What is a cold anyway?

The common cold is an upper respiratory tract infection caused by various viruses. The common cold is transmitted by virus-infected droplets in the air or by direct contact with infected people or secretions. Cold and flu viruses attempt to enter the body through the air. As a first line of defense, our nasal mucosa has a protective mechanism against these viruses through cilia movement and constant secretion of mucus. Once the virus has penetrated this defense mechanism, the immune system takes over to fight the invader.

And then phagocytes, which are specialized immune cells, engulf and digest the viruses. Cold air and the winter season are associated with a decrease in this activity. The cold air cools the nasal passage and slows mucus clearance. Cold weather encourages close contact with others, leading to frequent infections. Staying indoors and lack of sunlight are also reasons for decreased immune activity.

Homeopathic medicines for cold and cough

Homeopathic medicines act as a blessing for winter colds and coughs. Remedies like Aconitum, Allium cepa, Antimonium tartaricum, Arsenicum album, Argentum nitricum, Drosera, Euphrasia, Hepar sulfuricum, Kalium bichromicum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Rumex, Spongia, etc. are commonly used. The indications of some of these remedies are given below:

• Aconitum: is an excellent remedy for the early stages of many inflammatory conditions, especially colds and allergy attacks. The cough is typically short, tickling, and may be painful. It is stronger in cold air, at night, and in the early morning. The person feels tired, often has a moderate fever and slightly flushed cheeks.
• Allium cepa: clear, burning nasal discharge that irritates the skin and upper lip. Eyes are red and burning with copious lacrimation, tickling in larynx, painful dry cough, thirst.
• Arsenicum: copious watery nasal discharge that irritates the skin, nose feels stuffy, irritation and tickling in the nose, frequent and violent sneezing, nasal discharge may be thick and yellow, dull throbbing headache in the forehead, cough due to tickling in the larynx or deep in the chest, may be loose or dry, burning pain in the chest, chilly, anxious, restless
• Drosera: this remedy relieves dry cough, worse at night and from the warmth of the bed, triggered by talking or laughing, with a feeling of tickling in the throat.
• Euphrasia: bland, watery discharge from the nose and burning lacrimation, nasal discharge worse in the morning, in fresh air and when lying down, loose, shallow cough, worse in the daytime
• Hepar sulfurium: helps with dry, hoarse cough that is aggravated by cold air and cold drinks and occurs at the beginning and end of the night.
• Ipecacanha: this remedy relieves dry cough that causes nausea and is accompanied by increased salivation.
• Kalium bichromicum: in later stages of the common cold, discharge thick, yellowish or greenish and stringy, difficult to remove from the nose, thick postnasal drip, sinus headache with pressure at the root of the nose, headache or facial pain
• Kalium muriaticum: snapping sounds in the ear, hearing disturbances after earache, worse with movement
• Kalium sulfuricum: to relieve damp cough and nasal congestion with yellow and irritating mucus.
• Phosphorus:the cough may be aggravated by talking, laughing and contact with cold air.
• Pulsatilla: This remedy relieves moist cough with thick, yellowish mucus that worsens in bed.
• Rumex crispus: This remedy relieves dry cough triggered by breathing in cold air, with a feeling of scratchiness in the throat and a tickling sensation above the breastbone

You will find a wide range of homeopathic remedies for a cold in our Pharmasana online shop.