Coughs – Exploring remedies

Hi Lovelies – I hope you survived the craziness of Christmas and the New Year – Oh what pressure we put on ourselves during this season…. when all we really should be doing is hibernating, taking care of ourselves, rejuvenating, regenerating and generally, just tucking up, waiting to spring forward in March. Good nutrition, organic supplementation and homeopathic remedies can really make a difference. But more importantly our mental and emotional well-being should be nurtured. When we are ‘stressed’ we can often go down with all sorts of physical ailments.

So I think its time to do another blog but this time focusing on coughs. In the twenty five years I have been in practice, I have never seen so many aggressive coughs and chest problems. We could sit and debate for hours as to why but lets focus our energy on solutions x

What I will say though, coughs, colds and flues are the body’s natural detox mechanisms. It produces mucus, phlegm, catarrh to rid the body of all debris, toxins, plastics and chemicals etc that need to be cleared from your system. It is no surprise then, that so many suffer with dis-ease after significant holidays and celebrations throughout the year – January after Christmas, February/March after valentines, April after Easter etc…….. during which time there is also a severe lack of natural vitamin D. High levels of sugar and alcohol add to the toxicity of our bodies, not to mention the added ‘stress’ to make things perfect during these times!

There are thousands of remedies in our homeopathic arsenal but I am going to focus on just a handful that are utilised most. What you will notice is each one has a particular ‘picture’. Not all coughs are the same – so it is vital to observe the specific symptoms your body or your ‘patient’ is displaying.

Aconite

At the first sign of a cough or any dis-ease for that matter, always think of Aconite. It can be used at the first sign of illness. Take one every half hour up to 6 doses. This will work with the body to re-balance it. One of two things will occur……. nothing will develop any further, or the period of illness will be shortened. Ferrum Phos is also a very good remedy to keep in your tool kit. Aconite tends to have a sudden onset, Ferrum Phos, a more gradual development, when early stages of inflammation is occurring.

The need for Aconite could be when the patient has been exposed to dry, cold wind; shock

There will be a restlessness about them, possibly fearful, anxious with a sense of foreboding

Symptoms are worse or can appear around midnight with a sudden onset. There will be a fever but patients tend to be cold with the shivers.

The cough will sound like croup, almost horsey and will be dry, sometimes suffocative (leading to anxiety). There will be a tickle at the back of the throat that causes the patient to cough. It sounds like they are barking.

They will be thirsty but worse for cold drinks, so consider warm pre-boiled water. They will also be better for open air.

Ant Tart

Great remedy for those patients, especially children, when the cough/cold goes straight to the chest.

It will be a wet cough with lots of mucus. There can be a rattle in the chest but it can be difficult to raise the mucus. They can often sound like they are drowning because of the mucus. They will find it difficult to breathe and can even vomit which will be mucusy – thick white and ropey. They can have a white tongue. They will also feel exhausted from coughing.

The patient will not like to be looked at or spoken to. They will be clingy just like pulsatilla (See notes further on) but will be more irritable.

Worse from a warm room, eating, lying down, anger, cold damp weather

Better for lying on right side, sitting upright, vomiting and to be left alone

They will be thirsty for cold water

Bryonia

Patients needing this remedy will have a slow onset, and suited to those whose colds etc go straight to their chest.

The cough is dry (no expectoration, mucus) and be painful. It is an irritation of the upper lung area. There will be a soreness around the coughing and patients will often hold their chest/ribs when coughing because it hurts so much. As a side note – Bryonia is a great help for someone who has broken ribs.

They will be extremely irritable and worse for any type of motion…… they will want to be still – a bit like a bear with a sore head!

Patients are compelled to sit up on coughing, they are worse for talking, laughing, warm room, inspiration and at night. They are better for being still, lots of rest and hard pressure.

Better for cool applications and open air; sitting up. They will be very thirsty and will gulp down their cold water.

My experience of this remedy is that once you start giving Bryonia, the cough will change to a more productive cough and the pain and discomfort will ease. The mucus will start to flow, discharging through coughing and possibly out of the nose. You can then look for a new, more appropriate remedy to finish off the process.

Side Note

Any discharge after remedies is a great sign – it’s a sign the body is getting rid of all the stuff it knows is harmful…… that’s why it is vital we do not suppress any discharges – from any orifice! whether its through sweating, snotting, vomiting or diarrhoea. It is always best to treat the body from the inside out (remedies). This is also vital when dealing with skin eruptions. It’s your body’s way again, of detoxing. It’s pushing an imbalance outside onto our least important organ so we do not EVER want to use suppressive skin creams. You will be working against your body’s natural ability to heal itself x

Drosera

The cough will be a dry, spasmodic cough and the patient will find it difficult to get a breath – which will cause anxiety and fear. There could be retching from coughing which could lead to vomiting. They will hold their chest as it is painful. It sounds like a deep choking, barking cough which is caused from a tickle in the pit of their throat. There will be yellow phlegm.

