As I have said remedies can be used in a great deal of situations, first aid being one of them. Below is a list of remedies that I recommend you have in your home, and what thier uses;
Arnica; Bruising and swelling as a result of trauma to the body. Essential for any knocks and bumps.
Calendula; Cuts and scratches. Excellent for cleaning out cuts and helps the skin to heal. Best to use the mother tincture.
Ledum; Bites and Bruises. The area feels cold to touch and better from cold applications. This is great remedy to use straight away, after someone has been bitten by an insect. When the area has become hot, then Apis would be used. Also great for very severe bruising along with Arnica.
Rhus tox; Rashes and muscle pain. The rash is extremely itchy especially at night and is ameliorated by heat. The person will has be feverish and very restless. This is also a great remedy for stiffness of the muscles when the first movement is painful but continued motion feels better.
Aconite; Sore throats, cough, ear ache and fright. Aconite symtoms come on suddenly and are intense. There is a fever and/or the affected area is hot/throbbing and the cause can be exposure to cold dry wind. This is also an excellent remedy for croup. Also for the first signs of a cold, when there is just a scraping sensation in the throat.
Arsenicum Album; Flu, food poisoning, diarrhoea. The symptoms are of severe vomiting and diarrhoea. The patient can be very restless although weak. They like cold drinks and to sip little and often. Very often used in gastric flu.
Bryonia; Muscle aches, fever and coughs. The most obvious sign that someone needs Bryonia is that they do not want to move!! There is extreme pain with movement even if it is someone else close by who is moving. Because of this they like to be alone and do not want to be approached.
Hepar Sulph; Excellent remedy when there is even a small hint of infection. Cuts, coughs, sinuses or abcess are a few examples. There is a thick discharge, the patient is very cold and very sensitive to pain, which may make them grumpy.
Belladonna; Intense, hot, throbbing conditions. Intense fever with no perspiration. Fevers, earache, toothache and sudden onset of flu.
How to take the remedies?
Remedies are available in various dilutions or potencies. So which one to choose? For home use, the most appropriate are 3Oc or 200c. The difference between potencies is in the intensity of the patient's symptoms. If someone has had an extreme fall and is badly bruised then Arnica 200c is the best, whereas a small bump would be fine with a 30c. If you are in doubt, a 3Oc can be used regardless of intensity. There is no problem in repeating the remedy. As a general first-aid rule, give the remedy every 30 minutes and then lenghten to every 2 hrs once, there is an improvement. Place the remedies under the tongue and let them dissolve. Only the person taking the remedies can touch them and they should be stored in a cool dry place away from mobile phones and strong odours.
Remedy Reaction
When all the symptoms disappear this is a great sign!! However this does not happen every time. A good sign that the remedy is doing something is when, after taking the dose, the patient falls asleep. This means that the vital force is conserving all its energy to heal. Acutes have stages that the patient will pass through; inflammatory, suppurative and recovery. Acutes ailments, such as coughs, colds, have a certain time to live out. If you catch the beginning on time, usually by giving Aconite, then it can be stopped. However if it is too late, then with remedies, you can only make the patient feel more comfortable until it passes and homeopathy will help pass through these stages quicker. Therefore, through the acute more than one remedy may be required.
Remedy Reaction
When all the symptoms disappear this is a great sign!! However this does not happen every time. A good sign that the remedy is doing something is when, after taking the dose, the patient falls asleep. This means that the vital force is conserving all its energy to heal. Acutes have stages that the patient will pass through; inflammatory, suppurative and recovery. Acutes ailments, such as coughs, colds, have a certain time to live out. If you catch the beginning on time, usually by giving Aconite, then it can be stopped. However if it is too late, then with remedies, you can only make the patient feel more comfortable until it passes and homeopathy will help pass through these stages quicker. Therefore, through the acute more than one remedy may be required.