Have the COUGH's started in your house?
If it's "cough" time of year in your household, you might want to read up so you're ready for the onslaught!
Cough's can sometimes be pretty hard to find a remedy to match, especially when there's so many Cough remedies in the Materia Medica - 427!
So, we have to start looking a bit further into the cough and how the patient is presenting. This is where Homoeopathy is so unique in its approach - always looking at how the symptoms are presenting in the patient, as opposed to “just” looking at “what” condition it is. Here's some questions you may want to think about:
Firstly, try and ascertain if it’s a dry or a loose cough.
If it's a loose cough, are they able to "cough" up the phlegm or does it seem to be "stuck". Where is it stuck eg the lungs or the throat?
What's the colour of the phlegm if it does come up? What’s the consistency of the phlegm like?
Have a think about when the cough is at its worst?
What makes it worse eg movement, lying down, talking etc?
And at the same time what makes it feel better? Do they want to just lie still and hold their chest or do they just become really restless?
What's their thirst like?
Do they want small or large quantities of water?
Most importantly, what's their temperament like - eg wants to be left alone, wants company, child is clingy, scared, irritable etc?
These are all questions you can ask yourself which can help narrow down your choices.
If you’ve got a cough and not sure which Homoeopathic remedy to start with, you might want to have a look at these remedies:
ACONITE:
Temperament: From mental/emotional shocks; anxiety & restlessness; fear of death
Dry, hoarse cough that can be irritating, short, tickling
Patients breathing is fast with shortness of breath
Especially worse after being exposed to a cold, dry wind
Patient is often fearful, anxious, frightened
Better: Open air; rest; sitting still
Worse: At night; during fever; dry, cold air; being chilled by cold winds; from fright, shock
ARSENICUM:
Temperament: Can be angry or anxious, especially at 3am or after midnight; desires company and worries they’ll never get well again; restless mentally & physically
Dry cough at night
Exhausting, hacking, loose
Difficulty in breathing, fast & wheezing
Tickling in the larynx
Copious mucus, frothy, tastes salty
Sweating
Cough can be loose or dry, more often dry at night
Patient prefers to lie down, but propped up with pillows underneath their shoulders
Better: For hot drinks; hot, dry applications; from motion and walking about; from company
Worse: For cold; cold drinks; fresh air; during the evening; lying down; after midnight (may wake up coughing 1-2am), at night during fever
DROSERA:
Temperament: Easily angered; obstinate; restless; very uneasy; anxiety when alone
Barking, deep cough
Dry at night
Violent fits of coughing, hacking, irritating, suffocative
Breathing is fast and difficult
Patient can feel tickling in the larynx, pain in chest - will hold chest with hands to cough
Nosebleeds can also be present, along with blue face, hoarse voice, retching & vomiting of mucus
Can be useful for coughs that develop after measles
Patient can be anxious
Better: For pressure; open air; motion; sitting up in bed
Worse: After midnight, after drinking, for lying down, for talking; cold food
KALI SULPH:
Temperament: angry; anxious especially when indoors or overheated; irritable
Rattling, whooping cough
Mucus is hard for the patient to cough up, has to swallow what does come up
Often the mucus is yellow and thick
The tongue can also be coated yellow
Better: walking; fasting; cool; open air
Worse: night; warm room or other forms of heat - warm air; warm wraps; warm weather
If you need some help with the coughs in your house, why not book in for an Acute Consultation to get everyone back on track.