They will be worse for lying down or when their head hits the pillow. Worse for talking; after midnight and a stuffy room; nighttime

Better for sitting up, open air, moving around and being quiet.

Hep Sulph

Coughs can come on after being exposed to cold, dry air – West or North West winds in particular! Or having been caught in a draft and become chilled

The cough will be a really noisy cough almost horsey! Croaky and the patient will bend their heads back to cough. They may describe the sensation of a fish bone or splinter in their throats. Wet, thick yellow mucus.

These patients are extremely chilly, irritable and hypersensitive to everything. They want to be wrapped up.

Worse for getting chilled, drafts, early morning, eating and drinking cold things

Better for warmth, heat and warm drinks/food and being alone

Ipecacuanha

A great childrens’ cough remedy which affects the mucus membranes. It will be a spasmodic, suffocative cough which can lead to vomiting. Wheezing with a sudden coughing fit. Tightness of the chest, headache and the patient will be nervous and anxious. Feels nauseus.

Blocked nose, the chest seems full of phlegm but does not yield to coughing.

They are worse from warmth, damp warmth; warm room, south winds, cold nights after warm days, lying down.

Better for open air

Phosphorus

Can be brought on from change of weather or temperature. From windy weather and from getting wet in both a hot or cold environment.

A dry, violent cough with burning and a tickle in the throat that always goes to the chest. There will be a hot feeling in the chest, with burning behind the sternum. Their head feels like it will burst and they will seek reassurance. It will sound like a hollow cough. Their phlegm, catarrh could contain small streaks of blood.

The patient needing this remedy will be anxious, fearful and want company. They are easily reassured though and will love cuddles.

Worse for going from a warm room to a cold room/air; lying on their right side; twilight

Better for touch, massage, reassurance and icy drinks

Pulsatilla

Can be brought on from an emotional upset. They may have feelings of abandonment, grief, forsaken. It can come on from getting their feet wet.

The cough and their symptoms are very changeable i.e. wet cough in morning, dry cough at night etc. There will be thick yellow, green catarrh, mucus with a runny nose. A hacking cough that can lead to retching. They will be extremely clingy and weepy, emotional. Completely thirstless and you will have to insist on them drinking to keep hydrated.

Worse in the evening (@6.00pm), morning, alone, warm air and stuffy room – will want to be fanned or have a window open

Better for cold drinks, massage and rubbing. Better to have a window open

Spongia

This will be a harsh, dry barking, hollow cough. They will tend to sleep into an aggravation. They will experience a burning in the pharynx, chest and it’ll feel like it will burst. They will describe a sore ‘spot’ deep in the chest, almost raw, sore feeling. There will be dryness of the air passages – almost like breathing through a ‘sponge’. The cough will be dry as a bone – like a seal barking. Suffocative cough and feel they are choking on going to sleep.

Worse before midnight, after coughing (it’ll hurt the throat), talking

Better for eating, sucking on a sweet, swallowing, bending their head forward, warm drinks, lying on right side

Other Self Help Tips

Limit the amount of dairy you take in or give to your children. I know it’s difficult for children if on milk but dairy produces more mucus so if possible cut it out whilst the child or yourself is poorly.

Vitamin D3 with K2 as a supplement through the winter will help alongside zinc and vitamin c. If you are coming down with a cold increase your amount of vitamin c to bowel tolerance. Gradually increase throughout the day until you get a loose stool. Our bodies do not store vitamin c so it will be extracted through our guts…. once you get a loose stool you know your body has reached maximum tolerance.

Always keep your body hydrated. Warm, clean water with lemon, honey and salt will help keep your body mineralised. Use himalayan or sea/celtic salt – never table salt. This has been processed and virtually all 82 (bar 2) essential minerals have been removed.

There are some wonderful homemade cough syrup recipes on line – here is just one…..

https://www.emedihealth.com/nutrition/diy-natural-cough-syrup

I will end this blog on another positive – we are over half way through this period of darkness with our days getting longer and longer x remember to be kind to yourselves and others – take care of one another and before you know it, spring will be here along with all that free Vitamin D! To expect the same levels of energy throughout winter as we experience in spring and summer is setting ourselves up for disappointment. Enjoy the longer evenings. Snuggle up, and hibernate just like the rest of nature – and get ready to spring forward – just hold this thought………….. much love x

ALWAYS SEEK THE HELP AND EXPERTISE OF A QUALIFIED HOMEOPATH TO DISCUSS REMEDIES, POTENCY (STRENGTH) AND HOW TO PRESCRIBE. IF NO IMPROVEMENT, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES

References:

https://www.nutrivy.co.uk/blogs/diet-fitness-health-articles/the-benefits-of-vitamin-d3-k2

https://keynutrients.com/blogs/learn/vitamins-d3-and-k2-what-are-the-benefits

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/vitamin-c-for-common-cold#1

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zinc#function