Homeopathic treatment can provide effective help in all kinds of acute respiratory infection, from colds and flu to bronchitis and pneumonia.
It is fine to self treat for mild symptoms, however it is important to seek professional care when it comes to more debilitating or serious conditions. Use your common sense in seeking medical help – if there is cause for concern (especially if the person concerned is a child, or has underlying chronic health problems), do not delay in seeking advice from your usual urgent care provider.
Under professional homeopathic care, acute respiratory infections are typically shorter in duration, and symptoms may be reduced in severity.
Acute bronchitis is a more serious illness than the common cold, though it may begin with a cold. In bronchitis the infection progresses to the lungs, with inflammation in the airways (known as bronchioles). Typical symptoms include fever, cough, yellow green expectoration, fatigue and wheezing. Homeopathic treatment for acute bronchitis is best sought from a qualified homeopath. Below you will find the indications for some of the remedies most often used in the treatment of acute bronchitis. A series of remedies will often be needed, corresponding to different stages of your illness. Working with a homeopath is a collaborative process, in which your personal experience of the symptoms leads to the choice of a matched remedy (or series of remedies) which engages your defence mechanism and helps you recover promptly.
Bryonia
In a Bryonia case there will be a prominent cough, which is typically dry, hard and painful. The cough is worse for any kind of movement, including deep breathing, talking or eating. The person may need to hold their head or chest while coughing. There will be dry heat with fever, and if there are pains in the chest they will tend to be stitching pains, aggravated by coughing or deep breathing, and better for lying on the painful side. Bryonia is a remedy often indicated in acute bronchitis and also in the early stages of pneumonia.
Kali carb
Kali carb is another important remedy in the treatment of acute bronchitis as well as pneumonia. The cough is usually dry and hard, and worse between 3am and 5am in the morning, and better for warmth and for leaning forward. The chest may feel cold, weak and heavy, and if there is pain in the chest it will be stitching in character, and typically in the region of the lower right lung.
Carbo veg
Carbo veg is perhaps a less well known but equally important remedy in acute respiratory infections, including acute bronchitis. One of its key indications is breathlessness, with a great need for open air or drafts/fanning. The chest feels weak, and there are often bouts of coughing with redness of the face and sensation of heat. There may also be thick mucus on the chest which is difficult to cough up.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a remedy often indicated in acute respiratory infections. In acute bronchitis there will typically be a hard dry cough which starts with a persistent tickle, felt in the chest. The cough tends to be worse on lying down at night, and worse while lying on the left side, or for change of temperature (eg going from a warm to cold atmosphere, or vice versa). The person will often obtain some relief from sitting propped up, and the chest typically feels tight, with a sensation of heat behind the sternum. Where Phosphorus is indicated there is often a characteristic hoarseness and raw sensation in the throat and chest.
Drosera
In a case where Drosera is indicated, there is a prominent cough which is violent and choking in character. The typical Drosera cough comes on as soon as the person lies down, and bouts can end in retching and vomiting. The cough is also worse after midnight, and for talking or eating. A cold sweat may accompany the cough.
Pulsatilla
Where Pulsatilla is indicated, there is often a lot of mucus in the chest, with a cough which is typically loose in the morning (and during the day), and dry in the evening and during the night. The person will feel better for fresh open air, and worse in a warm or stuffy room. When loose, the cough may be accompanied by vomiting of mucus. There may be a sensation of fullness and pressure in the chest.
Spongia
The typical cough of Spongia is very distinctive, with a dry, barking, rasping or ringing sound. It is sometimes described as sounding like a wood saw. It will often be aggravated by being in a warm room, or from talking, and is worse in the early part of the night. The cough may be eased by eating or drinking warm things. There is great dryness in the air passages, and the chest may feel very weak.
Ant tart
This remedy is indicated in cases of bronchitis (or bronchiolitis in younger children) where one of the main features is an accumulation of mucus in the air passages with a difficulty in coughing it up. The cough is weak and unproductive, and there will be a rattling or bubbling sound in the chest. The cough is typically worse around 3-4am, and the mucus is thick and sticky. There may be breathlessness (dyspnoea) with a desire for sitting up and for drafts of air.
For professional care in acute and chronic conditions, you can book an appointment or free discovery call with me here: https://karenleadbeater.co.uk/work-with-me/
Thank you for helping me with my chronic bronchitis. I live in spain and have used homeopathic remedies since 1988. At the moment I cannot budge my bronchitis. I’m 69 years old and totally organic. I’m a semi retired beauty/ alternative therapist. I think I need some help.
Hi Christine, yes I would be happy to see you for some homeopathic treatment of your chronic bronchitis. You can book an appointment to see me via Zoom here: https://karenleadbeater.co.uk/work-with-me/. and I will also send you details by email. Best wishes, Karen
if you are eating dairy from a cow then please remove this and see how you go. also best to eat fresh raw organic wholefoods esp wheatgrass and veg juices with garlic and tumeric. if still have respiratory problems then stop eating grains. organic means nothing if one is not eating whole foods (eg anything out of a plastic bag and everything that is picked from a tree or plant). nuts and goats cheese are high in copper and the latter is often geo-engineered eg cows provide the milk for goats year round as goats stop producing milk (naturally!) when not feeding a babe. this is so the breeders can make more profits! anything put after money is not worth the soil it stands on ; )
I m having repeated cough which is dry. From Jan I m having this off n on. In dec- Jan I had wheezing n bronchitis but now it’s cured. But this dry cough s killing me. Pl help.
If symptoms have been continuing for a number of weeks, I recommend professional support – seek an appointment with a homeopath if you can. Best wishes, Karen
Hi, my two kids have a cough that is very persistent and intense until their face becomes red, but not often (mostly when sleeping and few times during the day). They mostly cough in the night and it’s an intense cough that sometimes finishes with sensation like vomiting (but they don’t). Also it’s worse in cold air particular windy. I tried all kind of remedies like Pulsatila, Antimonium, Sulph, now i’m trying Drosera. It’s being 3 weeks that this cough persists . Can you recommend me something ? Thank you
Hi Cristina, thanks for your question. Without a more detailed picture, it is difficult to recommend further remedies with any degree of confidence. And it is best not to keep giving remedy after remedy. The best remedies for each of your children are the ones that fit their individual symptom pictures precisely – after trying a number of remedies over three weeks, I would recomend you work with a homeopath to find better matches. If you do not already have a homeopath to work with, I recommend you engage someone to support your family’s health going forward. Many of us also offer stand alone acute calls to identify remedies for individual acute cases. Good luck! Best wishes, Karen
Since last January Iam having cough, everytime During coughing.
I cough out white frothy sputum..
Hi Nikita, thank you for your question. In the case of a chronic long term cough, successful treatment needs a bigger individual symptom picture to match a suitable remedy for your case. There are over 100 remedies listed for frothy expectoration, and the choice of the correct medicine for you would need careful investigation. I recommend you seek out a qualified homeopath to take a more detailed case. Good luck and my best wishes, Karen
Jhag dar balgam ata hi bronchitis ki samasya. 8mahine se hi kaya Karu
Last summer my body produced Bullus pemphigoid [spelling may be incorrect] treated with Nat mur. [bachs rescue cream and some EO]
Have more red swollen areas = possible blisters – should I try a different remedy?
Have been using Homeo rems for more than 40 years.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your question. If the blisters look similar to the previous occurrence of this condition, it makes sense to return to the remedy that helped you previously. If you were working with a homeopath who recommended it, it may be helpful to check in with them first. Best wishes, Karen