If you’re anything like me, you are probably finding it hard to believe that the summer holidays are almost at an end for another year! We’re trying to pack as much as we can into our last few days before the school routine is back in our lives on Wednesday. While some children look forward to the new school year, many kids can find it a very daunting time, be it that they are starting school for the first time, joining a new school/class or meeting a new teacher.
It is so important to reassure your child that these feelings are normal and that everyone experiences them at different times. Make time to talk to them, and more importantly provide opportunities for them to open up to you, such as chats while driving to activities, while helping you cook/bake or while playing with them. Following on from this as an additional support, homeopathic remedies are so helpful in easing this anxiety. Homeopathic remedies have no side effects and no contraindications if used as recommended and are safe for both young and old. Generally speaking, it is best to take these remedies in low potencies (up to 30c), using the appropriate remedy every 15-30 mins for 5-6 doses, lengthening the time between doses as you see an improvement. If in doubt, consult your homeopathic professional for advice. Remedies for anticipatory anxiety: Gelsemium 30- for anticipatory anxiety before an event such as a first day, exam, or performance. The child feels that the task ahead of them is too much. (If in doubt and the anticipatory symptoms are hard to define, try Gelsemium first before other homeopathic medicines.) Aconite 30- for a child who is extremely fearful and restless. They often can’t sit still and can have a scared expression on their faces. This is the main acute remedy for panic attacks with a beating heart, sensation of not being able to get enough air, and feeling faint. Arsenicum 30- for the child who is restless and insecure with their anxiety. They can feel exhausted from dealing with their anxious emotions. Argentum Nitricum 30 – for the child who feels very nervous, usually experiencing diarrhoea and flatulence with their anxiety. Calc Phos 30- the number one medicine to try when your child is reluctant to go to school. They may have headaches and/or tummy aches, denying that anything is wrong, merely that they feel too sick to go to school-often one to think of first for the younger child. Lycopodium 30- for the child is fearful that they will fail and look foolish in front of others. They often cover this anxiety up by appearing overly confident. This child will usually ‘perform’ very well each time but still have the preceding anxiety.
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I’ve been very inspired by the amazing O’Donovan brothers of Skibbereen and their fantastic Olympic achievement. But what of the rest of us, still striving to fulfil our goals?
Everyone who exercises gets the occasional injury. The first and obvious port of call when this happens is RICE-that is rest, ice, compression and elevation for injuries involving painful swelling. But in order to aid the healing process, why not consider the following remedies to help you get back in the saddle(boat/field/etc.) again in as quickly as possible? Homeopathic remedies have no side effects and no contraindications if used as recommended and are safe for both young and old. Generally speaking, it is best to take these remedies in low potencies (up to 30c), using the appropriate remedy every 15-30 mins for 5-6 doses, lengthening the time between doses as you see an improvement. If your symptoms change then switch remedy and stop the remedy when your symptoms are clearly improved. And it goes without saying that if in doubt, consult your doctor, (you can still use the remedies while waiting to be seen). Arnica- one of the most commonly used remedies, the first remedy to be thought of following trauma. It helps with bruising, physical injury and also emotional shock. Arnica Cream is great when applied to bruises and sprains to promote healing. Bryonia- for swollen, painful injuries. These are worse for movement and better for pressure and cold compresses. Hypericum- Anytime your nerves have been crushed, take this remedy after initially taking Arnica for the shock of this pain. Hypericum is especially effective for shooting nerve pain. Ledum- is very useful in treating a black eye or any other injury that feels cold to the touch and is relieved by cold applications. (Use Arnica initially and follow with Ledum). Rhus tox- is great for ligaments/tendons around joints that feel very stiff, for strains and sprains. These injuries are better for continued movement (painful to start, then loosen up) Use it after Arnica. Ruta-great for deep aching pain from bruises to the lining of the bones (like if you get a blow to your shinbone). Ruta injuries are worse in cold wet weather and from resting, but better with movement and warmth. Again use Ruta after Arnica. Symphytum- very helpful in knitting broken bones, and can also help where the bone covering has been damaged, e.g. if you get a blow to your eye socket- again use Arnica first, then Symphytum. #pulllikeadog Chickenpox is a common childhood illness, especially in kids under age 12. It’s caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and is very contagious. Kids who get it might have an itchy rash of spots all over the body and flu-like symptoms. An infected child should stay home and rest until the rash is gone.
