Five Homeopathic remedies to treat colds and flu this winter season.

By: Dr. Chantell Groenewald (M. Tech Hom UJ)

The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. There are many different viral infections that can cause the common cold, but the infection is generally harmless and self-limiting.

Symptoms include:
 Sore throat
 Nasal congestion
 Sneezing
 Low grade fever
 Cough
 Malaise

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a viral infection that targets your respiratory system including your nose, throat and lungs. There are two types of influenza viruses, influenza A and influenza B, that are mainly responsible for the seasonal flu epidemics each year. The virus is spread from person to person through sputum droplets spray when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

Symptoms include:
 Fever
 Chills
 Body aches and pains
 Cough
 Runny or congested nose
 Sore throat
 Headache
 Diarrhoea
 Vomiting

Anyone can get influenza and develop mild to severe symptoms. Individuals with a
compromised immune system, pregnant women, the elderly and young children are most at risk for developing flu-related complications.

A healthy immune system plays an important role in cold and flu prevention as well as a fast recovery:
1. Get enough sleep: 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night is important for
maintaining healthy levels of cortisol. Chronic low-levels of cortisol supresses the
immune system and can contribute to developing recurrent colds and flu with poor
recovery time.
2. Vitamin SUN: Vitamin D is expressed on our immune cells and play an important role
in maintaining a healthy immune system. Some studies suggest that most of our
population is in fact deficient in Vitamin D. The sun is the best source of Vitamin D,
so catch up on some winter sun during the flu season. If a blood test reveals that you
are deficient in Vitamin D, then you need to talk to your health care practitioner who
can prescribe a suitable supplement.
3. Eat 5-7 servings of vegetables each day: A healthy diet is key to a healthy immune
system. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day promotes healthy
biological pathways which helps protect us from disease.
4. Maintain a healthy gut: 70% of our immune system resides in our gut. Gut
permeability contributes to low level inflammation and supresses our immune
system. Avoid foods that can cause inflammation such as sugar, processed foods,
additives and preservatives. Include foods rich in pre and probiotics like kefir or
kombucha with gut healing bacteria.
5. Stress management: Chronically elevated levels of cortisol contributes to chronic
inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with chronic disease which can put
you at risk for developing recurrent colds and flu or serious flu related complications.
Homeopathy is a safe and gentle system of cure that uses various substances from the
plant, mineral and animal kingdom to treat various health conditions. The substances used can cause the symptoms the remedy is indicated for when used in its crude form and treat the same symptom picture when used in a diluted form (likes cures likes). This means that each person will receive a unique remedy suited to their specific set of symptoms.

Homeopathic remedies undergo a process of serial dilution and succession making it 100% safe to use for anyone, including babies and pregnant women.
Homeopathic remedies useful in the treatment of colds and flu with their characteristic symptom pictures:
 Aconite Napellus 200: Aconite is used in the first 24 – 48 hours of developing a fever.
This remedy is our first line of defence when a disease develops suddenly with a
rapid onset of symptoms. Fever usually starts suddenly at 9pm at night after
exposure to cold. Symptoms are usually accompanied by physical restlessness and
anxiety. Heavy head and pulsating headache. Eyes feel hot and dry. Nose stopped up
with watery discharge. Hoarse, dry, croupy cough. Heart palpitations (heart beating
fast) during fever with a thirst and restlessness. High fevers with no perspiration.
 Euphrasia 200: This remedy is characterized by hot burning tears with profuse
watery bland nasal discharge. Red, burning eyes with hot, burning tears that streak
the face and made worse by exposure to open air. Plenty of bland (not burning)
watery nasal discharge. Nasal irritation that causes sneezing. Hoarseness with a
cough caused by a tickle in the throat.
 Gelsemium Sempervirens 200: Aching, tiredness, heaviness, weakness and soreness
of the body. Apathy and dullness, does not wish to speak or have anyone near them.
Head feels dull and heavy and headache is usually accompanied by dim or double
vision (headache affects vision). Profuse shaking during fever, patient is chilly and
aching all over without a thirst. Cold chills may alternate with waves of heat.
 Baptisia Tinctora 200: Extreme fatigue (feeling excessively tired) with soreness,
aching and heaviness of the muscles. Patients is confused as if drunk. Face looks dark
red and the breath smells very bad. Feels as though he can only swallow liquids with
great difficulty in swallowing solids, the throat feels as if it is closed. Chest feels
heavy and makes breathing difficult. Low grade fevers (mild fevers).
 Arsinicum Album 200: The patient feels very tired after doing very little with sudden great weakness and exhaustion. Complaints are accompanies by a sensation of great heat and burning as well as marked restlessness.

Great fear of death and anxiety about his/her health. Burning in the eyes with hot acrid tears. Nose feels blocked with plenty of hot, burning nasal discharge and sneezing without relief.
No appetite and patient does not even want to see or smell food, but they are thirsty for small sips of water often. Diarrhoea is burning and has a cadaverous smell. Shortness of breath with burning in the chest and the sensation there is a weight pressing on the chest. High fevers with cold skin but burning heat inside (Ice cold outside while very hot on the inside) and the patient wants to be covered and feels better for hot applications and external heat.

Homeopathy is a unique system of medicine aimed to treat each person as an individual.
Each remedy is carefully selected based on each individuals specific and unique symptom picture. For this reason, a qualified homeopathic practitioner will spend a fair amount of
time listening to each complaint and asking specific questions to find the correct remedy for
you (simillimum remedy).
For more information or to book a consultation, please contact The Naturopathic Health Care Center on 012 460 9216 or [email protected]

*Disclaimer:
This article in no way serves to diagnose or to treat anyone suffering from a cold or influenza. If you suspect you are
suffering from a cold or flu, then you should consult with your primary health care physician. The opinions and suggestions
in this article are those of Dr. Chantell Groenewald based on her years and experience as a qualified Homeopath and
primary health care physician and should in no way serve to treat anyone or replace a physical consultation with a qualified
health care practitioner.

References:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm
2. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/index.htm
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10543583/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409678/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22280901/
6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/symptoms-causes/syc-
20351605