Cold and Flu Season

It’s that time again, daylight is getting shorter and the kids are back in school. The temperatures are starting to drop, and you can feel that Fall has arrived. Even in California the air smells like Fall, and there are leaves changing color and dropping to the ground.

It’s also the signal for the onset of Cold and Flu season! With colder weather and kids spending time in daycare or school, the chances of being exposed to a bug are higher.

Maintaining your Health

Keeping yourself and your family healthy is something you can work towards. Simple tools that keep your immune system functioning well are:

•  Make sure your entire family gets enough rest. It gives your body time to relax and build up strength to fight germs! It's often easier said than done, but it is so important for health.
•  Wash your hands in hot water with soap.
•  Eat nourishing meals with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

There are lots of tips and sound advice on keeping yourself well. Unfortunately pathogens are everywhere, and chances are that you’ll be exposed at some point or another. The best thing you can do is to be prepared.

Cold and Flu remedies

Here are a few hard hitting remedies to keep on hand to help diminish cold and flu symptoms. Take them as soon as symptoms appear to keep the illness from becoming more severe.

* Sudden onset of feeling feverish or ill, especially after exposure to cold wind. Fever may alternate with chills: try Aconite
* You feel the flu coming on with a sensation of chilliness. You may also feel anxious and restless. You may desire sips of water: try Arsenicum album
* Fever comes on rapidly, within a couple of hours. High fever, redness in the face, often with glassy eyes. You may feel heat in the body, with cold hands and feet: try Belladonna
* If you wake up feeling stiff and sore, and are unable to rest comfortably. You feel better staying warm, and are worse when exposed to cold and damp: try Rhus tox
* You have a runny nose which is better outside in fresh air. It may have come from exposure to cold wet windy weather. Your runny nose becomes inflamed and irritated: try Allium cepa

Of course these are just a few of the major remedies for these types of issues. Know the details: how you might have become ill, what makes it better or worse, and prominent symptoms. Everything helps determine which remedy is best for you. You can also research more at the National Center of Homeopathy.

As always if you are unable to find a good remedy, a good source of information is a classically trained homeopath.