Homeopathy – a way to manage winter colds and flu

Winter with its bitterly cold spells, long dark nights, nasty bugs and seasonal over-indulgence is not a healthy time of year for some of us.
However, there are ways to lift flagging spirits, to beat the seasonal blues and deal with colds and flu which can affect any of us at this time of year. During winter we are more exposed to and more susceptible to be affected by bacteria and viruses. The weather isn’t good and maybe we are not looking on the bright side of life. Additionally in our culture we can feel stressed because it’s Christmas and with stress the immune system is not keeping us in top form.
However, homeopathy is a way to help us over the dark winter months and deal with colds and flu so common around this time. Using homeopathy is not going to stop us getting a cold or flu, but it helps to recover and bounce back more quickly. For example Aconite may be perfect in helping you beat the effects of a chilly walk or waiting for the bus in the cold, especially if you sense you are about to develop a cold.
There are chronic condition that do not yield easily to self-prescribing however. One mother whose 11 year old daughter had suffered every winter from several bouts of tonsillitis and who had been prescribed many courses of antibiotics, decided to give homeopathy a try. She brought the child for constitutional treatment and so far she has been well.

Cold and Flu Remedies

Aconite: Used to nip colds in the bud and is considered useful in the early stages of colds, flu, fevers and sore throats, often after exposure to dry cold.
Allium Cepa: Its symptoms seem to be similar to those you get when chopping an onion, typically with streaming red eyes and nose, watery fluid from the nose with a burning sensation on the upper lip.
Belladonna: Violent, sudden onset, especially of head exposed to chilling. Fevers when patient is red hot but often has cold hands and feet., flushed face, often throbbing headache, Belladonna is also used for inflammatory responses where there is throbbing.
Gelsemium: More gradual onset, considered the best remedy for flu when the symptoms include a dull and sluggish feeling with a dull ache at the back of the neck. Symptoms tend to include a feeling of chills up and down the spine and aching muscles.
Nux vomica: from exposure to dry cold. Extremely chilly, can’t get warm, even in bed, shivering, nose alternatively blocked and runny. Aching limbs and back of the neck. Important aid for hangovers and after over eating, stomach upsets.
Pulsatilla: Can be beneficial for colds where there is a green or yellowish discharge from the nose, changeable symptoms or if a person feels tearful.