Virus infections such as colds are the most common reason for the inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nose and a watery discharge which usually becomes thick and yellowish. Nasal congestion and discharge can also have other causes such as allergies, environmental toxins such as cigarette smoke or spicy foods.
Colds are discharges that can be healing and as such are often part of a general clear-out. A cold is the body’s way of clearing out rubbish from the lymphatic system. A runny nose is one thing but parents can become concerned when a child’s nose becomes blocked or stuffed up because it makes it more difficult for their child to breathe. A mild cold may not need any treatment and can be managed with the following self-help measures:
- Rest – helps the body to heal more quickly
- Drink plenty of fluids – helps to thin nasal discharge
- Steam – moist air from a hot bath can help loosen the mucous.
- Eat nutritious food – chicken soup is good, avoid dairy products as they are mucous-forming.
- Raise head while sleeping – this helps mucous to drain away using gravity
Tissue salts:
Tissue salts are micro-doses of the body’s 12 vital minerals, prepared in a homeopathic method. A proper mineral balance is vital for normal cell function and the maintenance of good health. Tissue salts are easy to use and completely safe for children and babies because they produce no side-effects.
Kali Mur is the main tissue salt to consider for excess mucous and congestion. It is the glandular tonic for the second catarrhal stage of infection/inflammation. Use Kali Mur for congestion, coughs, colds or respiratory problems. It is indicated for white or clear copious mucous from any orifice with swollen lymph nodes. Kali Mur can be used with Ferrum Phos for inflammation and Nat Mur for balancing fluids in the body.
The colour of the discharge can indicate that another tissue salt might also be helpful so consider the following as a guide:
- Clear – Nat Mur
- White – Kali Mur
- Yellow – Nat Phos/Kali Sulph
- Green – Nat Sulph (3rd stage of infection)
- Grey – Kali Phos
8 Homeopathic Remedies for Snuffles of Children
Aconite
Should be given at the very beginning of a cold, at the very first sensation of burning, tingling or sneezing. For complaints caused by exposure to cold dry winds. Frequent sneezing and dropping of clear, clear hot water from nostrils. The mucous membranes can also be dry with the nose stopped up. The throat may feel red, hot, dry and constricted and swallowing hurts. Tonsils swollen and dry.
Worse: warm room, around midnight, tobacco smoke, music, cold, dry winds.
Better: open air
Ammonium carb
Suits weak and anaemic, chubby people and children. Itching and buzzing in the ears with hardness of hearing. Itching in the nose. Blocked nose at night with long continued nasal catarrh/mucus. Cannot breathe through the nose. Nosebleed while washing the face. There may be a sore throat with enlarged tonsils and hoarseness.
Worse: evening, cold, wet weather, wet applications; from 3am to 4am.
Better: lying on stomach and dry weather.
Calc Carb.
Suits chubby fair children with soft cool hands. The body may smell sour and the person may be quite sweaty. Craves egg and indigestible things like chalk and earth. Feels better when constipated. May become breathless and sweaty when walking up hill or steps. Great sensitivity to cold and damp. Takes cold at every change of weather with much sneezing. Swelling of nose and upper lip. Sneezes often without a cold.. Lingering nasal discharge that is thick, smelly and yellow. Large crusts from the nose. The`nose gets stuffed up during the night.
Worse: on waking; morning, after midnight, bathing, working in water, full moon, mental and physical exertion, stooping,, pressure of clothes, open air, cold air, cold wet weather, letting lips hang down.
Better: after breakfast, drawing up lies, loosening garments, in the dark, lying on the back, from rubbing, dry warm weather.
Kali Bichromate
Top remedy for sinus pain – pain comes in small spots at the root of the nose or over the eye. Good for snuffles in children especially fat chubby babies. Discharge of tough, stringy, sticky, jell-like mucus from nose and possibly ears. Discharge thick, ropy and can be greenish-yellow. Discharge of plugs of dried mucus. May be profuse watery nasal discharge, mucus dropping down the back of the nostrils. Much hawking of mucus with inability to breathe through the nose. Loss of smell.
Worse: morning, hot weather, undressing
Better: from heat.
Lycopodium
Suits people who are intellectual or mentally bright but physically weak or thin. Lack of confidence with anticipatory anxiety. Likes to be alone but with another person in the next room or nearby in the house. Good appetite but a few mouthfuls fills up and feels bloated – lots of wind/flatulence. Violent catarrh with swelling of the nose, fluent nasal discharge. Nose stopped up with catarrh and cannot breathe. Crusts and plugs of mucus. Sense of smell very acute. Child starts from sleep rubbing nose. Dry throat with no thirst.
Worse: 4 to 8am, cold food and drink, warm room.
Better: warm food and drink, open air, movement.
Natrum Mur
Ill effects of grief, fright, anger. Consolation aggravates, wants to be alone to cry. Depressed, moody, irritable. Great weakness and weariness. All membranes dry, craves salt, very thirsty. Violent fluent coryza lasting 1-3 days then changing to stoppage of nose making breathing difficult. The discharge is thin, watery like raw white of egg. Violent sneezing with the nasal discharge. Loss of smell and taste. Good for an emotional type of cold with lots of watery sneezing. Chronic nasal catarrh worse in the morning with much hawking of mucus.
Worse: Noise, music, 10am-11am, consolation, seashore, heat oof sun or heat in general.
Better: open air, cold bathing, sweating.
Nux Vomica
Very anxious, irritable fiery temperament, impatient. Very particular and careful people. Over sensitive to light noise, odours, music – feels everything too strongly. Very chilly and when unwell in spite of layers of clothing and hugging the fire, still feels cold. Itching in ears. Nose stuffed up especially at night. Stuffy colds and snuffles after exposure to dry cold atmosphere or air con, worse in warm room. The nasal discharge can be fluent in daytime, stuffed up at night and out of doors or alternates between nostrils. Streams in a warm room during the day but better out of doors. Sneezing after meals.
Worse: Cold; dry winds; east winds; morning, over-eating, over-drinking.
Better: warm, wet weather, after a nap.
Pulsatilla
The temperament is mild and gentle, tears come very easily. Loves sympathy and fuss. Often needed by young children in childcare environments. Changeable in everything – one minute sunny, the next minute tears. Dislikes too much warmth or heat – they must have fresh air and it makes them feel much better. Person not at all thirsty and cannot eat fatty food, it makes them feel sick. Eats may feel stuffed up and they may suffer with earache. Which is worse at night. `The external ear may be swollen and red. Stuffing up of the nose at night and copious flow of mucus in the morning. Mucus is fluent in the open air but stopped up indoors. The mucus can be thick and yellow or greenish coloured.
Worse: warm room, warm applications, cannot bear heat in any form.
Better: cool open air, walking slowly in open air.
Chronic Respiratory Problems
Children tend to get more colds than adults but recurrent colds are usually a sign of a weakened immune system and usually requires constitutional treatment. When there are many respiratory problems there may be an underlying dairy allergy and avoiding cows dairy may reduce symptoms.If respiratory illness becomes chronic a homeopath will be able to help your child in the following ways:
- Prescribe drainage remedies tp help clear up mucous
- Strengthen the immune system and general health with constitutional prescribing
- Give nosodes to treat inherited disease patterns and congestion in the bowels.
- Recommend probiotics and prescribe for antibiotic detox if many courses antibiotics have been used