Homeopathy For Cough

 Homeopathy For Cough

COUGH is a most common disease which every homeopath deals with day to day. Sometimes it is difficult to understand and treat. Many times, we see patients in our practice and keep trying various medicines, but what is important is to find the right similimum.

Let’s try to understand it, and get some hints from our repertories. I have collated this information here for every homeopath interested.

COUGH | 

Definition: A sudden explosive expiration after deep inspiration and closure of the glottis.

It is one of the physiological mechanisms for the protection of the lower respiratory tract against infection and invasion of foreign bodies. In disease it also has the function of expelling excessive secretions and exudates. Ciliary action of the bronchi also constantly raises a thin sheet of mucus towards the larynx. When it reaches the pharynx it is disposed of into the alimentary canal by un-conscious acts of swallowing. Pathological secretions are also removed in this fashion.

Cough can be produced entirely voluntarily but it can be suppressed less voluntarily.

Cough is produced by inflammatory, mechanical, chemical and thermal stimulation of the cough receptors.
It could be a leading symptom in an acute illness of the respiratory tract, or sometimes can suggest involvement of some other organ e.g. ear. It is found in chronic illnesses like chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchial asthma, and sometimes in the affections of the heart, pericardium etc.

The causes of cough are so numerous that they are difficult to classify. However, the following is, an attempt to classify the causes.

Causes of cough:    

1. Pharynx and larynx

   1. Acute and chronic pharyngitis, including tonsillitis, uvulitis, elongated uvula etc.

   2. Tumours of the pharynx

   3. Acute and chronic laryngitis – specific and non- specific, including foreign bodies.

   4. Laryngeal oedema

   5. New growths of larynx

2. Affections of trachea and bronchi

   1. Acute tracheobronchitis including acute infections like measles, typhoid, pertussis etc.

   2. Chronic tracheobronchitis including the one due to smoking, exposure to irritant gases, foreign bodies, bronchiectasis etc.

   3. Pressure on trachea and bronchi from without e.g. Aneurysm of aorta, enlarged lymph nodes, Hodgkin’s disease, new growths etc.

   4. Cystic fibrosis

   5. Carcinoma and other tumours

3. Causes in the lungs

   1. Acute infections like pneumonias

   2. Chronic infections like tuberculosis pulmonary suppuration, fibrosis, fungal infections and parasites (Hydatid cysts, amoebic abscess, Loeffler’s syndrome)

   3. Malignancy and other new growths

   4. Changes in the lungs due to heart diseases like pulmonary oedema, cor- pulmonale etc.

1. Causes in the pleura

Infections like pleurisy, empyema, hydrothorax, pneumothorax, hydropneumothorax, pleural effusion etc.

1. Causes in the mediastinum

Causing pressure symptoms or secondary invasion of infective process

1. Enlarged lymphnodes e.g. Tuberculosis, Hodgkin’s disease, malignancy etc.

2. Tumours e.g. Dermoids, teratoma, mediastinal goiter, thymomata, foreguf cyst etc.

3. Due to heart disease, e.g. pulmonary oedema secondary to cardiac failure.

   1.      Outside the thorax

      1. Psychological – hysterical (Sydenham’s cough)

      2. Ear affections

      3. Subdiaphragmatic lesions like subphrenic and liver abscesses

4.     Reflex cough

   1. Stomach

   2. Uterine etc.

5.      Idiopathic

Homeopathy Management Of Cough:

When a patient comes to the physician with cough, the latter must try to make a provisional diagnosis based on history and physical examination. This is important for the management as different conditions give rise to cough, and differ from each other. Investigations may confirm the diagnosis later on. But, the physician is required to prescribe to relieve the patient. The following points should be noted in connection with cough.

 

i) Acute or Chronic
Acute – laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, pneumonia, lung abscess,
uvulitis, epiglottitis etc.
Chronic – chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic ob-structive lung
diseases, pulmonary malignancy etc.

ii) Productive or non- productive (dry)
Productive –Brochiectasis, lung-abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis,
chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pulmonary
oedema etc.
Non- productive – Irritation of the external auditory meatus,
whooping cough, foreign body in the bronchus
(early stage), mediastinal tumours, carcinoma
larynx, neoplasm of bronchus, psychological etc.
N.B.  Female patients are inclined to swallow sputum and will not
expectorate as Male patients do. This tendency may lead to
incorrect conclusion in a female patient that cough is irritative
and non- productive.

