Coughs, coughs and more coughs…

Annoying as it might be, coughing  is one of the body's most basic and important defense mechanisms. Coughing expels irritants like dust, smoke, bacteria and viruses from our respiratory system and it helps to clear mucous, which can accumulate and interfere with breathing.

That said, coughing can become exhausting and painful, so we are always looking for natural ways to bring relief. Homoeopathy aims not to suppress the cough, but to address the underlying cause of the condition, therefore to ease the discomfort while promoting long-term healing. And another up-side is that homoeopathic remedies are free from harmful side-effects like drowsiness or dependency.

There are many causes of, and types of coughs and homoeopathy offers quite a few different remedies to support us through the coughing season. Let’s look at some remedy options and a few brief Materia Medica indications:

Aconite

A dry, hoarse, croupy, painful cough, worse at night, for talking or on inspiration, will have a sudden onset especially after getting too cold.

Antimonium Tart

Loose rattling cough, chest seems full, with shortness of breath and lots of mucous.

Belladonna

Irritating tickling dry cough that is worse at night, whooping sound to the cough with raised temperature.

Bryonia

Very dry, racking cough, painful in the chest and head, made worse from any motion.

Carbo Veg

A whooping or wheezing sound, a tormenting hollow cough, weakness and burning in chest with some difficulty breathing.

Coccus Cacti

Winter coughs with tickling in the throat, thick ropey mucous, cough might end in choking and vomiting.

Drosera

Fits of rapid, deep, barking coughing, incessant, takes the breath away.

Hepar Sulph

Hoarseness, barking cough with phlegm, rattling in chest,  thick yellow expectoration, sensitive to cold air.

Ipecac

A whooping sound, suffocating coughs that end in retching, vomiting, incessant violent coughing.

Pulsatilla

Loose cough in the morning with thick purulent expectoration, but dry at night in bed.

Rumex

A dry, teasing cough, frothy expectoration, worse for cold air or changes in temperature.

Sambucus Nigra

Suffocating cough at night, wakes gasping for air, worse from midnight.

Spongia Tosta

Hoarse, suffocating cough, hollow, barking with burning in chest, difficult breathing.

Stannum Met

Lots of mucous in the airways, lots of easy expectoration, cough worse for talking or laughing.

Our Coughmed Relief complex contains 6 of the above cough remedies, - Belladonna, Bryonia, Drosera, Hepar Sulph, Rumex Crispus and Spongia Tosta. You can see how this is a great “cover-all” option to try in the first instance.

The information contained in this blog is provided for health educational purposes only and is in no way intended as a therapeutic claim re diagnosis, prevention or treatment of medical disorders. More detailed information about the traditional uses of homoeopathic remedies can be found in recognized homoeopathic Materia Medica.