Spotlight on coughs

With the flu season sneaking up on us, we have decided to put together a series of articles on common winter ailments. This week the spotlight is on coughs and how to treat them with homeopathy. 

Many parents are turning to homeopathy to provide an alternative approach to the treatment of common winter ailments. Homeopathy is a scientific system of healing that assists the body to heal itself. It recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person, and that it is the patient as a whole who needs treatment, not the disease.

Homeopathy is one of the safest forms of medicine known to man. It is largely without side effect and is therefore perfectly safe for those wishing to conceive, pregnant and breastfeeding moms, newborns, babies, children and the elderly. Coughing is the body’s way of removing irritating substances, excess secretions, and foreign objects from air passages. 

A cough should never be artificially suppressed with drugs. Coughing can accompany a wide variety of illnesses or conditions. If a person has serious difficulty breathing, coughs up blood or abnormal discharge, or seems very ill in other ways, seek professional help.Here are some of the most common remedies for coughs and colds. Remember, every cough is different. Always choose the remedy/ies that most closely matches your symptoms.

Aconitum – for a cough that starts suddenly, often at night and may have been caused by exposure to cold. Accompanied by chills, fever with hot, dry skin and possibly wheezing and a sore throat. Person may be very thirsty.

Ant Tart – for a rattling cough with glutinous white phlegm which is difficult to cough up and leaves one feeling exhausted and out of breath. The chest seems overloaded with mucus. Symptoms may be accompanied by a burning sensation in the chest as well as drowsiness.

Bryonia – for the typical dry, hacking cough that sounds tight and is accompanied by irritation/soreness in the throat and trachea (windpipe), with frequent desire to take a deep breath. Accompanied by hoarseness, headache and a big thirst for long cold drinks at infrequent intervals.

Drosera – for a spasmodic, dry, irritating cough with frequent and continuous coughing fits that take your breath away and may end with gagging, retching or vomiting. Cough made worse by talking, laughing or running around. Often worse after lying down. Any mucus may be yellowish. Cough and voice become very deep and hoarse. There is the sensation of crumbs or a feather in the throat. Often accompanied by sore throat and wheezing. No thirst.

Dulcamara – this remedy will help a teasing, tickling, loose, rattling cough that starts after exposure to cold, wet conditions, physical exercise or exertion. Phlegm is difficult to cough up, which causes hoarseness. May be accompanied by a blocked nose with thick, yellow mucus and symptoms of hayfever, including congestion and inflammation of the eyes.

Hepar Sulph – for a painful, hoarse, rattling, barking cough that brings up yellow-green phlegm. Croup. Person has an aversion to cold and wants to wrap up warmly. For croup in children, alternate with Spongia & Aconitum. Also see Croup

Ipecac – for an incessant wheezy, suffocating cough with shortness of breath. Croup. Chest sounds full of phlegm but does not yield to coughing. Hoarseness or complete loss of voice. Cough is accompanied by retching, vomiting and nausea. Little thirst.

Phosphorus – for a dry, hard, tight, hacking cough with chest pain and a tickling, painful larynx (voice box) that does not subside after using Bryonia. Accompanied by great hoarseness or complete loss of voice. It is difficult to talk. Person may experience a sweetish taste while coughing. Feeling of tightness or a weight across the chest. Any phlegm may be rusty coloured or slightly blood-streaked. Person may have a continuous, intense thirst for icy cold drinks.

Pulsatilla – for a cough that is dry in the evening and at night, but is very wet and full of yellowy/green phlegm in the morning. Symptoms are often accompanied by nose, eye or ear congestion with a thick, creamy yellowy/green discharge. May be accompanied by tearfulness and the need for fresh air. You may want to sleep with lots of pillows. No thirst.

Spongia – for a suffocating, dry, burning, constricted, grating, sawing, barking, wheezing, asthmatic cough. Talking is difficult and symptoms may be accompanied by a dry, burning sore throat. Rapid pulse. Very helpful for croup in children – especially when the child (who may have awoken suddenly in the middle of the night) is having difficulty breathing, is extremely anxious and frightened, and feels as if he or she suffocating. In this case, give Rescue Remedy or Aconitum immediately to calm the child. Croup is always improved with steam – so put the child into a steamy bathroom. Alternate Spongia with Hepar Sulph, Aconitum and further Rescue Remedy / Aconitum if necessary.

When choosing a remedy, keep these points in mind:

1. Where is the pain?
2. What does it feel like?
3. What makes it better or worse? 

Choose the remedy that best describes the symptoms. REMEMBER: There is no wrong remedy. You can only err by not trying and therefore not assisting the body to heal. Selecting the best remedy may take a little practice but you will get better at it.