Post by Val Young on Mar 26, 2009 17:43:13 GMT
HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR COUGHS
Coughs come in many different guises and affect people differently – match the patient’s symptoms to the remedies below.
Dose - 30 potency repeated four hourly for a day or two.
OR 6 potency three times a day until relief is obtained.
Coughs are usually caused by an irritation to the air passages such as you would get from a cold; but also from habitual smoking.
Coughs that accompany colds usually clear up when the cold gets better.
If the patient is susceptible to constant / regular coughs they are best treated by a qualified homeopath as this would indicate that constitutional treatment is needed.
SELF HELP - To relieve and alleviate symptoms you may prescribe one of the following remedies for yourself, matching your symptoms with the remedy.
ACONITE – can be brought on with exposure to cold dry wind. The cough is short and dry or a hard, dry ringing cough, the patient has a feeling of suffocation.
ANT TART – this is a persistent rattling cough affecting the respiration. There is a lot sticky phlegm which is difficult to cough up. A sudden feeling of suffocation which causes the patient to sit up. The patient has a sunken, sickly, pale or bluish complexion.
ARSEN ALB – there is much wheezing and frothy phlegm. The patient cannot breathe freely or fully. Very restless and anxious, noticeably weak and exhausted. Worse from midnight to 2a.m.
BELLADONNA - a dry tickling cough with violent outbursts. The larynx is very dry, the cough feels as if it will burst the head open. A coughing fit ends in sneezing or with a whoop. A child will begin to cry just before a coughing fit starts.
BRYONIA – a hard dry spasmodic cough which shakes the whole body. Accompanied by stitches and soreness in the chest and with a bursting headache. The patient want to sigh, but deep breathing hurts. Is peevish and wants to be left alone. Thirsty for large cold drinks at long intervals but hot drinks do help the cough. The patient holds both the chest and the head when coughing. Worse from cold dry weather, at night and after eating or drinking. Also worse for any movement.
CAUSTICUM – this is a hard cough that racks the whole chest which seems to be full of mucus. There is rawness in the throat and hoarseness of voice. The patient swallows phlegm as they are unable to bring it up. A drink of cold water gives some relief. There may be uncontrolled urination on coughing.
DROSERA – a violent tickle in the larynx brings on a fit of coughing. The cough is deep in the chest and is accompanied by retching and gagging. The cough causes pain under the ribs which makes the patient hold onto the lower chest. The cough is worse at night and better in the open air. This remedy is very good for treating whooping cough.
HEPAR SULPH – suffocating coughing spells, croup. The patient is chilly and sweaty and thirsty for hot drinks. Worse in cold dry weather and on breathing cold air. The patient feels worse on uncovering any part of the body, even a hand out of bed aggravates. The patient feels better in warm, moist weather.
IPECAC - a spasmodic and suffocating cough with rattling breathing early on in the illness. There is wheezing and a sensation of a weight in the chest. There is constant nausea which is not relieved by vomiting. The tongue is clean. A child may become blue and go stiff.
KALI BICH - persistent cough with tough, lumpy or stringy mucus. Constant hawking to try to clear the chest.
NUX VOM – a dry teasing or spasmodic cough with gagging and retching. The patient is feverish, cannot move or uncover without feeling very chilly. The cough causes a bursting headache and the patient is oversensitive to the slightest stimulation. Worse in cold dry windy weather.
PHOSPHORUS – a very exhausting dry, hard, tickling cough that racks the body. There is a tickle in the larynx, or lower down. The cough causes a bursting headache and the patient must hold the chest because of the pain caused. There is tightness in the chest with a sensation of weight or oppression. A thirst for cold iced drinks which are vomited after being warmed in the stomach. Worse for any change in temperature, on lying down at night, laughing, talking, eating or lying on the left side.
PULSATILLA – a dry, teasing persistent cough, sometimes with spells of gagging or choking. The patient is tearful, doesn’t like heat and is neither hungry nor thirsty. There is a desire for air and open windows. Worse for taking a breath; in a warm room; in the evening; when lying down; difficulty sleeping.
RHUS TOX - a dry teasing cough with a tickle deep in the chest. There is a taste of blood though no blood is seen. The patient is very restless and must keep moving. Worse at night; uncovering any part of the body, even a hand and in cold wet weather.
RUMEX – a spasmodic dry cough, or with tenacious, stringy phlegm. A coughing fit is preceded by a violent tickling in the throat pit. There is hoarseness with a constant desire to hawk. The patient is sensitive to open air. A peculiar feature of this cough is that inhaled air feels cold. Worse for breathing cold air, (covers the mouth) soon after lying down at night and on waking in the morning.
SPONGIA – a noisy rasping cough but without any wheezing or rattling. The patient wakes choking at night, greatly alarmed and coughing violently. There may be tough phlegm which is difficult to cough up and is usually swallowed. Hot drinks give some relief as does eating. Worse talking, singing, swallowing and lying with the head low.
