A Mother's Guide to Raising Healthy Children--Naturally (60 page)

Read A Mother's Guide to Raising Healthy Children--Naturally Online

Authors: Sue Frederick

Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Women's Health, #test

BOOK: A Mother's Guide to Raising Healthy Children--Naturally
12.22Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
 
Page 168
is useful not for chronic or recurring symptoms, but for symptoms that come on quickly, usually after exposure to cold, dry weather, or extremely hot weather (such weather extremes stress a child's immune system, lowering immune resistance and increasing susceptibility to a virus or bacteria).
Modalities:
The child who will benefit most from aconitum will be hot, dry, anxious, restless, and irritable. He may be fearful or have a feeling of foreboding. He will typically be thirsty, usually for cold drinks, and will have difficulty falling asleep because his symptoms will be worse at night. He'll feel worse in dry, cold wind; warm rooms; in the evening and night; or lying on the affected side. He'll feel better in open air, after perspiring, and when sitting still.
Allium Cepa (red onion)
General uses: Alllium cepa
is the remedy when your child has a cold with symptoms of clear, burning, nasal discharge; reddened nostrils and upper lip; watery eyes with a bland discharge; and sneezing. This remedy is also frequently helpful for hay fever and other respiratory allergies, earache, and laryngitis. If your child's nasal discharge is bland but the discharge from his eyes is irritating, see Euphrasia.
Modalities:
Further clues that your child will benefit from
Allium cepa
are that he feels worse in warm rooms, from getting wet, or in cold, damp winds; open air and cool rooms make him feel better.
Anas Barbariae (heart and liver of a duck)
General uses:
Marketed under the name
Oscillococcinum,
this is the most popular flu remedy in France. Eighty percent of ducks carry every known influenza virus in their digestive tracts, so
Anas barb
can be thought of as the homeopathic equivalent of chicken soup. Oscilloccinum works best during the initial onset of flu (the first 48 hours) with symptoms of fever, body aches, general weakness, and a runny nose or cough.
Modalities:
No widely recognized individualizing symptoms.
Anas barb
is considered a generic flu remedy.
Apis Mellifica (common name: crushed bee)
General uses:
Bee venom contains a protein that provokes a histamine reaction, and the sting results in a bright red swelling that is very sensitive to the touch. Apis is the remedy for grass and pollen allergies or any ailment where
 
Page 169
the primary symptoms include swelling with burning, stinging pain such as hives, insect bites, bee stings, chickenpox, measles, conjuctivitis, sore throat, and sties.
Modalities:
The child who will benefit most from apis is easily irritated, fidgety, and clumsy. She is hypersensitive and cannot bear the slightest touch on the inflamed part. Her mouth is dry. Her discomfort is aggravated by heat, and she may feel worse around 3 P.M. She feels better when sitting up, uncovered, in cool air, with the application of cool compresses or after a cool bath.
Arnica Montana (Arnica)
General uses:
Arnica is the remedy to use as first aid in common injuries, sprains and strains, or the stiffness, aches, and pains that follow heavy exercise. Arnica helps normalize heart activity after injury, thus stopping hemorrhage, and helps the body reabsorb blood clots and the blood pooling under the skin that causes hematomas (black-and-blue marks). Arnica stimulates the repair of bruised and damaged blood vessels, and reduces pain and swelling. It is effective in treating ruptures of the tiny blood vessels that appear in the whites of the eye after injury as well as black eyes, and is used before and after surgery to lessen shock, relieve pain and swelling, and promote healing. Should your child undergo circumcision; suffer a fracture, sprain, or strain; or have his fingers or toes caught in a door, give Arnica! Taken before and after strenuous exercise, arnica will help prevent muscle aches and stiffness. For muscle aches, sprains, and strains, using both arnica tablets and gently massaging in a gel or ointment will help; for injuries where the skin is broken, or for head injuries, use only internal doses of Arnica.
Modalities:
The child who will benefit from arnica will feel bruised and tender, achy, stiff, and most likely exhausted. He will feel better lying down with the windows open to let in fresh air, but worse from motion, exertion, touch, cold, or heat.
Arsenicum Album (white arsenic)
General uses:
Arsenicum is often the best remedy when a cold, sinusitis, sore throat, cough, flu, allergy, or asthma attack begins after your child has been chilled, or when symptoms of exhaustion appear after completing a major achievement. Arsenicum is also useful against conjunctivitis, diarrhea, indigestion, food poisoning, fever, headaches, nervous restlessness, insomnia, and impetigo.
 