iii) Onset of Cough
when an upper respiratory tract infection does not respond to the regular treatment; think of pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic.
Cough appearing for the first time in a middle aged man, think of bronchogenic carcinoma.

iv) Time
a)     Morning –smoker’s cough, chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, early pulmonary tuberculosis etc.
(Alum, ars, bry, calc, chin, euph, kali-a, kali-bi, kali-c, mosch, nux-v, phos, puls, rumx, squil, sulph, etc.)
b)    First lying down at night or appearing at some change of posture – Bronchiectasis, lung abscess
(Lying<: apis=”apis” caust=”caust” con=”con” etc=”etc” hyos=”hyos” kreos=”kreos” nbsp=”nbsp” p=”p” puls=”puls” rumx=”rumx” sang=”sang”> (First lying down on < : Ars., dros, con, caps, puls, sabad, etc)
c)     Early night – pulmonary tuberculosis
d)    When lying down (Balme’s cough) – pharygitis, elongated uvula
e)     At the end of dyspnoea  – bronchial asthma
(Ant-t, ars, cina, cupr, ip, nux-v, etc.)
f)      Wakes the patient up from sleep – Left ventricular failure or cough of cardiac origin
(carb-v, lach, laur, spong, kali-c, naja, etc.)
g)     If related to meals – hiatus hernia, trachea-oesophageal fistula, oesophageal diverticulum
(Eating < : kali-bi, nux-v, anac, sep, thuj, carb-v, etc)

v) Character of Cough
Barking Cough – Epiglottal involvement, hysteria and nervousness
Brassy Cough – Tracheal involvement, mediastinal tumours, aneurysm of aorta
Hoarse Cough – Aneurysm of aorta (Aneurysmal cough), laryngeal affection
Dog cough or Compression cough – Due to compression of bronchi-sounds like a dog coughing
Dry hacking cough –  Chronic pharyngitis and tracheitis, neurosis
Short suppressed cough – pleurisy, pneumonia
Paroxysmal cough – Whooping cough
– Minute-gun cough – (paroxysms close together in whooping cough), Carcinoma, bronchial spasm
Presence of whoop – Whooping cough

vi) Sputum
vii) Associated features
e.g. Fainting, COPD
viii) Cough is a distressing symptom and a patient expects fast relief. When a patient consults a physician for the first time, the physician will have to find out the indicated medicine as early as possible. Besides the general symptoms the physician should cover symptoms connected with cough. They may be
a) Character of cough.
b) Modalities of cough.
c) Associated symptoms or concomitants.

 

The character of cough and its concomitants are described here under with some of their important medicines. Besides the important medicines which are listed here, there may be other remedies which are not mentioned here. The reader is requested to refer to repertories and books of materia medica if required, to study the other remedies and the modalities.

  Character of cough – indication for a remedy

1. Asthmatic: Ant-t, ars, cina, cupr, dros, ip, nux-v, etc.

2. Barking: Acon, bell, dros, hep, spong, stram, etc.

3. Barrel – deep and hollow as if coughing in a barre: Med.

1. Choking: Alum, coc-c, ip, etc.

2. Constant: Alum, caust, chin, lyc, rumx, spong, pul, rhus-t, etc.

1. Convulsive: Ambr, bell, carb-v, chel, hyos, osm, phos, rumx, ther, etc.

1. Croupy: Acon, hep, iod, kali-bi, lach, phos, samb, spong, stram, brom, etc.

1. Deep: Dros, stann, verat, etc.

2. Deep sounding: Stram, kali-bi, verb, etc.

3. Dry: Acon, alum, ars, ars-I, bell, brom, bry, calc, calc-s, carb-an, chin, dros, hyos, ign, iod, kali-c, lach, mang, nat-a, nat-m, nux-v, petr, ph-ac, phos, puls, rumx, spong, sulph, tub, etc.