Coughs come in many different guises and affect people differently – match the patient’s symptoms to the remedies below.
Dose - 30 potency repeated four hourly for a day or two.
OR 6 potency three times a day until relief is obtained.
Coughs are usually caused by an irritation to the air passages such as you would get from a cold; but also from habitual smoking.
Coughs that accompany colds usually clear up when the cold gets better.
If the patient is susceptible to constant / regular coughs they are best treated by a qualified homeopath as this would indicate that constitutional treatment is needed.
SELF HELP - To relieve and alleviate symptoms you may prescribe one of the following remedies for yourself, matching your symptoms with the remedy.
ACONITE – can be brought on with exposure to cold dry wind. The cough is short and dry or a hard, dry ringing cough, the patient has a feeling of suffocation.
ANT TART – this is a persistent rattling cough affecting the respiration. There is a lot sticky phlegm which is difficult to cough up. A sudden feeling of suffocation which causes the patient to sit up. The patient has a sunken, sickly, pale or bluish complexion.
ARSEN ALB – there is much wheezing and frothy phlegm. The patient cannot breathe freely or fully. Very restless and anxious, noticeably weak and exhausted. Worse from midnight to 2a.m.
BELLADONNA - a dry tickling cough with violent outbursts. The larynx is very dry, the cough feels as if it will burst the head open. A coughing fit ends in sneezing or with a whoop. A child will begin to cry just before a coughing fit starts.
BRYONIA – a hard dry spasmodic cough which shakes the whole body. Accompanied by stitches and soreness in the chest and with a bursting headache. The patient want to sigh, but deep breathing hurts. Is peevish and wants to be left alone. Thirsty for large cold drinks at long intervals but hot drinks do help the cough. The patient holds both the chest and the head when coughing. Worse from cold dry weather, at night and after eating or drinking. Also worse for any movement.
CAUSTICUM – this is a hard cough that racks the whole chest which seems to be full of mucus. There is rawness in the throat and hoarseness of voice. The patient swallows phlegm as they are unable to bring it up. A drink of cold water gives some relief. There may be uncontrolled urination on coughing.
DROSERA – a violent tickle in the larynx brings on a fit of coughing. The cough is deep in the chest and is accompanied by retching and gagging. The cough causes pain under the ribs which makes the patient hold onto the lower chest. The cough is worse at night and better in the open air. This remedy is very good for treating whooping cough.
HEPAR SULPH – suffocating coughing spells, croup. The patient is chilly and sweaty and thirsty for hot drinks. Worse in cold dry weather and on breathing cold air. The patient feels worse on uncovering any part of the body, even a hand out of bed aggravates. The patient feels better in warm, moist weather.
IPECAC - a spasmodic and suffocating cough with rattling breathing early on in the illness. There is wheezing and a sensation of a weight in the chest. There is constant nausea which is not relieved by vomiting. The tongue is clean. A child may become blue and go stiff.
KALI BICH - persistent cough with tough, lumpy or stringy mucus. Constant hawking to try to clear the chest.
NUX VOM – a dry teasing or spasmodic cough with gagging and retching. The patient is feverish, cannot move or uncover without feeling very chilly. The cough causes a bursting headache and the patient is oversensitive to the slightest stimulation. Worse in cold dry windy weather.
PHOSPHORUS – a very exhausting dry, hard, tickling cough that racks the body. There is a tickle in the larynx, or lower down. The cough causes a bursting headache and the patient must hold the chest because of the pain caused. There is tightness in the chest with a sensation of weight or oppression. A thirst for cold iced drinks which are vomited after being warmed in the stomach. Worse for any change in temperature, on lying down at night, laughing, talking, eating or lying on the left side.
PULSATILLA – a dry, teasing persistent cough, sometimes with spells of gagging or choking. The patient is tearful, doesn’t like heat and is neither hungry nor thirsty. There is a desire for air and open windows. Worse for taking a breath; in a warm room; in the evening; when lying down; difficulty sleeping.
RHUS TOX - a dry teasing cough with a tickle deep in the chest. There is a taste of blood though no blood is seen. The patient is very restless and must keep moving. Worse at night; uncovering any part of the body, even a hand and in cold wet weather.
RUMEX – a spasmodic dry cough, or with tenacious, stringy phlegm. A coughing fit is preceded by a violent tickling in the throat pit. There is hoarseness with a constant desire to hawk. The patient is sensitive to open air. A peculiar feature of this cough is that inhaled air feels cold. Worse for breathing cold air, (covers the mouth) soon after lying down at night and on waking in the morning.
SPONGIA – a noisy rasping cough but without any wheezing or rattling. The patient wakes choking at night, greatly alarmed and coughing violently. There may be tough phlegm which is difficult to cough up and is usually swallowed. Hot drinks give some relief as does eating. Worse talking, singing, swallowing and lying with the head low.