Whooping Cough

A bacterial infectious disease (caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria)
epidemic, and highly contagious for two months, necessitating caution in those close to the patient. Whooping cough mainly affects children, but can be seen at any age: thanks to vaccination it is rare in the Western world. The incubation period varies, lasting from one to three weeks, then the illness starts like a common cold, soon accompanied by noisy breathing and fits of spasmodic coughing on exhalation. The repeated fits are suffocating, produce thick phlegm, and often cause vomiting as the patient attempts to cough. This disease is serious in infants and older persons because there is a risk of pulmonary and cerebral complications. Once cured, the patient is immune for life.

Standard anti-infective treatment

To be started as quickly as possible at the first abnormal symptom:

• Start with Aconitum-Homaccord@, (Heel), which contains Aconitum D2, D10,D30,D200, Eucalyptus D4, D10, D30 and Ipecacuanha D2,D10,D30, D200:
  - Available in drop bottles containing 30 and 100ml
  - Ten drops to be taken three times daily. Initially ten drops every 15 minutes
• Add copper as a trace element with silver and gold in colloidal form
• Six tablets of Pyrogenium 5c, once a day, in a single dose, for a few days
• Twenty drops of Lehning@ L52 in a little water, three or four times a day, if the patient already has a temperature
• Vitamin C: one gram a day in adults, 0.5 gram in children, for a fortnight
• To this standard treatment composed of three homeopathic remedies, one to three trace elements, and a vitamin, the homeopath may add remedies that are specific to each illness and fundamental for each personality.

Dietary advice

To be strictly followed:

• Stop all heavy, greasy foods, particularly dairy products, fried food, and dishes with sauces
• Give the child plenty to drink
• Choose foods rich in vitamin C and copper
• Supplement the diet with wheatgerm and brewer's yeast, which are rich in group B vitamins and trace elements
• Give the patient plenty of garlic and onion, known for their anti-infective action

Homeopathy

Aconite, Belladonna, Ferrum phosphoricum against fever.

- Four tablets of one of these remedies at 5c to be sucked like sweets between meals, three or four times a day

Aconitum napellus

- Vegetable origin: aconite, also known as wolf's-bane because the poison it contains was once used in hunting
- Homeopathic remedy for infections that are sudden in onset

Belladonna

- Vegetable origin: the leaves and fresh flowers of belladonna, deadly nightshade
- Homeopathic remedy for infectious conditions with high fever, agitation and intense thirst

Ferrum phosphoricum

- Chemical origin: iron phosphate.
- Homeopathic remedy for slight fever in a very weak patient.

Drosera, Coccus cacti to work against the cough.

- Four tablets of one of these two remedies at 5c to be sucked three or four times a day between meals

Drosera

Vegetable origin: Drosera rotundifolia, or sundew

- Homeopathic remedy for dry, hacking cough
- Characteristic sign: the cough causes pain in the ribs, which the patient relieves by pressing the arms against the chest

Coccus cacti

- Animal origin: the cochineal insect
- Homeopathic remedy for laryngeal inflammation with abundant thick, runny mucus
- Two characteristic signs: short but intense coughing fits, worsened by warmth, improved in a cold room

• You can use Drosera-Homaccord@ (Heel) which contains Drosera and Cuprum aceticum in various D potencies:
  - Available in drop bottles containing 30 and 100ml
  - In general ten drops three times daily In acute cases initially ten drops every 15 minutes.

Olieotherapy

Essentially Copper or a copper/gold/silver combination.

Trace elements are normally supplied by the diet, which should be varied and of good quality. when there is a deficiency, they can be given as preparations.

Dietary sources of copper

Copper is present in small quantities nearly everywhere, except in milk, which contains very little. It is found especially in liver++ (calf. sheep), seafood (lobsters, oysters, scallops, fish roe) and seaweed, almonds and nuts, certain vegetables (avocados, mush­rooms), cereals (whole wheat, whole rice, soya). dried fruits, green vegetables, plums, cocoa, tea...

• Copper and zinc preparations: there are various brands and presentations: colloidal minerals such as Organic Minerals (Colloidals) which contains 70+ trace minerals:
  - Available in 946ml bottles
  - Take 1-3 caps just before breakfast and/or evening meal
  - Children 1 teaspoon daily for each 20lbs of body weight

Or Maximol (Ionized colloidals):

- Available in 500ml bottles
- Take 1/2 capful once or twice daily on an empty stomach

Herbal treatment

Echinacea an excellent anti-infective.

- Ask your herbalist to prepare a 30ml bottle of mother tincture of the plant. In an older child, give 15 drops in a little water twice a day for a few days
- You can use Echinacea complex (Bio­force) tincture which contains Echinacea purpurea:
- Available in 50ml bottles of oral drops
- Adults fifteen drops in a little water, three times daily. Children 6- 12 years old - eight drops to be taken in a little water, three times a day. Children 2-5 years old - four drops in a little water, three times daily.

Plant essential oils

Eucalyptus, niaouli, thyme linalol may be used in children. Their main activity is antibacterial.

- One drop of one of them to be taken in a spoonful of honey, twice a day

Niaouli

New Caledonian niaouli (Melaleuca virid ifolia) has properties similar to the Cajput tree (Melaleuca leucadendron) and the tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia).

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