HOMOEOPATHY FOR WINTER ILLNESS

Even though we enjoy wintery mornings and enjoy the cold weather , let us not forget the repercussions of winter. To enjoy this weather and in good health some health precautions are needed.

Winter can be a tough time for people who tend to have a weaker immune system . During winters, the body heat usually experiences a drop as the environment cools. At the same time the body is adjusting to the new climate. As a result the change in the process is demonstrated through a number of diseases. Adults as well as the children are very susceptible to the change in climate. Children especially end to be more absent from school and are more prone to catch a lot of winter related diseases as their immunity is still developing.

During these months we are susceptible to diseases and should know how to manage ourselves better. Most of the diseases affect both adults and children.

Let’s take a look at some common winter woes:

COMMON COLD-- – The direct result of the loss of body heat due to an obvious drop in the temperatures leads to cold. However, one is more likely to catch cold even one keeps switching over warm and cool environment owing to air conditioners. It’s important to keep ACs at an even temperature during winter. Prevent this infection by washing your hands regularly.

FLU-- – Shield yourself from chilly winds, wear warm clothes. This illness is airborne and hence beyond a point there is no control over it.

ITCHY SKIN-– A lot of derm-sensitive people develop itchy skin during winter. Keep your skin moisturized with petroleum jelly, coconut oil or almond oil regularly.

HEADACHE-- – Cold winds can sometimes play havoc on your head. Hence, shield yourself with a warm muffler or scarf.

SORE THROAT--– They are common in winter and are usually caused by viral infections. Gargle with warm salty water, it really helps in soothing the throat due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

ASTHMA-- – Cold air is a major trigger of asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. People with asthma should be especially careful in winter, be regular with your medicines and keep reliever inhalers close by.

PAINFUL JOINTS--– Many people with arthritis experience painful and stiff joints in winter. Daily exercise can boost a person’s mental and physical state and thus overall health.

HEART ATTACKS--– Heart attacks are more common in winter. This may be because cold weather increases blood pressure and puts more strain on the heart. Your heart also has to work harder to maintain body heat when it’s cold. Stay warm.

BRONCHIOLITIS -– Bronchiolitis is a common viral respiratory infection in young children. It is most frequently seen in children less than 12 months old. Symptoms include nasal congestion, cough, low-grade fevers, and wheezing.

 PNEUMONIA--- – Unlike the other common winter illness, pneumonia is often caused by a bacterial infection. It can present in many different ways. Sometimes it starts as a cold that just continues to worsen. If your child has had a cold for several days and suddenly develops a high fever and worsening cough, this could be a sign of pneumonia and you should seek medical help.

 TONSIL INFECTION-- – It causes irritation of the throat, pain in the throat, enlarged tonsils and the child is unable to gulp food or liquids. Eating anything cold may trigger this or even a virus or bacteria in the air can cause it. Avoid feeding your child anything cold when the weather is cold.

ACUTE EAR INFECTION--– This leads to ear pain, blocked ears, itchy Ears. Excessive cold may result into an acute ear infection. Another cause of bacterial ear infection is due to moisture in the ear. A ear infection can occur even overnight, so it is best to identify it at the earliest.

Stay healthy this  season with Homoeopathic medicines. Eat freshly cooked food preferably warm and choose immunity boosting vegetables to fight off small colds and coughs.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Homoeopathy today is a rapidly growing system and is being practiced all over the world. It strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual through promotion of inner balance  at mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels. When Winter diseases are concerned there are many effective medicines available in Homoeopathy , but the selection depends upon the individuality of the patient , considering mental and physical symptoms.

Homoeopathic medicines are effective both for controlling and preventing winter diseases.

ALUMINA 30—Alumina is prescribed for skin symptoms worse in winter. Red rhagades on hands, worse in winter and from washing.

AMMONIUM BROMATUM 30—Ammonium bromatum is indicated for fever troubled with cold in winter. Must warm feet even in warm room.

AMMONIUM CARBONICUM 30—Ammonium carb is prescribed for cold in winter season. Catch cold easily in winter. Profuse watery coryza. Discharge of sharp, burning water. Stoppage of nose at night with long continued coryza. Cannot breathe through nose. Snuffles of children. Ammonium carb is suited to overweight persons, scrofulous children and stout and sedentary women.

ARGENTUM NITRICUM 30—Argentum nitricum is indicated for violent pain in chest and shoulders pressing inward, returning every winter.

ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA 30—Asclepias tuberose is effective of diarrhea in winter. Diarrhea worse in winter. Stool with a feeling as stream of fire passing through abdomen. Stools like white of eggs , yellow, green, clammy, enveloped in froth like moss. Stools smell like rotten eggs or burn like fire.

BISMUTHUM 30—Bismuthum is prescribed, where headache returning in winter season. Cutting or pressure above right orbit extending to occiput. Headache alternates with stomach pain.

BRYONIA ALBA 30—Bryonia alba is prescribed for cough during the winter season. Cough , which is dry, or mucus  very difficult to cough out.  The patient experiences severe chest pain during coughing. Cough worse from motion, and better when taking rest. There is an increased thirst for large quantities of water. Inflammatory rheumatism in winter

CASTOR EQUI 30—Castor equi  is prescribed, where the person dreams of fruit hanging on trees in winter.

CHAMOMILLA 30—Chamomilla is best for cough in winter. Cough and hoarseness with rattling mucus trachea, especially during winter. Rough , scraping cough of children in winter with tickling in supra sterna fossa, worse at night.  Cough worse at 9-12 p.m during sleep, does not wake up the child. Hot coryza with obstruction of nose inability to  sleep.