1. Exhausting: Ars, bell, caust, sep, stann, etc.

2. Explosive: Caps, etc.

3. Forcible: Phos, etc.

4. Gagging: Cina, etc.

5. Hacking: Alum, ars, lach, nat-a, nat-m, phos, sang, sep, tub, etc.

1. Hard: Bell, kali-c, phos, stann, etc.

2. Hawking: Eug, coc-c, lach, phyt, etc.

3. Hissing: Ant-t, caust, etc.

4. Hoarse: Acon, all-c, bell, brom, carb-v, caust, dros, hep, kali-bi, stann, etc.

1. Hollow: Bell, caust, spong, verat, etc.

2. Hysterical from, gets: ign, etc,

3. Loose: Ars, puls, coc-c, con, phos, sep, etc.

4. Metallic: Kali-bi, etc.

5. Minute guns: Cor-r, etc.

6. Nervous: Caps, dros, hep, hyos, ign, etc.

7. Noiseless: Calad, dros.

8. Noisy: Bell, kali-m, stict, etc.

9. Panting: Dulc, etc.

10. Paroxysmal: Bell, carb-v, cina, coc-c, cupr, dros, hep, hyos, ip, meph, nux-v, puls, rumx, sep, stann, tarent, verat, etc.

1. Persistent: Bell, cupr, etc.

2. Racking: Agar, bell, bry, carb-v, caust, coc-c, ign, kali-c, merc, nux-v, phos, puls, stann, sulph, etc.

1. Rattling: Ant-t, caust, ip, kali-s, sep, etc.

2. Resonant: Kali-bi, etc.

3. Retching: Carb-v, chin, dros, hep, kreos, nat-m, puls, sulph, etc.

1. Sharp: Arn,. Calc-s, staph, etc.

2. Short: Acon, coff, ign, rhus-t, sep, stann, etc.

3. Shaking: (Refer Racking)

4. Shrill: Ant-t, sol-t-ae, stram, etc.

5. Sibilant: Spong, etc.

6. Sneezing ends in: Agar, arg-n, bell, squil, sulph, etc.

7. Spasmodic: Agar, ambr, bell, bry, carb-v, chin, cina, cocc, cor-r, cupr, dros, hyos, I, kali-br, lach, nux-v, puls, rumx, sep, spong, etc.

1. Splitting: Aur.

2. Stertorous: Cact, etc.

3. Sudden: Squil, agar, euphr, ip, sep, etc.

4. Suffocative: Alum, carb-v, chin, cina, cupr, dros, hep, hyos, ip, nux-v, samb, sulph, etc.

1. Two coughs in succession: Merc, puls, etc  

2. Three coughs in succession: Carb-v, cupr, etc.

1. Toneless: Calad, cina, carb-b, dros, etc.

2. Tormenting: Ars, bell, caust, dros, ip, etc.

3. Trumpet tones: Verb.

4. Tube, sounds as if he: Osm.

Coughed

1. Uncontrollable: Mag-p

2. Violent: Agar, bell, carb-v, caust, coc-c, con, cupr, dros, hep, hyos, ign, ip, kali-c, lach, mez, ph-ac, phos, puls, sep, squil, stann, etc.

