As a homeopath running a busy Family Homeopathy clinic in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, I need to regularly sit back and take stock of what is coming through my clinic door in terms of ailments most often. It seems that over the last decade, the nature of repetitive upper respiratory infections has changed and all too often, I see a family recycling coughs and colds and not being able to shake them. These clients are usually one of two types:
- The Bemused Home Prescribers: Firstly they are homeopathic home prescribing ‘experts’ with a kit at home and have tried several acute home prescriptions and not had their usual success.
- The Desperate Stuck on the Antibiotic Train: They are new to homeopathy, have tried their GP’s advice with no luck, and have heard that Homeopathy is the way to get off the antibiotic train where their child goes from one infection to another with many courses of antibiotics and it never seems to stop.
So how can Homeopathy (and I) help?
If we take the first group of Home Prescribers, I encourage my regular clients to build their home knowledge of how to use Homeopathy successfully at home. If you give a well prescribed Homeopathic medicine at the onset of an acute infection such as a cough or cold, you will find that it either heals, or comes mildly for a few days with no time off school. This is such a bonus for parents as they have the peace of mind that they are supporting their child’s immune system; as well as helping them get well fast. They also have the peace of mind that they will not be looking for childcare alternatives, or taking time off work, which becomes such a difficult dynamic for working parents.
I support this learning in several ways. Firstly when the parents come for treatment for their children I tend to offer clear explanations of how Homeopathic medicines work, and how they are being prescribed. If they show interest in learning, I teach them as I treat their children by sharing explanations and tips as we go. As they get used to using Homeopathic medicines, I suggest they get a comprehensive and compact Homeopathic kit so they can have 36 remedies in their home, at their fingertips. I offer acute phone consults so they can see what options they have from their kit when an illness occurs, so they can get their hand held when learning to select medicines. And lastly, I teach them via online videos, how to prescribe for a whole range of family ailments from my Easy Family Online Homeopathic Course. This course is in four modules and you learn at your own pace with no marking or assignments. It covers:
- Homeopathic Background and how to treat fevers
- Coughs, Colds and Influenza
- Homeopathic First Aid
- Gastric Grumbles and Tummy Troubles
I also offer a First Aid E-Guide which is a low cost way into the basics of Homeopathy and teaches you how to prescribe for all those first aid situations you may encounter as a parent.
Stuck on the Antibiotic Train?
These are a group that need some extra help. The over use or repeated use of antibiotics has caused a depression in immune function. Often this is due to the gut biome which has been compromised by the drugs killing off the important bacteria that actually play a huge role in fighting infection. When I prescribe a constitutional Homeopathic medicine in this situation, the immune system of the child gets a huge boost, and then we have to walk a homeopathic line through the next acute infection to ensure the whole cycle does not start again. This means that when the next acute infection is encountered, we work together to use Family Homeopathy Medicines so that antibiotics do not get used and the immune system has a chance to practice what is good at again – fighting infections.
