You know the feeling when you are about to be set upon by a nasty head cold. Your nose may start running, or your throat is irritated and raw, you feel warm and clammy as your body temperature increases, or maybe a headache is the first sign of illness for you. Either way, the symptoms are as unpleasant as the realisation that you may have a couple of restless, uncomfortable days and nights ahead.
At the first sign of a cold, I put one drop of the essential oil blend, Thieves, on the soles of my feet before bed, keep the diffuser pumping throughout the house with essential oil blends such as Purification, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon, Peppermint or Thieves, and take regular doses of the Head Cold Complex and Bulletproof, my flower essence blend. It’s important to ensure plenty of rest and a good, clean diet with minimal sugar and dairy. During recovering, I take Rocket Fuel to assist with recovery and returning to normal energy levels.
Owen Homoeopathics:
The Head Cold Complex supplied by Owen Homoeopathics is an excellent all-rounder. It contains remedies that are useful at the first stages of illness – the blocked nose, the profuse sneezing, or the runny nose; the sore and sensitive throat or the frontal headache. This complex may also help shorten the length of head colds, assist with expelling excess mucous, and relieve rattly coughs, ear aches caused by congestion and sore throats1.
Usually a mild temperature or fever is the first sign of a cold or virus, in which case the Pain & Fever Complex in the Owen Homoeopathic range can be very helpful. I find a lot of families will try this as one of their first ever homeopathic remedies, "to test it out" and most end up coming back for more remedies after having a positive experience.
Another remedy that we use frequently in our household is Ferrum Phos. It is the remedy I go to when I notice one of the children is ‘off colour’. It is very helpful during the first stage of a head cold, sore throat, mild fever or tonsillitis1. It boosts the body’s vital force to power up and beat the invader. In many cases the illness never eventuates in it’s true form.
For more homeopathic remedies to help you through a head cold, check out this factsheet.
Australian Bush Flower Essences:
Australian Bush Flower Essences can help with cold symptoms by relieving the pain of a sore throat, boosting your immune system and stimulating the body’s defence mechanism, the lymphatics. Emergency Essence can help with the pain and discomfort of a head cold3,a as well as any irritability, while Bulletproof can assist with kick-starting the immune system to work optimally. Don't forget that Sizzled Bits can assist with managing temperatures or fevers but supporting your body through high temperatures and dehydration.
If you find that your head cold starts with frequent sneezing, Sneezy Wheezy is a great first line of defence. It can help reduce the amount of sneezing and expulsion of mucous.
Calm Your Farm can help if the head cold is a result of feeling stressed and run down prior to the cold. Especially effective on children is Jacaranda in the case when the child gets sick when they are too scattered with their energy, and Paw Paw helps with children who get sick when overwhelmed. Both of these essences are in Calm Your Farm essence.
Other tips:
1. Get plenty of rest.
2. Eat a clean diet of a range of fruit and vegetables that contain help anti-oxidants and vitamin C like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, corn, red capsicum and broccoli.
3. Keep fluid intake as high as possible.
4. Consume fermented/cultured food and drinks such as kefir, sauerkraut, cultured vegetables etc to assist your gut in fighting the virus.
5. Always wash hands after blowing or wiping your nose, and try to sneeze in to the corner of your elbow instead of your hands to reduce spreading the virus.
6. Consume bone broth whenever possible as this will also help you maintain a healthy gut to fight off infection.
7. A fortnightly dose of Anas Barb 200c as a preventative during the cold and flu season. Suitable for children too.
8. I find a chiropractic treatment at first sign of a cold could actually give my body a boost to fight it off. Otherwise, if I noticed the recovery of a head cold was slow and still lingering, I feel a chiropractic treatment can encourage the body to get back to being well quicker.
Sources:
Owen, J. (2010). Homoeopathy for the home prescriber. Western Australia, AUSTRALIA: QDirect.
Brauer. (2013). Baby & Child Cold & Flu. Retrieved May 11, 2014, from https://www.brauer.com.au.
White, I. (2009). Happy Healthy Kids. From conception to age 7 with Australian Bush Flower Essences. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Disclaimer:
This blog is not intended to replace the service of a qualified practitioner. Any application of the recommendations set forth in this blog is at the reader’s discretion and sole risk.
