Winter is a miserable time of year for many people and the colder temperatures and winter weather bring a variety of debilitating health concerns for them. Herbs, supplements, diet and lifestyle changes are most useful and many people take extra suplements to help them through the season and maintain their health. But should we do suffer, Homeopathy can deliver a rapid response and many acute health problems can be SAFELY and conveniently dealt with at home. Treating yourself with homoeopathic remedies during a bout of flu or another acute acute ailment is easy as long as you know which remedy matches your symptoms.
So, here are symptoms of some of the more common winter complaints and a few homeopathic remedy suggestions for their relief. Most of the remedies can be used in a 30C potency once daily, or a 6C three times daily and can be ordered from Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy, Ainsworth’s or Nelsons: www.helios.co.uk; Ainsworth’s tel 0207 935 5330; www.nelsonspharmacy.com.
- ACHES & PAINS
Pain in small joints, worse for weather change, cold, touch or motion: Actea spicata
Bruised pain anywhere, better for rest, while lying down, from wine. Worse from pressure, contact or motion: Arnica
Tearing pains, better for warmth, continued motion, stretching of affected parts and worse during rest, cold or rainy weather: Rhus tox
- CHILBLAINS
Symptoms better for warmth and rubbing, worse for cold: Rhus tox
Better for dry warm weather or scratching, worse for warmth: Sulphur
- COMMON COLDS
(Treat each stage of your cold separately to help symptoms pass through quickly)
Colds that occur suddenly from cold, dry weather or cold winds, better in open air, worse at night, in warm room or in cold air: Aconite
Colds with sneezing and burning of mucus membranes, better from heat and worse from cold or wet weather: Arsenicum album
Chronic colds with thick, ropy, greenish-yellow discharges better for heat and worse in the morning: Kali bic
Colds associated with much thin, watery discharge which begins with sneezing, better for open air, worse for heat: Nat mur
- COUGHS
Coughs that are dry at night but loose in the morning with large volumes of sputum, better from open air and cold, worse for warmth: Pulsatilla
Dry, ticklish cough in pit of throat which is worse in the evening and from inhaling cold air: Rumex crispus
- FLU SYMPTOMS
(Prevention is better than cure, so make sure your immune system is at optimum level throughout the winter months!)
Flu with sore throat, fatigue and aching muscles, worse from open air and cold winds: Baptisia tinctoria
Flu of sudden onset with sore, dry throat, high temperatures, better for rest and worse for draughts: Belladonna
Flu with pains in muscles or bones and profound weakness: Eupatorium perfoliatum (Eup perf)
Very useful in the initial stages of influenza, better for lying down and worse for cold air: Ferrum Phos
Flu with shivering, better for open air, worse for damp weather or before a thunderstorm. Also for ailments from influenza: Gelsemium
Hints for a Good Night's Sleep
Sleep or a lack of quality rest are areas of heath that can affect the rest of the body. Sleep deficiency is associated with heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure, so making sure that the quantity and quality of your sleep time are right is important for your general health and wellbeing.
Sleep hygiene is vital ~ ideally sleep in a dark room, without any electronic devices, including & especially your mobile phone ! No blue light interference can make all the difference to your sleep quality and rest. Put your phone/tablet in anither room if possible, and well away from your head at bedtime, Reserve your bed for rest!!
But for those who still struggle, there are supplements which can also help. The minerals zinc and magnesium are both required to convert tryptophan to serotonin and then to melatonin, which controls circadian rhythm (body clock). Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland in the 'third eye' area of the brain and is guided by the action of the lack of light upon it, making it even more helpful for you to sleep in a room that is as dark as possible.
Sour cherry is a good natural source of melatonin and may help reduce time taken to fall asleep and improve sleep quality. Vitamin B6 also affects serotonin as well as increasing GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter needed to facilitate dropping off. Herbal supplements such as 5HTP to improve serotonin; adaptogens (to reduce stress) and chamomile, which mimics the sedating effects of some medications are also helpful for those struggling with lack of sleep.
As with all supplements however, making sure you purchase a reputable brand will ensure that you get the most effective form of nutrient you need, so please ask your homeopath or local independent health store for recommendations.
The Vaccination Issue
Before considering whether you or your family should have a seasonal ‘flu or any 'booster' jab, or indeed any 'of the recommended' vaccines doiung the rounds, remember there are other much SAFER & NATURAL (and certainly painless!) options to prevent you from getting ill:
1) You can take a homeopathic 'flu prophylactic;
2) You can use homeopathic remedies to help your overall constitution and/or herbal remedies and supplements to boost your immune system, especailly Vit D3 and D3 with Vit K2.
3) Make sure your diet contains plenty of Vitamin C, Zinc and Omega 3 and 6;
4) Get as much sunlight as possible. In winter months its is advisable to supplement with s good brand of Vitamin D3;
5) If you do decide to go ahead with a vaccine, then its advisable to consult a qualified homeopath who will be able to prescribe remedies to counteract any side effects.
All vaccinations contain potentially toxic chemicals like aluminium, mercury and formaldehyde, amongst other substances such as animal by-products, as well as the live disease microbe or virus. These often skew our immune systems so there is no guarantee that you won’t get the disease that you’re trying to avoid in the first place, and the risk of an adverse reaction to the jab itself is increased. There are various websites which detail the (quite startling) ingredients of various vaccines that are well worth checking out. Travel vaccinations are (mostly) only recommended and NOT compulsorary, so do think twice about these too.
It is important that you make a well-INFORMED choice for yourself about having ANY vaccination and don’t feel bamboozled or pressurised into having this potentially damaging cocktail of chemicals needlessly introduced into your system. Remember that the seasonal flu jab contains the previous year’s strain of flu as its active ingredient, and so will NOT offer any protection whatsoever against the current year’s mutated version of the virus. Over-use of the flu vaccine and other anti-flu drugs applies genetic pressure on flu viruses themselves so that they are more likely to mutate into a more resistant strain.
You are frankly, better off without travel vaccinations. If you are concerned, consult your homeopath for advice. Vaccines and prescription medicines are huge business for the major pharmaceutical companies who are quite shameless in their tactics to boost 'big pharma' sales.
