HomeopathicMedicinesfortheCommonCold

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ByDanaUllmanMPH,CCH
(ExcerptedfromHomeopathicMedicineforChildrenandInfants,Tarcher/Putnam)
Theinformationprovidedhereisnotonlyapplicabletochildrenbuttomostpeoplewiththecommoncold.
REMEDIESLISTEDINCAPITALLETTERSREPRESENTMOREFREQUENTLYINDICATEDREMEDIES
Noteverycoldneedstobetreated,sincethebody'snaturalreactiontothecoldvirusisahealthyresponse.Consider
treatingacoldifthesymptomsaresignificantlydisturbingthechild,iftheconditionlingers,orifthechildneedsto
attendaspecialeventwithouthavingrespiratorydifficulties.
ACONITUM:Thisremedyisusefulprimarilyduringthefirst24hoursaftertheonsetofacold.Typically,thechild
developshercoldorcoughafterbeingexposedtodrycoldweather.Shewakesfromsleepwithadry,hoarse,
croupycough,especiallyworseatnightandaftermidnight.Shehasadrymouth,shortnessofbreath,andlittle
expectoration.Thecoughisworsefrombeingcold,drinkingcoldwater,fromtobaccosmoke,lyingoneitherside,
andatnight.
ALLIUMCEPA:Thiscommonremedyforcoldsiseffectivewhenthechildhasaprofuse,fluent,burningnasal
dischargewhichisworseinawarmroomandbetterinopenair.Thenasaldischargewillirritatethechild'snostrils,
causingpainfromsimplywipinghisnose.Hemayalsohaveprofusebland(nonburning)tearingfromtheeyes.He
hasreddenedeyesandatendencytorubthem.Healsotendstohavearawfeelinginthenosewithatingling
sensationaswellasviolentsneezing.Sometimesthedischargestartsintheleftnostrilandmovestotheright.The
childmayoccasionallyexperienceacongestiveheadacheinthefrontpartofthehead.
Anasbarbariae:Althoughthismedicine(commonlymarketedas"Oscillococcinum")isprimarilyeffectiveintreating
influenza,homeopathshavealsofoundthatitcanalsobehelpfulintreatingthecommoncold.Therearenoknown
symptomsfromwhichtoindividualizetreatment,thoughithasbeenfoundtobeveryeffectivewhenusedwithin48
hoursofonsetofsymptoms.Considergivingitifyoudon'tknowwhichothermedicinetogive.
Arsenicum:Thesechildrenhaveaburningnasaldischargethatirritatesthenostrilsandupperlip.Theyarevery
chillyandaresensitivetodraftsorcoldair.Theymay,infact,sneezefromanychangeintemperature.Typically,the
coldbeginsinthenoseandmovesdowntothethroat(onceitgoesdownintothechestadifferentremedyisusually
needed).Theyalsohavedrynessofthemouththatleadstoagreatthirstbutforonlysipsofwateratatime.
Belladonna:Thisremedyshouldbeconsideredwhenthereisasuddenstoppingofnasaldischarge,anditis
replacedbyacongestive,usuallythrobbing,headacheandhighfever.
Bryonia:LikechildrenwhoneedBelladonna,childrenwhoneedthisremedyhavelittleornonasaldischargebuta
moreprominentheadpainovertheforehead.Ratherthanthrobbingpainhowever,thesechildrenhaveadullache.
Theysneezeoftenwhichmaycausestitchingpainontopofthehead.Thelessthenasaldischarge,themorepainful
becomestheheadache.Theirmouthisdry,aswellastheirthroat,andtheymayalsohaveadrycough.Theyare
verythirstyforcolddrinks.Theyfeelworseinawarmroom.
Calcareacarb:ThisremedyisforinfantsorchildrenwhoexperiencefrequentcoldsandwhofitthetypicalCalccarb
syndrome.Thesechildrenarechillyandverysensitivetoanythingcold,thoughtheyprefertodrinkicedrinks.They
maydeveloptheircoldafterbeingchilled.Theysweatprofuselyandhaveasourperspiration.Likewise,theirstools
aresoursmelling.Typically,thesechildrenarefairskinnedandpudgywithpoormuscletone.Theymayconcurrently

getasorethroatwithswellingofthetonsilsandlymphnodes.Theyhaveathickyellowishnasaldischargeand
rattlingrespirationduetoloosemucusinthethroatandchest.
EUPHRASIA:ChildrenwhoneedEuphrasiahaveprofuseburningtearsfromtheeyesandablandnasaldischarge.
