chilliness.
|
For wrapping
head firmly.
Warm, moist environment. |
In cold air, draughts.
Getting cold from undressing.
If touched.
|
| Kali bichrom |
Second stage of cold.
Thick, yellow, ropy, stringy nasal discharge. Sinusitis.
Thick post-nasal drip. |
Thick mucous may block nose.
yellow or green discharge with postnasal drip. Sinus headaches,
pressure pain at root of nose. |
From warmth
|
In the morning.
Hot weather
Getting cold from undressing. |
| Natrum mur |
Beginning stages of a cold
with sneezing. "Egg-white" nasal discharge. Runny
eyes worse in open air or wind. Sun and light aggravate. Warm,
worse heat. Cold sores on lips, vesicles in mouth, cracked
lips, ailments from grief. |
Wants to be left alone.
A dislike for sympathy.
Cold starts with fits of sneezing and a thin catarrhal discharge
consistency of the white of a raw egg. Nose maybe blocked
with tendency towards developing cold sores. |
Applying cold compresses to
the sinuses.
Fasting.
Fresh open air
|
In sea air or wet weather.
Mental, physical exertion. Around 10am. Bright light or hot
sun. Noise, talking, music.
|
| Nux vomica |
Cold, chills, worse slightest
draft of air, ailments from over-work, irritable and angry,
impatient; runny nose in the morning, obstructed at night;
stomach pains, better warm drinks, constipation with ineffectual
urging. |
Runny nose during the day
blocked at night.
Overcritical of others, impulsive,
chilliness, watery eyes,
sneezing, headache,
sore throat |
Sleep,
warmth.
Firm pressure,
in the evening.
Washing and
warm compresses |
Windy, Cold, dry weather. In
public places. After over-indulgence of spicy foods
and stimulants such as coffee.
Between
3am & 4am. |
| Pulsatilla |
Patient is weepy and wants
to be consoled. Warm and worse heat, worse sun, better walking
slowly in open air, worse warm stuffy rooms, dry mouth but
no thirst, worse at twilight, worse from fatty foods; bland
and often greenish nasal discharge
|
Possible nose bleeds
runny nose during the day,
blocked nose at night
thirstless, loss of smell
Headache above eyes |
Crying and Sympathy.
Exercise and
fresh open air.
Cold drinks, cold compresses.
Raising hands above the head. |
Rich, fatty foods.
Heat, In the sun.
In the evening and at night. |
| Rhus tox. |
Second stage of cold
Congested nose and scratchy throat. Worse cold and cold wet
weather. Better warmth and warm bathing. Stiffness and restlessness.
Desires cold milk. Worse in cloudy, foggy, rainy weather;
worse getting wet. Can't be still, must move. |
Thick, yellow/green nasal discharge
with a red scratchy throat, dry cough, tickling, hoarseness.
Cough prevents sleep
|
From warmth, hot bathing.
>From motion.
For changing positions. |
Cough worse in cold room.
Cold, wet, rainy weather.
During sleep. |
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Along with these remedies the most effective treatment is rest
and plenty of fluids. To increase fluids, try hot water with lemon
juice and a little honey is good for the extra vitamin C. Encourage
a light diet of soups, fresh fruit, vegetables and plenty of fresh
air. Recurrent colds in adults and children do require constitutional
homeopathic treatments from your professional homeopath. |