Symptoms Chickenpox often starts with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache. These symptoms may last for a few days, with the fever in the 101°-102°F (38.3°-38.8°C) range. Chickenpox causes a red, itchy skin rash that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, arms, legs, and genitals. The rash begins as multiple small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites, usually less than a quarter of an inch wide. They appear in crops over 2 to 4 days and develop into thin-walled blisters filled with fluid. The blister walls break, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs. The rash is very itchy, and cool baths or calamine lotion may help to manage the itching. Young kids tend to have a mild illness with fewer blisters than older children or adults. In very rare cases, serious bacterial infections involving the skin, lungs, bones, joints, and the brain can happen. How is it spread? The chickenpox virus spreads both through the air (by coughing and sneezing) and by direct contact with mucus, saliva (spit), or fluid from the blisters. Chickenpox is contagious from about 2 days before the rash appears until all the blisters are crusted over. A child with chickenpox should be kept out of school until all blisters have dried, usually about 1 week. Chickenpox is very contagious — most kids with a sibling who's been infected also will get it (if they haven't already had the disease or the vaccine), showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child does. To help keep it from spreading, make sure your kids wash their hands often, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom. People who haven't had chickenpox or the vaccine also can catch it from someone with shingles, but they cannot catch shingles itself. That's because shingles can only develop from a reactivation of VZV in someone who has previously had chickenpox. High-Risk Groups Certain groups of people are more at risk for complications from chickenpox, including pregnant women and anyone with immune system problems. These groups should avoid anyone who has chickenpox. Treatment Chicken pox is caused by a virus and so antibiotics won’t help clear it up, luckily there are a number of homeopathic remedies that will help relieve the symptoms(!) as well as some practical tips listed below: Use cool wet compresses or give baths in cool or lukewarm water every 3 to 4 hours for the first few days. Porridge in the bath will help calm the skin (put some porridge in a sock and run the bath water through it!) Pat (don't rub) the body dry Put calamine lotion on itchy areas (but don't use it on the face, especially near the eyes) Serve foods that are cold, soft, and bland because chickenpox in the mouth can make drinking or eating difficult. Avoid feeding your child anything highly acidic or especially salty, like orange juice or pretzels. Never use aspirin to reduce pain or fever in kids with chickenpox because aspirin has been associated with a rare but serious disease, Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and even death. As much as possible, discourage kids from scratching. This can be difficult for them, so consider putting mittens or socks on your child's hands to prevent scratching during sleep. Also, trim fingernails and keep them clean to help lessen the effects of scratching, including broken blisters and infection. Most chickenpox infections don't need special medical treatment. But sometimes, there are problems. Call the doctor if your child: has fever that lasts for more than 4 days or rises above 102°F (38.8°C) has a severe cough or trouble breathing has an area of rash that leaks pus (thick, yellowish fluid) or becomes red, warm, swollen, or sore has a severe headache is unusually drowsy or has trouble waking up has trouble looking at bright lights has difficulty walking seems confused seems very ill or is vomiting has a stiff neck Call your doctor if you think your child has chickenpox and you have a question or are concerned about a possible complication. The doctor can guide you in watching for complications and in choosing medicine to ease itching. If you take your child to the doctor, let the office know in advance that your child might have chickenpox. It's important to try to avoid exposing other kids in the office — for some of them, a chickenpox infection could cause severe complications. |
AuthorGer Fleming Homeopath LIC I.S.H. ArchivesCategories |