Homeopathic Remedies for Cold and Flu Season

Cold and Flu Season

Cold and Flu season occurs on an annual basis when the weather changes and temperatures drop.  However it is important to note that whilst many of us think of “The Cold” and “The Flu” as one and the same thing, they are in actual fact different and caused by different viruses.

If you are generally young, fit and healthy, your body will usually be able to handle the symptoms of Cold and Flu. However there are some people who are high risk that should seek extra care.

The Symptoms

Symptoms that both Cold and Flu share are sneezing, coughing and sore throat. Although there are about 200 viruses that cause cold versus only 3 that cause Flu. There however many strains of these viruses and hence you will find the vaccines change year on year.

Cold symptoms

Symptoms usually include:

• runny nose
• blocked nose
• sore throat
• sneezing
• cough

Other symptoms may include a mild fever, earache, tiredness and headache. These usually get worse initially then get better over a few days. Some colds can last for up to two weeks.

Flu symptoms:

Compared to the Cold, the Flu develops rapidly, and symptoms include:

• sudden fever of 38-40°C (100-104°F)
• muscle aches and pains
• sweating
• feeling exhausted and needing to lie down
• dry, chesty cough
• sneezing

Flu symptoms appear a few days after infection and most people recover within a week. A severe cold can also cause muscle aches and fever, so it can be difficult to tell the difference.

Homeopathic Treatment

There are number of homeopathic remedies that can be studied and applied according to the totality of symptoms, these include:

Aconite – coryza caused by cold, dry winds; dry at first with violent headache, roaring in ears, in the earlier stage, feverish with dryness in the nostrils, thirst, sleeplessness; heat and sense of fullness in nares, and muscles sore all over body so that sneezing forces him to support chest; fluent coryza with frequent sneezing and dropping of a clear, hot water; inner nose red, swollen, interfering with breathing, amelioration in cool room and open air.

Ammonium carb – winter catarrhs, cold commences in head, nose stopped up at night, can only breath with mouth open; followed by profuse discharge of sharp burning water in daytime, which is apt to run down in throat; frequent sneezing with Epistaxis; when blowing nose; aggravation towards morning, 3 A.M; dry and tickling cough and with oppression mucus in chest and rawness down trachea and bifurcation of bronchi of bronchi; sensitive to cold air, relieved in warm room.

Argentum Nitricum – cold with stupefying headache over the eyes, has to lie down; violent itching of nose, must rub it constantly; nasal discharge like boiled starch; sneezing, chilliness, lacrymation, sickly look; sense of smell blunted.

Arsenicum – it has proved to be the best remedy for “cold”; fluent coryza, with frequent sneezing without relief; hoarseness and sleeplessness, with swollen nose; stoppage of the nose, with copious discharge of watery mucus and burning in the nose, with soreness of the adjacent parts; buzzing in the ears; headache, with beating in the forehead and nausea; relief by warmth; prostration; sneezing in cool air, after leaving a warm room; generally aggravation from cold, except headache, which is temporarily relieved by cold washing and permanently by walking in cold air.

Bryonia – severe dry coryza with catarrh of the frontal and maxillary cavities and severe drawing-tearing, twitching and stitching pain in affected headache when affected parts; or fluent coryza, beginning with violent and frequent sneezing, accompanied by stitching headache when stooping; nose blocked with congestion in the head; hoarseness and altered tone of voice; profuse  nose bleed; catarrh extending to chest.

Calcaria carb – sudden, violent, fluent coryza with dropping of water from nose; much sneezing; heat I head; mouth dry; heat and chill alternately; pain over root f nose; neck stiff; inertia; takes cold easily; post nasal catarrhs.

Eupatorium Perf. – Coryza, with aching in every bone, and lassitude; fluent coryza with sneezing and hoarseness; weight over head and forehead, nose and ayes both streaming with water at intervals.

Hepar Sulph – in most cases of common cold; generally when every breath of cold air causes a new attack of cough and cold. Nose swollen and sore to touch, especially in side of alae or wings of nose; sensation when swallowing as of something sticking in throat

Kali bi – excellent remedy for cold and cough; catarrh of fauces and trachea; great accumulation of ropy mucus and expectoration of sold chunks from posterior nares; hoarseness; cough; suppressed voice; enlarged tonsils causing dullness of hearing; oppressed breathing; coryza with pressure and tightness at root of nose. Aggravation evening and open air, > in warm weather; in the morning, obstruction and bleeding from right nostril; fluent coryza, excoriating nose and lip; nostrils sensitive and ulcerated, round ulcer or scabs in septum, foul tongue, showing involvement if digestive tract; catarrh alternating with rheumatism.

Kali carb – dull smell, especially from catarrh; fluent coryza, excessive sensing, pain in back, headache and lassitude; dry coryza, with loss of voice; hoarseness; mucus or sensation of lump in throat; obstruction in the nose; making breathing through the nostrils impossible; goes off when walking in the open air, but returns in the room; burning itching in the nose; nosebleed; worse at every exposure to fresh air.

Pulsatilla – cold or coryza, fluid or dry, loss of taste and smell, nostrils sore; wings raw; later yellow-green discharge, worse in-doors; chilliness, face pale, head confused, frontal headache; chronic, thick, yellow, bland discharge or later yellow, green and offensive.

Rhus tox – complaints of cold with redness and oedema of throat; severe aching in bones; sneezing; dry cough, aggravation from evening till midnight and from uncovering body.

Rumex – dull headache, worse by motion; sore feeling in eyes, without any external sign of inflammation; fluent coryza, with painful irritation in nostrils and sneezing; Epistaxis; violent and rapid sneezing; feeling of dryness in posterior nares; cough excited by tickling in throat-pit and worse by least current of air; hoarseness.

Silicea – alternately dry and fluent coryza; with every fresh cold stoppage and acrid discharge  from nose; frequent but ineffectual sneezing; makes inner nose sore and bloody; dryness of throat, rough cough, itching in Eustachian tube; frequent sneezing, especially in cold air; frequent chilliness, even while taking exercise; cold nose.

Sticta  pulm. – complains of cold or coryza; premonitory symptoms of catarrh; excessive dryness of the nasal mucosa membrane; which becomes painful; secretions dry rapidly, forming scabs difficult to dislodge; deglutition painful; from dryness in the throat, aggravation at night; incessant sneezing, burning I n the eyes; dull frontal headache, with feeling of fullness at  the root of nose; hard, dry, barking cough.  (Homeopathic therapeutics; Samuel Lilienthal; 1998; 138)

Disclaimer (Please consult a qualified Homeopath for further information and guidance)