The common cold and flu
What makes us sick?
Micro-organisms live in and around us all the time but do not harm us. However, any stressor, whether emotional, physical or mental, creates the ideal conditions for micro-organisms to flourish and then make us sick.
Stressors include toxicity, trauma, pathogens, mental and emotional factors (fear, anxiety, anger), electro and environmental pollution, poor nutrition, heredity factors, poor living conditions, lifestyle issues, lack of sleep, excess physical or mental labour, and extreme environmental changes (temperature, altitude, damp, dryness, deficiency syndrome, etc.) First comes the stressor which causes the conditions for dis-ease – later comes the illness. Only after an internal or external stressor has disturbed our vital force, will bacteria or viruses thrive.
For example, a sudden change in weather may bring on a bout of colds or flu within a family. The family share certain micro-organisms, but none of these harmed them until a sudden change in weather conditions. Only then were the bacteria able to thrive and multiply. Therefore, to bring about an improvement in health, one should focus on boosting the vital force rather than killing the micro organism (eg virus or bacteria).
What are symptoms of illness?
Vibrational medicine recognises symptoms as the body’s healing mechanisms, which the genius self-healing system produces in response to an underlying cause such as a virus. These healing mechanisms should therefore not be suppressed but rather encouraged toward completion of the healing process and restoration of order within the body.
How does Eugenie Rowson’s Vibrational Medicine work?
We need to select a remedy that actually encourages and stimulates the symptoms of a sickness towards rapid, efficient and effective completion and therefore – restoration to health. The crazy idea that symptoms are errors which must be concealed and supressed is the philosophy of mainstream /western medicine eg anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-biotic. These anti-drugs actually interfere with the body’s healing and keep you sick … and many of the nasty side effects actually set you up for the next profitable illness.. and on and on it goes!
What is the difference between the Common Cold and Flu?
| The Common Cold | Influenza |
| This is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the mucus membranes lining the nose and throat, resulting in symptoms which are generally confined to the nose and throat. The common cold is also popularly known as a head cold and symptoms may include:
Headache Watering eyes Stuffy or runny nose or post nasal drip with tickling cough Sneezing Sore throat; scratchy or tickling throat Hoarseness Listlessness Chills |
This is a viral infection of the respiratory tract (air passages) that leads to the body producing healing mechanisms (symptoms) such as:
Sore throat Blocked or runny nose Sinus inflammation or congestion Headache Fever Chills Muscular aches, stiffness Bone pain Loss of appetite General weakness and fatigue Cough Some influenza strains may also include gastric / digestion disorders such as: Nausea Dizziness Vomiting Diarrhoea |
Spotlight on coughs
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.
Remedies for the Common Cold, Flu and Coughs
The following remedies can be used to overcome symptoms of cold and flu and ideally, use these prophylactically to prevent indicated symptoms – use one or a combination of these remedies twice daily for immunity support.
Always choose the remedy that best match your healing mechanisms (symptoms). All remedies come in a easy, mouth spray (and kids love them – no gagging or refusal). Here are some of the most popular:
Easy-to-use, easy-to-choose combination formulas:
Eugenie has created a hassle-free range of combination formulas for cold and flu related symptoms, as follows:
Cold, flu & viral infection formula
(use with an additional formula for your predominant symptoms)
Fever & inflammation formula
Tonsillitis & sore throat formula
Sinusitis, rhinitis & post-nasal drip formula
Cough formula – tough, sticky, difficult
Cough formula – wet, phlegmy
Cough formula – dry
Croup & hoarseness formula
Earache, inflammation & infection formula
Headache & migraine formula
Immunity support formula
Muscular aches, pain & stiffness formula