Page 170
Modalities:
When your child awakens at or after midnight and comes to you with chills, a fever, headache, difficulty breathing, or a digestive problem, turn to arsenicum. Your child may have burning pains in the head, throat, stomach, bladder, or vagina; burning discharges from the eyes, nose, or vagina; or a burning sensation when urinating or defecating. Although the discomfort is a burning one, heat and warm compresses provide relief. She will typically have a dry mouth and be very thirsty, but be able to take only frequent small sips of lukewarm water. Cold food and drinks, especially milk, ice cream, melon, strawberries, and other fruits will make her feel worse, while warm food and drinks will be soothing. Children who benefit most from arsenicum are frequently restless, high strung, fastidious, sensitive to noise, and easily frightened. Their vivid imaginations conjure fears, so being alone in the dark is scary. Anxious about their health, they fear they are more ill than they appear. This child likes attention, desires company, and truly may feel much weaker and more exhausted than would be expected. Being both fussy and a perfectionist, he may insist on cleaning up his room even though he feels quite ill.
Belladonna (deadly nightshade)
General uses:
The name
belladonna
derives from the Italian words
bella,
"beautiful," and
donna,
"woman." The plant was so named because one of its primary chemical components, atropine, causes the pupils to dilate, resulting in the large pupils regarded as beautiful in ancient times. In addition to atropine, belladonna contains other powerful alkaloids, including hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which affect the autonomic nervous system, that part of the nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions such as digestion, circulation, and reproductive cycles. Consider using belladonna when the ailment is accompanied by an intense throbbing or stabbing pain that suddenly appears and disappears. Headaches; cramps; colic; toothaches; sore throats; earaches; fevers, if of sudden onset and accompanied by throbbing, stabbing pains, may be relieved by belladonna. Belladonna also may help a child with chickenpox if the rash is accompanied by a severe headache, flushed face, and hot skin. Belladonna acts quicklyimprovement is usually seen within an hour and often within fifteen minutes.
Modalities:
The face and mucous membranes of the child who will be aided by belladonna are dry, red, and hot. He is hypersensitive to and aggravated
 
Page 171
by cold air, light, touch, being jarred, motion, noise, and lying down. Painful symptoms are usually worse on the right side, and worse at night, especially after midnight. Helpful factors are sitting up and resting in a warm, dimly lit room.
Bryonia Alba (wild hops)
General uses:
Distinct from aconitum or belladonna, both of which help children with sudden onset of symptoms, bryonia is useful when symptoms come on more slowly. Your child may develop a cold after getting chilled or after gulping a cold drink when he is overheated. Over the next few days, the cold will evolve into a painful cough with congestion, headache, and fever accompanied by indigestion, constipation, even pneumonia. The child's mouth and lips will be dry, and his tongue dry and white coated. He'll be constantly thirsty, requesting cold drinks. Digestive juices will dry up, too, causing lack of appetite, trouble digesting what is eaten, and constipation with dry, hard, large stools.
Modalities:
The child needing bryonia will be grumpy, peevish, and irritable, asking for something and then not wanting it, wishing to be left alone in a dark, cool room, quiet and motionless because any movement aggravates his symptoms. He may hold his head when he talks, or hold his chest when he coughs. His discomfort will be aggravated by dry heat, warm rooms, and any movement. Even carrying this child to bed makes symptoms worse. He'll try to lie on the part that feels painful, since pressure helps, but he won't want to be touched. He'll feel better with cool drinks and cold food, if his appetite permits.
Calcarea Carbonica (calcium carbonate)
General uses: Calcarea carbonica
is usually given based more on the child's normal characteristics than on the symptoms of an illness, though the calcarea child frequently suffers from a runny nose, earaches, distended abdomen, colic, diaper rash, diarrhea alternating with constipation, and sour-smelling breath, perspiration, and stools. These children are often allergic to cow's milk and react with indigestion or other symptoms after drinking it.
Modalities:
Most often, the child who needs calcarea is pudgy or, at least, has flabby skin tone. She's stubborn, prefers to move slowly if at all, and tends to avoid either physical or mental effort because she hates being teased or criticized for doing things slowly. Though slow, this child can be very bright but
 
