Homeopathy Articles

Homeopathy on Vacation

Traveling by car, bus, train or boat brings on a miserable motion sickness for some of us.  Symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headache.  Your remedy kit can be a vacation saver. 

If you are prone to motion sickness check out the remedies Tabacum, Petroleum and Cocculus.  

Someone needing Tabacum will be pale and clammy.  They will want to lie still with their eyes closed and the smell of cigarette smoke worsens their nausea. 

Petroleum motion sickness is unique in that the person is hungry for small amounts and has an increase in saliva. Gas and exhaust fumes may play a part in their sickness. The motion sickness of Cocculus is made worse by the sight, smell, or thought of food. They are worse if chilled and are forced to lie down with dizziness and nausea. Rising up, hearing noises, and getting cold make them worse.

If you don't have any of these remedies handy, try Nux Vomica. It covers many motion sickness symptoms, too.

Traveling brings with it a change in diet, water supply and schedules, sometimes leading to constipation or diarrhea. The remedy Alumina can help "traveler's constipation" when there is no urge to move the bowels. Compare this with Nux Vomica constipation where there is a constant urging with no results. Speaking of Nux Vomica-this is also the remedy for stomach upsets from overeating "junk food"-so easy to do on vacation!

A smart family carries remedies for diarrhea, especially if they are in places where the food and water might contain amoebas or viruses. Arsenicum album  is the first remedy to think of when thin, irritating diarrhea hits, especially if stomach pains and/or nausea/vomiting accompany.  Remember Arsenicum album also for food poisoning of any kind. Some families dose themselves with Ars. alb. before traveling to a country where dysentery is a possibility. A more severe diarrhea, explosive and debilitating, might need Veratrum album. Podophyllum is for plain old diarrhea without the drama of the other two remedies.

Summer is SUNBURN time!  Use your natural burn gels (like aloe) and, if pain continues or sleeping is difficult, give Cantharis 30 internally for a few doses. Belladonna will come to the rescue if the burn is bright red and angry looking with systemic symptoms like headache or chills starting. 

Some people are so sensitive to the sun that they get an itchy stinging eruption called sun poisoning, or urticaria.  That is when we can finally pull Urtica urens out of our kits.  I learned about "stinging nettle" (common herbal name for Urtica Urens) the hard way when I was stung and burnt by it from brushing against its serrated leaves while walking near a river dressed in shorts.  Stinging Nettle is unforgettable after you've met it in this way.  I've used Urtica Urens  successfully for "sea nettle" stings too when some one comes out of the ocean covered with itchy welts after swimming.  How else would we know what "like cures like" is all about if it weren't for nettle and, of course, the soothing effects of Apis  mellifica (honey bee)  for bee stings?  Yes, this remedy can really cut the pain and swelling after bee stings (and wasp stings). 

A homeopathic animal consultant shares that "it is the season for bees, wasps and other flying, stinging creatures  to be abundant"– therefore it is good to be prepared. Our animals can benefit from these remedies too! The poison of the bee acts on cellular tissue causing puffiness and swelling and, of course, stinging. Skin will have redness, be shiny and indent on pressure. Symptoms are worse for heat including hot rooms, touch–even lightly, better for open (cool) air, cold applications. These may also be exhibited; fidgety, restless, not wanting to be alone and thirstless.  

In addition to bee stings, Apis should be considered for allergic reactions and swellings in reaction to vaccinations, other insect bites, thorns, hives, rashes, welts, joint swellings. All are aggravated by heat and made better by cold. Swelling of eyelids, ears, throat, lungs, limbs, are a sign of severe reaction. Anaphylactic shock can be treated on the way to the hospital with Apis (and Rescue Remedy too). Complications of mosquito and other insect bites like excessive itching or swelling, can find some relief with Staphysagria, though preventing the bites is your best medicine. 

The rash of poison ivy and poison oak is another dreaded summer bummer which usually responds well to a few doses of Rhus toxicodendron 30.  When the itching is reduced and the rash shrinks instead of spreads you know that your remedy is working.  There are instances when high potency of Rhus tox. might be needed, like 200 or 1M to quell a bad case of poison ivy. Don't let the rash get too bad before you switch to another remedy if the rash is getting worse–allopathic doctors are becoming very liberal with steroid use for rhus poisoning–so go on to higher potencies of Rhus tox. or consider using Anacardium or Croton tig. to avoid needing that kind of crisis medicine. 

Anacardium may be your second remedy if large blisters filled with yellow fluid form. This swelling in this kind of poison ivy can look quite monstrous, especially if it is on the face.

Croton tig. eruptions can also blister and are quite inflamed, but the burning is less than with Rhus tox.


May your summer be free of all these problems and may your remedy choice be right the first time if you need a remedy.  Happy Vacationing!