Croup is an inflammation of the vocal cords which causes the characteristic sounding cough; the cough is hard, dry, horse and at its worst can sound like a dog barking. The cough is sometimes accompanied by noisy breathing.
If you have ever experienced this you will know it can be extremely frightening for both the child and the parent although it can actually sound worse than it really is. Another characteristic is that the cough often flares up in the middle of the night and for this reason the first remedy to reach for is Aconite.
Because the vocal cords have become dried out introducing moisture can help. Creating a room full of steam by boiling a kettle in the room is one option or another is to go into a bathroom where a hot shower is running. A warm drink with ginger lemon and honey may help – try and get the child to have a drink of some kind. Make sure that central heating has not made the room too hot and dry during the night.
Homeopathic Remedies:
Aconite
This is the first remedy that will be indicated for the sudden barking cough that often comes on very suddenly around midnight. Aconite can be given as frequently as every half hour to alleviate this first stage of croup. With Aconite there can be very acute fear or panic with great restlessness and thirst.
Spongia
Spongia is the second remedy to think of if the Aconite has not alleviated the croup attack within an hour or so. It may well be needed the morning after the attack if the child still has the dry, croupy cough. With Spongia there can be a feeling of suffocation like there is a plug in the larynx or as if breathing through a sponge. The cough may sound like a hand-saw going through a board of wood.
Hepar Sulph
This remedy is indicated as the cough begins to loosen up and will usually help the cough to resolve although if the cough flares up at night again you may have to go back to using Aconite and Spongia. With Hepar Sulph the patient is likely to be hypersensitive especially to drafts of cold air and the cough can be noisy, loose and rattling especially in the morning.