The common cold is the most frequent infection in all age groups. Children especially contract a lot of colds. Colds are caused by a viral infection that effects the respiratory system. Colds often respond well to homeopathic remedies which is a tremendous advantage over modern medicine which has no cure for the common cold. Homeopaths generally advise that a cold or two every year is not a bad thing, as it “cleans out” the system and hence, the adage: don’t cure a cold, let a cold cure you. Still others say that you never know what your “innocent/ordinary” cold might erupt into — a flu, a pneumonia? Consequently, if you see a clear remedy picture, you might be safer giving the remedy than risking what may be down the line. Jim Henson, creator of “Sesame Street”, died from a cold gone horribly wrong. If you are finding that you are having more than two colds a year it would be advised to seek help from a professional homeopath to strengthen your immune system. Homeopathy emphasizes treating the underlying imbalance in the immune system rather than simply fighting the infection–although in the moment, fighting the infection may be the priority. Note that some of the remedies below say, “for the first stage of the cold”. So, don’t wait around to see what your cold is going to do, or you might miss the opportunity to give Aconite or Belladonna or some other first-stage remedy, which may have been your only chance to prescribe with confidence for the duration of the cold.
The following remedies may offer symptomatic relief so long as the remedy you choose is well indicated for your individual symptom picture.
Remedy | Ailment | Symptoms | Makes you feel better | Makes youfeel worse |
Aconite | Comes on suddenly violentlyFearful, restless thirsty for cold drinks
hot First stage of cold |
After exposure to cold dry windy weather. Sudden dry painful cough/croup, watery mucous. High fever comes on suddenly. Thirsty. Ailments after fright. Cheeks hot, red. | Fresh open airsleep | Warm stuffy roomIn the evening midnight
Lying on affected side. Irritated by music, dry, cold winds. |
Allium Cepa | Colds, hay fever allergiesProfuse watery discharge from eyes & nose. Nasal discharge burns the upper lip. | Eyes run but the discharge is usually blandViolent sneezing.
Mucous burns/corrodes top lip. Tickle in larynx, hoarseness, hacking cough worse breathing in cold air desires onions |
Fresh air | Evening.Cold air.
damp air Getting feet wet. warm, stuffy room |
Arsenicum Album | A cold starts on exposure to cold temperature.Chilly patient. | Right nostril burns/corrodes top lip, watery thin discharge but feels blocked. Restless, Excessive sneezing, Irritation, tickling of the nose. Cold might move to chestdesires frequent sips of water | Heat, elevated headWarm drinks
company |
Wet, windy weather.
Midnight to 2am. Sight or smell of food. |
Belladonna | First stage of cold
high fever, red face burning heat sudden onset throbbing sensation throat is extremely red and sore symptoms may be right-sided |
Skin hot, dry with high temperatureThrobbing headache, very thirsty or not thirsty at all
sore throat on right side Tickly throat, light hurts eyes Eyes glassy Eyes dilated delirious in high fever dry barking cough desires lemons or lemonade |
Sitting upright or standing.In warm room
quiet, dark room |
Light,Jarring, movement,
Noise, draughts. >From lying down. After 12noon. 3PM |
Bryonia Alba | Slow onset.dry, hacking, painful coughs. Patient is very irritable, doesn’t like to answer. Stitching pains, worse motion. | Better for being still and alone.Very thirsty. Cold moves into chest. A painful, dry, spasmodic cough; sick, tired dark complexion; very dry mucus membranes.
Holds chest when he coughs. |
From applying firm, cool pressure to head and chest.In cool surroundings.
Rest. |
Slightest movement.Bright lights.
Eating, noise and touch. 9pm and 3pm. |
Dulcamara | Ailments from cold/damp environment. | Thick saliva and hoarse voice, Possible cold sores
Thirst for cold drinks nose stops up in cold rain. Post-nasal drip, lumbago or an Earache, watery diarrhoea |
Warm, dry air, Movement. | For rest.At night.