DOLICHOS PRURIENS 30—Dolichos is indicated for itching in winter. Itching without eruption. Itching first on feet, every winter higher up, after 7 years reaches hip and abdomen. Itching , worse at night. Itching with liver problems.

FLOURIC ACID 30—Flouric acid is prescribed, where sensation of increased ability to exercise his muscles without fatigue. Flouric acid is less affected by excessive heat in summer or in cold weather.

GELSEMIUM SEMP. 30—Gelsemium is indicated for flu symptoms during winter season. There is running nose, which is bland and sneezing accompanied by pain in eyes and head. The patient may also experience weakness, dizziness, and drowsiness . There is frequent and violent chilliness up and down the back, face flushed and dark red. Aching pain in muscles . No thirst , but severe headache is a leading symptom. Hoarseness with dryness of throat, burning in larynx, descending into trachea. Cough from tickling and dryness of fauces. Sensation of soreness in chest when coughing.

HEPAR SUPHURIS 30—Hepar sulph is indicated for loss of voice and cough in winter or when exposed to dry, cold wind. Cough excited when any part of the body gets cold or uncovered. Whitlows occurring  on upper limbs every winter for several years is another symptom of Hepar sulph

KALI BROMATUM 30—Kali bromatum is best for slightly elevated , smooth, red patches like urticaria , but with hardened bases like erythema nososum ,  especially in winter. Itching worse at night in bed and in high temperature.

KALI BICHROMICUM 30—Kali bichromicum is prescribed for winter complaints with complete nasal obstruction, worse in the cold , better with heat , accompanied by a nasal tone of voice and thick, stringy mucus.

KREOSOTUM 30—Kreosotum is indicated for violent witer cough of old people, with spasmodic turns at night, and very copious light colored mucous sputa. Also pain or pressure referable to sternum.   

NUX VOMICA 30—Nuxica  vomica is effective for stuffy  colds, snuffles after exposure to dry, cold atmosphere, worse in warm room. Coryza , fluent in day time, stuffed up at night or alternates between nostrils. Sneezing , violent, abortive from  intense crawling in nostrils. Acrid discharge, but with stuffed up feeling. Difficulty  in breathing.

PETROLEUM 30—Petroleum is one of the top remedies for skin complaints during winter season. Deep cracks appear in folds, nipples, finger tips etc. Scaly eruptions on hand in winter.  Dirty , hard, rough, thickened skin like parchment. Ulcers in winter.  Skin gets raw, festers or won’t heal, worse in folds. Slightest scratch makes skin suppurate. Thick, greenish, crusts, burning and itching, redness, raw, cracks bleed easily. Eczema in winter. Chilblains, moist, itch and burn, become purple.

PSORINUM 200—Psorinum is another top remedy for winter complaints of skin. Eruption appear around toes and finger nails in winter. Skin dirty, scabby, greasy, breaks out in folds. Intolerable itching is another character which is worse from heat of bed. Herpetic eruptions , especially on scalp and bends of joints with itching. Eczema behind ears. Excrescences disappear in summer, only to occur again in winter. All skin complaints are worse in winter.

RHUS TOXICODENDRON 30—Rhus tox is indicated for inflammatory rheumatism worse in winter. Slight hacking cough in winter.

RUMEX CRISPUS 30—Rumex is a remedy for cough in winter. Cough originally produced by cold air during winter. Cough worse by laying down, and especially 11 o’clock at night. Cough is excited by tickling  behind the sternum and attended by a sprain like aching near sternum and with accumulation of mucus in fauces near the posterior nares.

SEPIA OFFICINALIS 30—Sepia is another winter remedy , where catarrh every winter with violent coughing; after being in a draft cough tormenting and dry. Severe orthopnoea , had to sit straight up day and night, with horrible anxiety about a rattling in chest, with soreness as if raw on chest. The person fears to suffocate.

STANNUM METALLICUM 30—Stannum met is a remedy of constipation appearing  every Monday or on days after a fete, but only in winter, while the rest of the week the stools were regular. There is fullness in lower part of abdomen, with swelling, malaise, great heat in head , better in open air, returing in house, with ill-humor and sadness. The person felt hungry at noon but no appetite in evening.

STAPHYSAGRIA 30—Staphysagria is indicated for croupy cough in winter, alternating with sciatica in summer. Cough drove him out of bed compelling him to sit up all night, could not breath while lying down. Sensation as if  something were loose in pit of stomach, like loose flesh, that pulled every time he coughed. Cough excited by tobacco smoke.

SULPHUR 200—Sulpjur is prescribed, where deafness and surging noise in right ear in winter , worse on excitement or moving. Rheumatism in winter, worse warm in bed; at night, pain in face , comes on 11 to 12 p.m. Head ache , worse in winter.  Ulcer of more tha two years on duration on left leg, above outer malleolus, as large as a quarter dollar, with areola much swelled , very hard, dull purplish red, stinging pains, scanty discharge. Before appearance of ulcer had much rheumatism, better in winter, worse before a storm. Feet hot at night , keeps them out of bed.

SYPHILLINUM 200—Syphillinum is indicated for chronic asthma in summer, especially when the weather was warm and damp; most frequently in evening, passing off at daybreak; soreness of chest, with great anguish and inability to retain a recumbent position. In Winter severe bronchial cough succeeded asthmatic attacks. A regular type of chills and fever developed; suffered from this many years before. Cold pain in legs .