Homeopathy is a safe, natural and very effective way of healing your family. I recommend that every family buys a remedy kit from Helios pharmacy in the UK. They have a wonderful kit of 36 remedies in the 30th potency that is great for home use and self-prescribing, and this little kit will cover a lot of the ailments that we get – coughs; colds; non-emergency burns; headaches; falls and scrapes etc.
You have to phone them directly for this kit, as it is not on their website. +44 (0)1892 537254.
Note – if you are my client and are currently taking remedies from me then please don’t self-prescribe without getting in touch first. This will also be the case if you are not my client and are taking remedies under a homeopath. This is because some remedies antidote others and your current progress may well be stopped in its tracks. I regularly check my emails and Facebook page for messages so please get in touch if you need to.
Most acute illnesses come and go with very little trouble if this is the case and you or your child are not experiencing undue discomfort then it is best to let the illness run its course. Most acute illnesses, like colds, only last a few days and pass quickly with no intervention needed, other than making yourself or your children comfortable and drinking plenty of fluids, preferably water. Allowing an acute to run its full course will boost your immunity in the long run.
When looking for an appropriate remedy only use symptoms that have changed since the beginning of the illness e.g. if the patient has become more thirsty and they were normally thirstless, then this symptom is important in considering the remedy needed.
- Make a note of which side of the body is affected.
- Are there any particular times of day when the symptoms are worse?
- What is the quality of any pain? – Sharp? Sore? Bruised? Stabbing? Dull? Etc.
- What is the colour of any expectoration?
- What makes them feel better/worse?
- Any changes in emotions are good indicators too.
In the Helios kit, there is a small booklet that gives a very brief outline of the remedies and I would also recommend a book by Miranda Castro- The Complete Homeopathy Handbook to help with choosing the correct remedy, it has a good description of the most common remedies and a good list of symptoms with remedy suggestions.
Early stages of an acute
As I mentioned earlier it’s better to allow a simple acute to run its course, that way your health gets stronger by boosting your immune system and you build up antibodies to that particular viral/bacterial infection. But sometimes we may want to nip something in the bud, especially if we have an important event planned like a holiday or a wedding. Then, there are two particular remedies that may help.
The first is Aconite. This remedy is indicated when symptoms come on suddenly, especially after being exposed to the cold/wind or getting wet. It’s also indicated for symptoms that come on quickly after a shock, whether that’s emotional or physical. A dose or two of Aconite 30c within the first 24hrs of symptoms beginning can be really great to halt progression.
The second remedy that I sometimes suggest is Ferrum-phos. This is a great little remedy for the beginning stages of anything – fevers/coughs/colds etc. Again, it is best taken during the first 24hrs. and in the 30th potency.
Decide which remedy fits best.
- Tip a remedy from the bottle into the lid and put directly into your mouth without touching the bottle.
- Allow the remedy to dissolve in your mouth for as long as you can. For young children, it may be easier to tip the remedy onto a spoon from the lid.
- For babies, a remedy can be dissolved in a little water and a few drops of the water can be put into babies mouth, they only need a few drops to have a single dose.
In acutes there is often improvement quite quickly, this can range from immediately to a few hours. As long as there is improvement do not repeat the remedy.
If there is improvement for a while and then the same symptoms return – repeat the same remedy – you can do this x 3 times over 24hrs. If the same symptoms keep coming back after 3 doses, then you may not have the correct remedy and it’s best to look again or consult a homeopath.
If symptoms return, but they are different, have another look and check that the original remedy still covers the symptoms, if not, change the remedy.
It’s not unusual to use more than one remedy for an acute as the symptoms change and resolve.
Good luck, and please get in touch if you’d like further help.
Lesley Jeffreys LicWSH
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