Top Homeopathic Remedies for Surviving Summer Heat
Even the West Coast is experiencing record dry spells and heat waves this summer. If the heat has you down, here are my top picks for homeopathic medicines to help you and your family beat the heat. Of course, prevention is still the best medicine, so in the scorching sun, find cool shade, drink lots of water, don’t overdo it, and keep your blood sugar stable. When needed, remedies are a great natural way to support your body’s recovery.
Remember that children, the elderly and animals are all particularly sensitive to the effects of sun and heat. Use your common sense – if someone is disoriented, develops a fever or just appears particularly ill after being out in the sun, go to an emergency clinic for a proper diagnosis.
Belladonna 30ch is the main remedy for throbbing headaches and dry skin, rosy cheeks and red, glassy eyes after being out in the sun. When Belladonna is needed, the body and head tend to be burning hot, but the hands and feet may be cold. Sunstroke is a serious illness that needs medical attention but you can give Belladonna while on the way to the clinic.
Carbo vegetabilis 30ch: If the heat causes exhaustion and weakness instead of a pulsating migraine, use Carbo vegetabilis instead. Carbo veg. is known as “the great reviver,” so it’s my top remedy for fainting and fatigue after being out in the sun. Keep it in your natural first aid kit.
Magnesia phosphoricum 30ch is a great remedy for muscle cramps if lack of water and minerals cause your muscles to seize. If this is a common problem for you, switch to the Schuessler cell salt, Mag phos 6x – which is a lower potency and can be taken three times daily for days and weeks at a time as a preventative.
Cantharis 30ch: For sunburns that go beyond applying a little aloe vera or calendula gel, keep Cantharis 30ch handy. This remedy is your best choice for lobster-like burns that blister or for skin close to blistering; Cantharis 30ch will manage the pain while helping the body heal itself faster. Be sure to cover up – and for severe burns, seek medical advice. Note that the sun is particularly hot in the middle of the day, so cover up or avoid direct sun between 10 am to 3 pm and choose a natural sun screen to avoid the chemical load that “normal” sun screens may have. Consider Urtica urens 30ch for milder burns that itch – although not typically in a natural first aid kit, I do find it to be the better choice when itching becomes intolerable after a burn.
Nat mur 6x Schuessler cell salt is the remedy of choice for water retention. In fact I find this remedy most useful as a cell salt when water distribution in the body is unbalanced, causing dry lips and skin along with ankle swelling. Take 3-4 pills 3 times daily for the days when swelling and water retention is a problem.
Dosages: Homeopathy uses very small doses of natural substances, so it’s a remarkably safe medicine – even for young children and pregnant women – and does not conflict with conventional medication. BUT it is medicine, so use it wisely. For more information on its safety, read my blog on How Safe is Homeopathy for Babies and Pregnant Women – and while I have not added any scientific evidence in this blog, know that it does exist, and you can read more about that here. For homeopathic remedies to work effectively, they must be chosen according to the unique symptoms a person experiences, rather than by name of the illness – this is very different than what we’re used to, but the important piece to keep in mind is that there are no remedies specific to an illness, so remedies must match symptoms and the person. While I’ve covered the top remedies, if you develop unique symptoms from the summer heat, you may prefer to seek out a homeopath to find a homeopathic medicine personalized to your unique symptoms.
The 30ch potency is widely available, so choose the best matching remedy and dissolve 3-5 pills on the tongue every 2-4 hours for 3 doses then three times daily until symptoms subside. If there’s no change after 24 hours, find a homeopath to choose a better match. Stop when your symptoms improve by 90%. For intense symptoms while on the way to the clinic, take every 30 minutes for 3-4 doses then 3 times daily. Whenever symptoms last or recur, constitutional homeopathic remedies can help the body recover more fully.