Natural Remedies for Bronchitis & Respiratory Infections.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BRONCHITIS & RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS.

Homeopathic treatment can provide effective help in all kinds of acute respiratory infections, from colds and flu to bronchitis and pneumonia.  

It’s ok to self-treat for mild symptoms, however, when it comes to more debilitating or serious conditions, it is important to seek professional advice & care.

Use your common sense in seeking medical help – if there is cause for concern - especially if the person concerned is a child, has breathing difficulties or has underlying chronic health issues, 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 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 chronic bronchitis is best sought from a qualified homeopath but with acute bronchitis or general respiratory infections the remedies listed below can bring rapid improvement, if you see no changes in symptoms after 2-3 doses a different remedy is likely to be indicated.

You will find below the indications for some of the remedies most often used in the treatment of acute bronchitis. Remember also that 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) this then engages your central energy to engage the body’s defence mechanisms which promotes true healing.

Here are my top 12 Homeopathic Remedies for Bronchitis/ Respiratory Infections.

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.

Ars Alb.  

Dry or chesty cough with mucus, weakness, restless with anxiety/fear, respiratory difficulties - asthma etc, cough with flu symptoms, chilly, feverish,  pneumonia. Burning pains. 

Worse cold, night, lying down. 

Better sitting, warm drinks. 

Thirst for small amounts frequently, feels vulnerable, wants company/support.

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.

Rumex 

This cough is set off from tickling in the air passages, pressure of the throat or larynx, any cold air or change of temperature (even coming into a warm room) the cough prevents sleep, Often theres soreness in the chest area, this remedy can also have gastritis/digestive issues with a sensation of a stone in the stomach.

WORSE from talking, cold air to warm or vice versa, uncovering, change of temperature, lying left side.  

BETTER drinking, covering mouth, lying on right side.

Stannum

Hoarse; mucus expelled by forcible cough. Violent, dry cough in evening until midnight. Cough worse by laughing, singing, talking, lying on right side. During day, with copious green, sweetish, expectoration. Chest feels sore. Chest feels weak; can hardly talk. Influenzal cough from noon to midnight with scanty expectoration. Respiration short, oppressive; stitches in left side when breathing and lying on same side. Talking causes a very weak feeling in the throat and chest. Pains that come and go gradually, call unmistakably for Stannum. Heat in evening; exhausting night-sweats, especially towards morning. Hectic. Perspiration, principally on forehead and nape of neck; debilitating; smelling musty, or offensive.

Hepar Sulph 

Often termed the homeopathic antibiotic Hepar sulph is very useful for infections in general but is particularly indicated in chesty coughs that tend to be dry at night & loose in the day especially in the morning, the cough can be deep or barking. Hoarseness. Splinter like pains.

Worse - Cold, evening until midnight, cold, uncovering a part, cold food or drinks, cold drafts. 

Better - Wet weather, warm drinks.

POTENCY & DOSING 

Potency - Start with a general low potency 6 or 30c is fine.  Remember with lower potencies you may need to repeat the dose more frequently.  Do remember if you see improvement stop dosing and wait.  If improvement then a return of symptoms, you can also go up in potency to help the action of the remedy.

Acute dosing - give the selected remedy every 1-2 hours to start, if you see improvement stop dosing, if symptoms return, redose.  If after 3 doses you haven’t seen any improvement at all look at the next matching remedies. 

As you can see below, there are more than 109 remedies for Bronchitis or respiratory infections, if you do not find relief using any of the remedies listed above or suffer with chronic bronchitis do get in touch with me or another qualified homeopath to find the right remedies for you. 

Lungs - BRONCHITIS, infection: (109) Acet-ac. Acon. AESC. All-c. Alum. Alumn. am-c. am-i. Am-m. am-p. ant-ar. Ant-c. ANT-T. Apis Arn. ARS. ars-i. Asc-t. Aur-m. bar-c. BAR-M. Bell. Benz-ac. blatta-o. Brom. BRY. Cact. Calc. calc-f. Camph. Cann-s. Carb-v. Carbn-s. card-m. Caust. Cham. Chel. chin. chlol. chlor. Cina Cist. Coc-c. colch. cop. dig. DROS. Dulc. eup-per. euphr. Ferr-i. FERR-P. Gels. grin. Guaj. HEP. Hippoz. Hyos. Iod. IP. kali-ar. Kali-bi. Kali-c. Kali-chl. kali-p. Kreos. Lach. Lob. LYC. mang. Merc. merc-sul. morg. Naja nat-ar. Nat-m. NAT-S. Nit-ac. Nux-v. Ph-ac. PHOS. pilo-m. pix Plb. Psor. PULS. Rhus-t. RUMX. SANG. Sangin-n. SENEC. Seneg. Sep. SIL. solid. SPONG. Squil. STANN. Stict. sul-ac. Sulph. Ter. thuj. TUB. uran-met. Verat. verat-v. verb. zinc.