For many people, the colder temperatures and winter weather bring a variety of debilitating health problems. Herbs, supplements, diet and lifestyle changes are most useful, but 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 an acute illness is easy as long as you know which remedy matches your symptoms.
So, here are symptoms of some of the more common winter ailments and a few homeopathic remedy suggestions for their relief. 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. Or simply ask your homeopath!
ACHES & PAINS
For pain in small joints that are worse for weather change, cold, touch or motion, the remedy you need is Actea spicata
For bruised pain anywhere better for rest, when lying down or from wine that are Worse from pressure, contact or motion, you need Arnica
For tearing pains better for warmth, continued motion, stretching of affected parts and worse during rest, cold or rainy weather, take Rhus tox
CHILBLAINS
If your chilblain symptoms are better for warmth and rubbing, worse for cold you need Rhus tox
If they are better for dry warm weather or scratching and worse for warmth, Sulphur is the remedy.
COMMON COLDS
(Treat each stage of your cold separately to help symptoms pass through quickly)
For cold symptoms that occur suddenly from cold dry weather or cold winds and if they are better in open air, worse at night, in warm room or in cold air, take Aconite
For colds with sneezing and burning of mucus membranes, better from heat and worse from cold or wet weather, you need Arsenicum album
Chronic colds with thick, ropy, greenish-yellow discharges that are better for heat and worse in the morning, take Kali bic
Colds associated with much thin, watery discharge which begins with sneezing and better for open air but worse for heat, you need Nat mur
COUGHS
For coughs that are dry at night but loose in the morning with large volumes of sputum but better from open air and cold, worse for warmth, take 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!)
For flu with sore throat, fatigue and aching muscles, worse from open air and cold winds, Baptisia is your remedy
Flu of sudden onset with sore, dry throat, high temperatures, better for rest and worse for draughts, take Belladonna
For flu that has pains in muscles or bones and profound weakness, Eupatorium is for you
Ferrum Phos is very useful in the initial stages of influenza with syptoms that are better for lying down and worse for cold air
For flu with shivering, better for open air, worse for damp weather or before a thunderstorm and for various ailments from influenza, Gelsemium
Some Sleep Tips For You
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 devices. No blue light interference can make all the difference to your sleep quality and 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 a covid booster jab, or indeed any 'recommended' vaccine, remember there are other much SAFER & NATURAL (and certainly painless!) options to prevent you from getting ill this winter:
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, particularly Vit D3;
3) Make sure your diet contains plenty of Vitamin C, Zinc and Omega 3 and 6;
4) Get as much sunlight as possible.
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 such as aluminium, mercury and formaldehyde, amongst other substances such as animal by-products, as well as the live disease microbe or virus. These can 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. The website http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html gives details of what’s in vaccinations. Travel vaccinations are (mostly) only recommended and NOT compulsorary so think twice.
It is important that you make an 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 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.
