For those in the northern hemisphere, summer has arrived and with it the joys of family travel. While it's easy enough to travel with a small kit of essential remedies, it's difficult to predict what may happen as you traipse across the desert or go camping in Yellowstone National Park. If you can take a small emergency or travel kit with you, Helios has one of each. They are well packed in a sturdy case and great to take on vacation or keep in the car. I often recommend the travel kit as a starter kit for those who live a more outdoors lifestyle like we do here in Israel. The Helios kits also comes with a small booklet. Alternatively, you can make up your own travel kit from remedies you already have at home and print out the following guide to take with you.
STORAGE for TRAVEL
Wrap the remedies together in foil and if you are traveling by air, take them on board with you if you can. It’s best to travel with remedies in a small EMF protection bag which you can buy online from various homeopathic suppliers. If traveling by car, try to keep them as cool as possible, out of direct sunlight and away from chemicals, perfumes, and essential oils.
HOW TO ADMINISTER REMEDIES
Give one pill up to 4 times over 1-2 hours under the tongue.
Water dose: For infants and small children, you can dilute a pill in a small amount of bottled or filtered water and give approximately 1 teaspoon of the remedy (5ml) as a single dose. Give one teaspoon of a diluted water dose, 4 times over 1-2 hours.
Then wait and see if there’s a change.
If there is no change and symptoms are well matched, try again with the same remedy in water. (see instructions for water dose above)
If there is a change but it doesn’t hold give the same remedy again.
If symptoms return after a few hours, give the same remedy again. You can do this for a few days but by the third day reduce to x1 day (for example for a sprain).
If there is still no change, look for a different remedy.
WHEN TO REPEAT How often you repeat dosing depends on the situation. A tummy bug may require a single dose of a single remedy in one child but a different child with more violent, more frequent and more intense symptoms may need a dose more often. But keep in mind that it takes time for the body to respond to any stress whether it be from a bite, a strain or too much time in a cold river, so be patient and watch for even small changes which indicate the remedy is taking effect and the organism is strengthening and fighting the invasive pathogen or the stressful event.
MAKE YOUR OWN TRAVEL KIT
You can buy 2g glass vials and decanter some of your home remedies to make up your own family kit. Be careful not to touch the remedies with your fingers and mark them well. I like to use circular, coloured labels on the lid so I can easily identify remedy names and potencies. Every family has their go to remedies so take the ones you use most frequently. While we know this to be a bias that may lead to incorrect prescribing for homeopaths, (we all have our favourites too), as a mom, it's often more intuitive. You just know your family responds better to Asrenicum for digestive complaints than to Nux-vom, so you probably don't need to send both to summer camp or take both with you on your family vacation.
CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES I also recommend you travel with your children's constitutional remedies. Constitutional remedies often contain within their picture a wide range of acute symptoms. And often these symptoms will show up during stress because they reflect your or your child's vulnerabilities. So a child taking Calc-carb may be inclined to get a sore throat when traveling. But an acute during constitutional treatment is important; it means something, so before giving the remedy, please check with your homeopath. If your homeopath is unavailable, it's best to treat with a local and superficial herbal or topical treatment until you are able to make contact. Try to avoid cortisone or suppressive medications.
RECOMMENDED REMEDIES FOR TRAVEL
ACONITE: for symptoms of shock, especially after exposure to cold. Sudden onset of any symptoms - gastric, respiratory, ears, eyes, injuries where the patient appears to be in a state of shock. Being dumped by a wave at the beach, too much time in a cold spring, falling off a tramoline. Sudden fever, flushed face, one cheek red, one cheek pale.
ARNICA: Bruising from a blunt instruments - non lacerated wounds, bumps and bruses, strains. The patient doesn’t want to be touched and may say they are fine. Not to be used until bleeding stops. Feels better in a cool, rested state.
APIS: Bites and stings with hot, red swelling. Bee, wasp, insect stings that swell up. Allergic reaction with itching and swelling, better for cold applications, worse for heat. The face may be puffy, the kidneys are working hard to expell the toxins.Thirstless.
ARSENICUM Album (ARS): Food poisoning, stomach upsets with vomiting, diarrhea, gastric complaints, cold and flu, patient is cold, restless, anxious. Doesn’t want to be left alone. Thirsty for small sips. Dry heat, burning pains, the patient is anxious, thinks they will probably die.
BELLADONNA: Fast and furious, intense fever. Cerebral inflammation, aversion to light, dilated pupils, high fever, red, hot, dry cheeks, cold hands.
BELLIS-PERENNIS: is for deep tissue injuries, like Arnica’s older sister. It acts deeply in the pelvic area, useful for menstrual complaints or severe abdominal pain. Can be used following a long hike, sprains and bruises.
BRYONIA: injuries or illnesses that are better without movement. Sprained ankle, injuries, cough. Very dry, very thirsty. Wants to be left alone, worries about money. Slightest movement hurts.
CALENDULA: laceration wounds, acts like an antiseptic.
CANTHARIS: burns, raw wounds, intense burning pains, rapid onset, severe and intense burns or burning sensation. Intense inflamation.
CARBO-VEG: faint with cold perspiration. Cold, pale face, cold head, cold body, wants oxygen. Nosebleeds.
CHINA: loss of fluids, faintness, weakness, loss of appetite, night sweats, broken down, sensitive nervous system, chilly, when diarrhea returns frequently. Worse from slight touch, better for deep pressure.
GELSEMIUM: tired, collapsed feeling, beginning of cold and flu, exhausted, weak, shaky muscles, no strength. Usually without thirst.
HYPERICUM: Injuries to nerve-sensitive areas, stubbed toes, crushed fingertips, toothache from sensitive or exposed nerves, nerve pain - coccyx, eyes, spine. Shooting nerve pains.
IGNATIA: Exhaustion, ailments from grief, heaviness in the chest, can’t catch a full breath, affect the nervous system, nettle rash with violent itching.
IPECACUANHA: nausea and vomiting, aversion to the smell of food.
PHOSPHORUS: very thirsty for cold water, hot, wants company, fearful. Profuse bleeding, respiratory symptoms, bronchitis, dizziness from loss of fluids, ear infections with bloody discharges, nosebleeds, desires ice cream, salt, cold water in large amounts. Vomits as soon as water hits the stomach.
PULSATILLA: weepy discharges, clingy patients. Hot, better with fresh air.
SILICA: constipation, objects that need to be expelled such as splinters.
EMERGENCY USE
Homeopathy can confidently be used by parents as an interum treatment in non emergency situations or if emergency medical treatment is unavailable. In medical emergencies please consult your closest emergency room or centre.
Rebecca Bermeister is a certified Classical Homeopath available for online consultations or treatments from her home clinic in Pardes Chanah, Israel.
She can be reached via her webpage www.rebhomeopath.com
email - rebhomeopath@gmail.com
Whatsapp - +972(0)547793606
may be purchased here.
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