Cold, damp weather |
Euphrasia Officinalis | Colds, allergies and hayfever. Nasal discharge bland, burning discharge from eyes. Frequent yawning in open air while walking. | Copious fluid from nose. Bursting sensation as sinuses fill. At night little pains all over body. Heat/fever descends. The body, sweats only on front.
Later symptoms, chilliness loose violent cough, pressing pain under sternum. |
Lying down in darkened room but may feel more blocked up.Coffee | From warm, windy weather. Being indoors.In the evening.
Sunlight Bright light. Sleep |
The following remedies may offer symptomatic relief so long as the remedy you choose is well indicated for your individual symptom picture.
Remedy | Ailment | Symptoms | Makes you feel better | Makes youFeel worse |
Ferrum Phosphoricum | For early stages of a cold that comes on slowly first stage of ear infection | Mild or high fever may be present, Mouth feels hot
Throat is red and swollen. Possible nose bleeds |
Gentle exercise.Headache better cold applications | Touch, jar, motion, noise, cold air, right side, between 4-6AM |
Gelsemium | comes ongradually
colds, flu, fevers, dizziness, muscle aches, chills, all the typical flu symptoms |
Tiredness, heavy body sensation. Headache above nape of neck. Tickling in nose gets worse. Later running nose, watery and irritating Chills running up/down spine.droopy, drowsy, dull, apathetic | Fresh air.movement,
After urinating. Bending forward, sweating. Drinking alcohol. |
Before thunderstorm.Early in the morning and last thing at night.
Humidity. Tobacco smoke. |
Hepar sulphuris | A Developed cold with thick yellow acrid ropy nasal discharge. Splinter-like pains, for example in sore throat. | Cold starts with watery runny nose. Later, excessive yellow mucous with offensive-smelling discharge and sneezing. Irritability and chilliness. | wrapping head firmly.
Warm, moist environment |
slightest draught of cold air.Getting cold from undressing.
touch. |
Kali Bichromicum | Second stage of cold or sinusitis with thick, ropy, green or yellow stringy nasal discharge | Thick mucous may block nose yellow or green discharge with postnasal drip. Sinus headaches, pressure pain at root of nose. | From warmth | In the morning.Hot weather
Getting cold from undressing. |
Natrum Muriaticum | Beginning stages of a cold with sneezing | Wants to be left alone.A dislike for sympathy.
Cold starts with fits of sneezing and a thin catarrhal discharge consistency of the white of a raw egg. Nose maybe blocked with tendency towards developing cold sores. |
Applying cold compresses to the sinuses.
Fasting. Fresh open air. |
In sea air or wet weather. Mental, physical exertions. Around 10am. Bright light or hot sun. Noise, talking, music. |
Nux Vomica | Irritable with a cold. | Runny nose during the day, blocked nose at night
Overcritical of others, impulsive, very chilly, watery eyes, sneezing, headache, sore throat |
sleep.warmth.
Firm pressure. In the evening. Washing and compresses |
Windy, Cold, dry weather. In public places. After over-indulgence of spicy foods
and stimulants such as coffee. Between 3am & 4am. |
Pulsatilla | Cold with yellowish, green thick, creamy mucus | Possible nose bleeds, runny nose during the day,
blocked nose at night thirstless, loss of smell Headache above eyes |
sympathy.
crying. Exercise and fresh open air. Cold drinks, cold compresses. Raising hands above the head. |
Rich, fatty foods.Heat, the sun.
In the evening and at night. |
Rhus Toxicodendron | Flu, Second stage of cold, Congested nose and scratchy throat, stiffness and restlessness | Thick, yellow/green nasal discharge with a red scratchy throat, dry cough, tickling, hoarseness. Cough
prevents sleep. |
From warmth, hot bathing.>From motion.
For changing positions. |
Cough worse in cold room.Cold, wet, rainy weather.
During sleep. |
Along with these remedies the most effective treatment is rest and plenty of fluids. To increase fluids, try hot water with lemon juice and a little honey is good for the extra vitamin C. Encourage a light diet of soups, fresh fruit, vegetables and plenty of fresh air. Recurrent colds in adults and children do require constitutional homeopathic treatment from your professional homeopath.