Homeopathy for a Cough

Winter is approaching for many around the world and with that often comes the season of the common cold. Here are some tips and remedies to keep in mind for helping a cough with homeopathy!

The cough is a natural way for the body to remove phlegm. It should not be suppressed. Each person has their particular expression of their body’s attempts to heal. Giving allopathic cough suppressants will not help their healing process and should be avoided. If some relief for minor throat irritation is needed, try equal parts lemon juice, honey, and warm water. Take a teaspoon at a time and hold in the mouth and swallow to coat the throat. It can be very soothing. Avoid medicated cough drops that have camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus. They can interfere with the healing response to the well-selected homeopathic remedy.

In the case of any infectious disease, watch closely that the cough does not develop into a more serious condition. Cough due to the common cold is usually during the resolution of the infection. Fever should have already passed. If a fever accompanies the cough and is persistent, then a more serious condition may exist.

Remedies that may be useful for cough include:

• Aconite – for a cough due to exposure to a cold dry wind, coming on suddenly, arising from a tickle in the throat. It may be worse in the evening and at night.
• Antimonium Tartaricum – Cough sounds loose. Course rattling of mucous heard in the chest but very little mucous rises.
• Belladonna – Dry, tickling, teasing cough; as from dust in the throat. Spasmodic cough worse at night, compelling the person to sit up in bed.
• Bryonia – Cough hurts a distant part of the body. The person must hold their chest to avoid the discomfort. Worse for movement. Cough leading to gagging and vomiting. Wants cold drinks.
• Causticum – Constantly clearing throat. Cannot cough deep enough to bring the mucous up. Drinking cold water relieves the cough. Leaking of urine during the cough.
• Corallium Rubrum – The machine gun cough. When the rapid paroxysms run closely together at short or regular intervals, every 30 seconds or a minute apart.
• Drosera – Spasmodic cough ending in gagging, retching, and vomiting. Prolonged fits of choking cough. Worse in the evening and after midnight.
• Hepar Sulph – Cough after the slightest exposure to cold air or a draft. Even putting a hand out of the covers can lead to the cough. They want to be bundled up and cannot bear to be uncovered.
• Kali Bichromicum – Cough with a brassy sound. Tough stringy mucous that hangs down the throat that may be yellowish.
• Nux Vomica – Cough that is dry, titillating, and fatiguing. Worse in the morning and after eating or drinking.
• Phosphorus – Cough often after a head cold has gone to the chest. Tickling low in the trachea leads to the cough. Worse from warm room into cold air. Desires fruit, juices, cold liquids. Worse lying on the left side. Heavy feeling on the chest.
• Pulsatilla – Dry cough at night, worse lying down and better sitting up. Loose cough during the day with yellowish or green expectoration.
• Rumex Crispis – Dry incessant or violent cough caused by a tickle in the throat. The cough ceases when the head is covered by the blanket but air will trigger the cough again.
• Spongia Tosta – Cough is very dry and tight.  Worse in dry cold weather. The respiration sounds like a saw cutting through a dry pine board.

As with all acute conditions, it is best to be a very good observer and take the case. Sometimes the littlest thing can lead to the remedy. There are many other remedies that include symptoms of cough. If you have any remedies you would like to share, please do so in the comments box below!

Keep the conversation going! I would love to hear your questions and thoughts below!