Natural News December 1999 – Flu and Cold Season
By Courtney Carpenter

As winter approaches, I see more and more people who have been caught by an -early wave of the flu or colds. So, I have been searching my arsenal for remedies that take the edge off.   I have rediscovered some homeopathic medicines that perhaps you can make use of in the months to come.  Remember that homeopathy offers you a way to get well without side effects, and without worrying about interactions between other medicines and natural products like herbs.

Colds come in several varieties and since there are as many mutations of cold causing viruses as there are people, everyone gets hit a bit differently.   Initially, it can be hard to tell what kind of symptoms will present themselves.   Fortunately, homeopaths have a plan.  They don’t wait for full-blown symptoms, but instead they employ Aconitum napellus “for onset.”  This is the remedy to use when you know you are getting something, but you are not sure how bad it is going to be.  It is also good to give to small children at the first sign of illness, since one generally must see the symptoms as they develop, rather than have a report from the patient. Concerning Aconite, Boericke’s Materia Medica states, “Its sphere is in the beginning of an acute disease and not to be continued after pathological change comes.”  Once that change comes and you know what you are dealing with, then you have a few primary choices.

For colds with watery mucous, tearing eyes and burning nose and especially for a cold that starts with sneezing, choosing Natrum muriaticum may be your best bet.  If symptoms include thicker mucous that requires constant nose blowing, homeopathic golden seal known as Hydrastis canadensis usually works well.  Other characteristic symptoms may include blocked eustacian tubes and ears “roaring,” a peppery taste in the mouth, and yellow or green post-nasal drip.

When fever is present, the classic homeopathic recommendation is to let it take its course, within reason.   Fever makes germs very uncomfortable, similar to the way you might feel in a room heated to 85°.  However, Belladonna is one of the classic remedies when fever is present, characterized by redness of skin and mucous membranes.  It is also primary   for childhood ear infections and for colds where your own voice resonates in your head.  Oscillococcinum®, for the onset of flu, is a “must have.”   If you refuse to believe you have the flu until you are in the middle of it (we have all done it), Gelsemium sempervirens helps to relieve that tired, achy feeling that makes you want to stay in bed. 

Certainly, it is impossible to catalogue the wide variety of homeopathic remedies that may be useful during cold and flu season, but I hope this gives you a better idea of what homeopathics may be used for.

If this all seems a bit overwhelming, you can also find high quality combination remedies for colds and flu, which skirt the need for pinning down symptoms, at your local independent natural foods store, also. No matter which you choose, choose them early and be prepared to have a healthy winter.