1. Whispering sound: Carb-b.

2. Whistling: Hep, laur, sang, spong, etc.

3. Whoop in inspiration with choking at the bifurcation of bronchi and great mental distress: Syph

1. Whooping: Carb-v, dirc, dros, kali-s, etc.

2. Yawning: Arn, asaf, cina, mur-ac, nux-v, puls, staph, etc.
   

Cough with concomitants

1. Chickenpox, after: Ant-c.

2. Loss of consciousness, with: Cadm, cina, cupr, etc.

3. Convulsions, with: Bell, cham, cina, cupr, dros, hyos, meph, stram, etc.

1. Dentition, during: Calc, calc-p, cham, cina, hyos, keros, podo, rhus-t, etc.

1. Elongated uvula: Alum, bapt, brom, hyos, merc-i-r, nat-m, etc.

1. Gastric: Bor, card-m, ferr, ip, kali-ar, lob, nux-v, etc.

1. Suppressed gonorrhea after: Benz-ac, med, sel, thuj, etc.

2. Gout, before an attack of: Led.

3. Haemorrhoids, after the: Berb, euphr, sulph, etc.

Appearance of

1. Heartburn, from: Carb-s.

2. Violent hunger, with: Nux-v, sul-ac.

3. After labour: Kali-c.

4. During lactation: Ferr.

5. After lifting heavy weight: Ambr.

6. Manual labour, from: Led, nat-m, etc.

7. After measles: Dros, puls, etc.

8. Pregnancy, during: Caust, con, nux-m, etc.

9. During remittent fever: Podo

10. Following scarlatina: Ant-c, con, hyos, etc.

11. Alternating with sciatica in summer: only in summer

1. Splenic troubles, from: Card-m, squil.

2. Students of: Nux-v.

3. Sympathetic: Lach, naja, etc.

4. After vaccination: Thuj.

5. During variola: Plat

6. After variola: Calc.

1. With sensation of worms crawling up in throat: Zinc.

1. With pain in anus when coughing: Lach.

1. Aneurysm of aorta: Spong

2. With aphonia: Am-caust, phos, rumx, seneg, spong, etc.

1. With arthritic pain, worse cold: Ph-ac.

2. With ascarides (Loeffler’s syndrome): Mag-s.

1. With bitter taste in mouth: Nux-v.

2. With cataleptic spasm: Cupr.

3. After abuse of china: Arn, ferr, etc.

4. With chlorosis: Plb.

5. With cholera infantum: Ars.

6. Cough in comatose state: Benz-ac.

7. With constipation: Bry, nat-c, podo, sep, etc.

8. Child angry and cross before cough: Asar

1. With cyanosis: Verat.

2. Depression, after cough: Iod, sep, etc.

3. Depression, with cough: Mag-arct, psor.

1. Dizziness, with cough: Ant-t.

2. Staggers, after coughing: Led.

3. Before eczema: Led

4. Emaciation, with cough: Chel, lyc, merc-c, nit-ac, ol-j, puls, stict, etc.

1. After an epileptic attack (which is during menses): Atro-s, Tep.

1. Cough better when eruptions  appear: Tep.

1. With bloodshot eyes: Arn.

2. Fainting precedes cough: Kali-c.

3. Faints between paroxysms: Ant-t.

4. Faintness, during cough: Coff, lach, op, etc.

5. Foot-sweat, with: Lac-ac.

6. Swelling of gums: All-c.

7. With heart affections: Ars, cact, lach, laur, mosch, naja, etc.

1. Hiccough, during cough: Ang, tab.

2. Cough from infiltration of lower chest: Kreos.

1. After suppressed itch: Psor.

2. Lachrymation, during: Euphr, etc.

Coughing

1. With blueness of lips: Cupr-ac.

2. Mania, with cough: Verat.

3. Melancholy, with cough: Petr.

4. Spasmodic cough of phthisica girls: Meph.

1. Enlarged tonsils, with: Phyt.

2. Trembling, after cough: Cupr.

3. Tremors, with cough: Phos.

4. Involuntary dribbling of urine while coughing Ant-c, caps, caust, kreos Nat-m, phos, ph-ac, puls, rumx, sep, squil, verat, etc.

1. Pain in uterus on coughing: Bell.

2. Uterine affections with cough: Plat.

3. with whooping cough followed by weeping

4. With worm symptoms (Loeffler’s Syndrome): Cina, dol, mag-c, spig.

1. Spasmodic jerking of head forward and knees upwards while coughing: Ther.

1. Uninterrupted, until relieved by vomiting: Mez.

 

 

 

 

References:

[1] Phatak, S. R. (2002). Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd.

[2] Vakil, P. (2003). A Textbook of Homoeopathic Therapeutics – Diseases of Central Nervous System and Respiratory System . New Delhi: Indian Books and Periodicals Publishers.

[3] Golwala, A.F. (1985). Medicine for Students. 14th ed. Mumbai: Dr. A.F. Golwala.

[4] Colledge, N.R., Walker, B.R., & Ralston, S. H. (2010). Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine. London: Churchill Livingstone.

 

 

 

 

About the author:

 

Dr Ajay Yadav is a Clinical Homeopathy Physician, Skin Aesthetician & Trichologist practicing in Mumbai. He is a homeopathic graduate, and acquired his Diploma in Cosmetology, a Diploma in skin Aesthetic , Certificate in Trichology, from the Gold coast University of Australia. He has finished a C.V.D (Certificate in venereal disease), a C.S.D (Certificate in skin disease), a C.C.H (certificate in child heath) from Mumbai University. He also holds a N.D (Diploma in naturopathy). He is an active member of the ANTI-AGEING MEDICINE ACADEMY OF INDIA (A3MI ), a Member of Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI) Indian chapter from 2011, and a Member of the Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association ( IHMA ) Mumbai 2012.

Dr. Ajay Yadav can be contacted by email drajay@skinrenew.in , drajay@yahoo.co.in Website: www.skinrenew.in and blog:  www.skinrenew.blogspot.in