Homeopathy for Croup and Homeopathic Cold Remedies

My Story

I remember sitting outside on the front stoop with my young children when they awoke in the middle of the night grasping for breath. They would wheeze and make horrifying sounds like they were taking their last breath. The cold night air seemed to help and the doctor said it would take a few days to a week for the symptoms to lessen. We would also try putting them in the tub filled or shower with humid air and running to the store for a humidifier. In those day, we could get the hot steam humidifiers, but I believe today they only carry the safer cold air mist types. The windows used to cloud up and the walls would literally drip with water droplets.

What is croup?

Croup affects the respiratory system in young children ages 2-4 years old. By the wheezing sounds you can tell the larynx (voice box), the trachea (windpipe), and the bronchial tubes are struggling to breath. 

You can observe the barking like a seal and harsh crowing sounds on inhalation. There is typically a low-grade fever (around 100° to 101°). The incredible fear the child exhibits is a clue to the homeopathic remedies that are selected. There is swelling of the tissue linings producing a narrowing of the air passages. 

Croup is attributed to a virus. That is why the physician usually sent us home without an antibiotic and gave instructions to sit out in the cold air. Croup often times comes on seasonally when the air is changing from hot to cold or cold to hot. 

Treatment includes moist air, saline (salt water) nose drops, decongestants, cough suppressants, pain medication, fluids, and occasionally antibiotics. Close monitoring of the breathing of a child with croup is valuable, especially at night when croup usually gets worse.

The word "croup" is one of the few in general use worldwide in medicine that came from Denmark. It is from the Danish "hropja" which sounds like a croupy child trying to get air in and out of the lungs.

Hepar sulphuris is a remedy oyster shells (Calcium carbonica) with flowers of sulfur. I've found hepar sulph excellent for sticking pains in throat and ears when there is a cold, cough, sore throat, and especially croup which is worse at night. If the child is extremely sensitive to an open window with cold air blowing or to touch it may help. Pain sensations are felt as sharp sticking splinter-like. A sore throat may feel like a fish bone is stuck in it and the pain increases upon swallowing.

Even a small amount of pressure, as in the action of swallowing, can cause extreme pain and the patient may faint. The sensitivity to cold is so extreme that if a hand or foot slips outside the bedcovers the patient will become chilled, so they bundle up with many blankets. Any slight exertion will cause the patient to perspire. The patient's sweat is cold and profuse and smells sour and offensive, like rotten cheese. Discharges of mucus are yellowish and thick and smell offensive. Hacking coughs are dry with mucus rattling in the chest. Often the physical type is lean with large glands and fair skin and hair. These people desire sour foods like pickles and vinegar, but do not like fatty foods.

Just as physically they are irritated by any amount of cold, on the mental level they are also easily irritated and become impulsive, angry, obstinate, anxious, fearful, impatient, sad, and even depressed. You can tell they are not easy to please and nothing satisfies them. In fact, they can have an inner desire to violence or to kill someone, which they will not act out upon. It is just a feeling. With all this anxiety about their health, they are also want to be pleased immediately and so they are demanding of a quick fix. This makes them hurry in all they do.

Aconite is the second of the triad, but I usually think of it first for croup. The keynote here is the feeling that one is going to die. There is a tremendous amount of fear involved. When the child is exposed to a burst of cold air, then comes down with a fever and croup at night this is a good remedy. When the little one has been playing outdoors in warm weather without a coat, then the sun goes down and the air suddenly chills, they are exposed to this type of situation.

Symptoms to look for are suddenness, red cheeks when laying down but pale face when sitting up, or one cheek is red while the other is pale. There will also be a runny nose during an episode of croup.

Spongia is the third remedy to keep handy. You can be certain this is the choice if the cough sounds like 'sawing through a board of wood.' It is the ocean plant that has animal like features. Just think about the sponge soaking up fluid and filling the space so the airways narrow. There is inflammation of the respiratory tract, with heat and pain. The irritation of the tissues produce a barking cough with many spasms. This is where the humid air of the shower or bath helps. The typical "stridor" wheeze on inhalation is heard.

If there is not the great suddenness as in the Aconite croup, but can also have a fear of dying. Look to spongia for slower onset. A component of the sponge is iodine and the features of this child are not the fair skinned and hair, but darker in appearance. Not only is spongia tops for croup, but also for coughs that are deep in the chest and related to an enlarged heart and goiter due to the iodine component. The iodine affects the heart valves and can produce a heart murmur and helps with rheumatic fever and goiter.

There can be changeable moods from anxious something is going to happen to playful and happy. The wheezing inhalation has a high-pitched sound, as if the sponge is filled and feels very tight. Like aconite, this type of croup also comes on with cold weather and cold also makes the condition worse. Logically, warmth ameliorates, including warm foods and drinks.

The time that croup is worse is right before midnight or in the morning. As you can imagine, when a child lies down the spongia type fills with fluid and thus, they want to be propped up in bed. They might say, "I feel full and congested" or they will suffocate. We can also hear a change in the voice.

Two Other Homeopathic Remedies Not in the Triad

Kali Bichromicum the number one remedy for sinus infections, can also come in handy for croup. The color of discharges are not necessarily yellow, but can be white. The cough sounds metallic and brassy with lots of loose phlegm, not so much the tightness of spongia.

The body type is usually more on the overweight side with flabby muscles. These fair skinned children have a hard time being sociable.

Phosphorus is excellent for respiratory distress, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. It is known for tendency to bleed like bloody nose or cuts that bleed easily. The cough seems to worsen with laughter, talking and change of room temperature. These children can also become quite fearful whenever they are ill. As opposed the the Kali bich child, these children are extremely sociable and get along well with everyone.

One clue for the use of phosphorus is for the child who grows quickly with a tall lanky appearance. They may come down with colds often, maybe it is because they are in the circle of so many friends and come in contact with many germs? They will have flushes of heat and love cold, carbonated drinks. Although they love salty foods, it may make them feel worse. You will find them rubbing themselves to feel better, and they do better with sleep.  

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