Page 172
just needs to do things at her own pace. When left to her own devices, the calcarea child will be complacent and happy playing quietly by herself. But calcarea children are fearfulof the dark, insects, animals, heights, new challenges, her own scary dreamsand therefore clingy. Her head and feet will sweat profusely, especially at night or from even slight exertion. These children don't do well in cold weather and tend to get recurrent infections (colds, coughs, earaches, sore throats) during the winter. They crave soft-boiled eggs, breads, pasta, potatoes, ice cream, sweets, and cold drinks. Finally, a definite sign that your child would benefit from calcarea is a craving for indigestible items like dirt, chalk, and coal.
Cantharis (Spanish fly)
General uses:
Cantharis is the remedy to use for bladder infection or similar symptoms in the urinary tract, lower bowel, and skin, including blisters and burns. If your child has a burning, cutting pain while urinating, urgency and constant desire to urinate, yet an inability to urinate more than a few drops, cantharis will help. A child needing cantharis may feel burning pain in various placeshead, eyes, throat, stomach, intestinal tract, ovaries. She may feel as if she is on fire inside but may have chills on the outside, and she may be thirsty but not want to drink. Her discomfort will make her hypersensitive and restless, frequently changing positions in her sleep or unable to sleep well at night.
Modalities:
The child who will benefit from cantharis will feel worse before, during, and after urination and after drinking fluids. She'll also be restless and sensitive to touch or motion. If she can belch or pass gas, it will help. So will both cold and warm applications; cooling baths or applications soothe burning, while warmth will help with her chills.
Chamomilla (chamomile)
General uses:
Chamomilla, renowned for its soothing effect, is often given to teething infants whose normal sweet and happy demeanor has given way to inconsolable irritability or an out-and-out tantrum because they are so uncomfortable. In any illness when a normally nice child turns into a tempermental, hyperrestless monster, it's time to give chamomilla. Common ailments in which chamomilla may prove useful include anger, asthma, colic, diarrhea, earache, indigestion, insomnia, restlessness, teething, and toothache.
 
Page 173
Modalities:
The child who needs chamomilla often will have a distinctive appearance. She will look inflamed, but one cheek will be red and hot while the other is pale and cold. Her head may be warm and moist with sweat; her feet hot and dry and irritated by being under the bedcovers. In addition to a sour disposition, she may have sour-smelling stools, breath, body odor, or gas. If a tantrum is on the way, it will most likely occur either midmorning or mid-evening (9 A.M. or 9 P.M.). Being carried or being driven in a car may help her feel better, but heat, wind, and touch will aggravate her symptoms.
Euphrasia (eyebright)
General uses:
The homeopathic treatment for children with hay fever or other allergies with itchy, burning, watery, tearing eyes. The child's eyes may feel as if grit or pepper has gotten into them. The edges of the eyelids may be red, swollen, and burning. The discomfort will cause the child to blink often and scratch and rub his eyes. Upon waking in the morning, the eyelids may be gummed together. The child may be sensitive to light. Concurrent symptoms include clear, nonirritating, nasal discharge that is worse in the morning and when the child is outside; a productive cough; and a headache. The child will feel chilled and have difficulty warming up in bed.
Modalities:
The child who will benefit most from euphrasia will feel worse in the morning, in cold air, windy weather, or bright light, but better in dimly light rooms or in the dark.
Gelsemium (yellow jasmine)
General uses:
For a fatigued, drowsy-looking, glassy-eyed child who is anxious or has a cold, headache, flu, or measles. Her whole body, especially her limbs, may feel weak and heavy. Lips tend to be dry and cracked. She may tremble from chills, her face and head hot, while her extremities are cold. In contrast to aconitum and belladonna, symptoms come on gradually instead of suddenly. The child who will be relieved by gelsemium may have diarrhea or a headache from anxious anticipation of an exam, sports game, or performance. Although she may have a fever and her lips may be dry, she won't be thirsty yet will need to urinate profusely and will feel better afterward.
Modalities:
The child who needs gelsemium tends to be emotional and may become ill after hearing bad news or after a sudden fright. Her condition

Other books

MicroLena by Viola Grace
The Eagle and the Rose by Rosemary Altea
Cold Case by Kate Wilhelm
Not A Girl Detective by Susan Kandel
25 Brownie & Bar Recipes by Gooseberry Patch
Eternal Ever After by A.C. James
Her Kind of Trouble by Evelyn Vaughn
El cuento número trece by Diane Setterfield