Thewhitesoftheeyesandthecheeksbecomereddenedfromtheburningtears.Theeyesymptomsareworsein
theopenair.Theprofuseblandnasaldischarge,oftenaccompaniedbysneezing,isworseatnight,whilelyingdown,
andinwindyweather.Afteradayortwooftheseprofusedischarges,thecoldthenmovestothelarnyx,creatinga
hardcoughandahoarsevoice.Thecoughisworseinthedaytimeandisamelioratedbylyingdown.
Ferrumphos:Thisremedyiseffectiveforchildrenwhogetheadcoldswithnosebleedsorwhohavebloodintheir
nasaldischarge.
Gelsemium:Childrenwhoneedthisremedyexperienceawaterynasaldischarge,sneezing,andfullnessattheroot
ofthenose.Concurrentwiththiscoldmaybeafever,bodyaches,generalfatigue,achinginthebackpartofthe
head,andsometimesasorethroat.
Heparsulphur:Thisremedyisindicatedforchildrenwhosneezefromtheleastexposuretocoldair.Theirnasal
dischargeisthickandyellow,andtheirnostrilsandthebonesofthenoseareverysore.Thenasalpassagesare
sensitivetocoldair.Sometimesthesechildrenconcurrentlyhaveaheadache.Typically,theyaresensitivetotouch
andaregenerallyirritable.
Kalibic:Stringy,ropy,yellowmucusischaracteristicofchildrenwhoneedthisremedy.Whenchildrengetathick,
viscidnasaldischarge,thismedicineisinvaluable.Theymayalsoexperiencepostnasaldripwithtenaciousmucus
andpainattherootofthenosewhichisbetterfromapplyingpressurethere.Theremaybeaconstantinclinationto
blowthenose.Thedischarge,alongwiththesneezing,isworsebyexposuretocoldorintheopenair.Sometimes
thesechildrengetaswollenthroatwhichisrelievedbywarmliquids.Acoughmayalsooccurconcurrently.
Natrummur:Thisremedyismostoftengiventochildrenwhogetrecurrentcoldsandwhosesymptomsmatchthe
certainNatrummurcharacteristics.Thesechildrentendtodeveloptheirsymptomsafteranemotionalexperience,
especiallyaftergrief.Death,divorce,unrequitedlove,orhomesicknessmaycreateagriefthatisnotfullyexpressed,
eventuallyleadingtovariousphysicalcomplaints.Theyexperiencefrequentsneezingandaprofusewatery
dischargefromthenoseandeyes,andalossoftasteandsmell.Eventually,thenasaldischargemayleadtoastate
ofchronicnasalcongestionandthickwhitemucus.Theirsymptomsareworseinthemorning,atwhichtimethey
usuallyhawkupmuchmucus.Dryandcrackedlipsoracoldsoremayaccompanythecold.
Nuxvomica:Thesechildrendeveloptheircoldafteroverindulginginovereatingofrichfoodsorafterprolonged
mentaloremotionalstress.Thenosealternatesbetweenhavingafluentdischargeandbeingdryandblocked.The
dischargeisusuallyfluentinthedaytimeandobstructedatnight.Thismedicineisalsoacommonremedyforthe
snifflesinnewborns.
PULSATILLA:Thisremedyiscommonlygiventochildrenwhoexperienceeitheracuteorchroniccolds.Typically,
theyhaveathick,yelloworgreenishmucus,andablanddischarge(adischargethatdoesnotirritateorburnthe
nostrilsorfacialskin).Theyhavenasalcongestionthatisworseatnight,especiallyuponlyingdown,whichleadsto
mouthbreathingduringsleep.Nasalcongestiontendstoalternatesides.Thiscongestionisworseinawarmroom
andismorefluentintheopenair.Theysometimesdeveloptheircoldafteroverindulginginfattyorrichfoods.
Despitehavingadrymouth,theyarethirstless.Pulsatillaisaverycommonremedyforthesnifflesinnewborns,
especiallywhentheirnasaldischargeisyelloworgreen.ThechildrenwhomostcommonlyfitthePulsatillasyndrome
areemotional,sensitive,andeasilyhurt.Theyaremoodyandweepeasily.Theycraveaffectionandsympathyand
cannotgetenoughofit.Theyareimpressionaonable,somuchsothatifparentsareworriedabouttheirchild's
health,thechildwilltendtogetworse,whileifparentsareconfidentthatthechildwillgetbetter,thechildusually
does.