Bronchitis in Children and its Homeopathic Cure

Does your child have irritating, or bothersome, cough with chest discomfort? Don't neglect it. Draw on the safe healing powers of homeopathy to drive the annoyance away - naturally and holistically.

All of us have tiny, coarse hair that guards the openings of our nostrils. Their job - when we inhale (breathe in) air - is to sift or filter dust, pollen, and other particles, including germs. However, small bits of dust particles, and other airborne 'offenders,' slip through sometimes. They may reach the respiratory tract. This could trigger illness, including bronchitis.

Bronchitis is inflammation (basic reaction to infection) of the respiratory tract (airway) that conducts air into the lungs. It isn't, however, as simple as it sounds. It can sometimes be dangerous. Research suggests that death rates due to complications arising from bronchitis have multiplied during the last decade. This is a cause for concern, especially in children. It also highlights the consequences of disregarding or not attending promptly to a child's warning signs and symptoms, like allergic cough, or cold.

Types

Bronchitis can be acute or chronic (long-lasting). Acute bronchitis is a condition that comes on swiftly; it can cause irritating cough and other symptoms. Most often, it lasts no longer than a few weeks. The cause may be one among the several viruses that infect the respiratory tract and also attack the bronchial tubes (airways).

Infection by bacteria may also cause acute bronchitis. Most children would have had acute bronchitis at some point in time.

What happens in bronchitis? The respiratory airways and their branches in the lungs get swollen. This may  be the result of infection, or allergy (allergic bronchitis). Likewise, inhalation of fumes, including tobacco smoke, especially passive smoking, when a parent smokes, or pollutants, aside from chemical solvents, may also lead to bronchitis.

When acute bronchitis is left untreated, it can cause pneumonia. Similarly, untreated, or neglected, chronic bronchitis can lead to lung tissue damage and subsequent drop in breathing capacity (volume of air we breathe in and exhale).

Symptoms

1. Fever, sore throat, or nasal obstruction. These may often precede bronchitis
2. When the problem becomes intense, or chronic, there may be excess cough, with phlegm (thick mucous/mucous plugs), chest discomfort, breathlessness and sometimes wheezing. Younger children are most often unable to expel mucous. Chronic bronchitis is a long-standing inflammatory condition - it results in increased production of mucous, as well as other changes, such as frequent and severe respiratory infections and narrowing of the breathing tubes [bronchi], along with difficulty in breathing.

Healing With Homeopathy

Homeopathy treats not just the symptoms of bronchitis; it treats the disorder from its 'roots.' It helps to prevent complications. Studies report that homeopathic remedies significantly improve our lung capacity and overall health and well-being.

Homeopathic remedies are also evidenced to stimulate the body's defences; in other words, they 'jazz-up' the body's resistance to illness/disease.

Clinical studies have corroborated the efficacy of homeopathic remedies vis-A-vis conventional medicines in the treatment of lower respiratory tract illnesses, including allergies and bronchitis. One outcome study  in Europe showed an impressive response rate of 82.06 per cent in the homeopathic group as compared to 67.03 per cent in the group receiving conventional [allopathic] medical treatment.

Homeopathic remedies are not given on the presentation of symptoms of bronchitis alone. This is because no two children with bronchitis present with the same set of symptoms, or response to illness. The selection of an appropriate homeopathic remedy, to highlight one example, is based on the given child's unique symptoms, reaction to illness, temperament and psychological patterns. In addition, it may also be related to the type of the mucous discharge, especially in older children, its unique features, including odour, among other things.

Self-Help

1. If your child seems unwell, check with your doctor to find out what the problem is. More so, if there are breathing problems
2. Bronchitis in children is nearly always due to a virus; conventional antibiotics don't help
3. A recent research study showed that for children over two years old a single dose of honey in the evening was more effective than a common conventional cough medicine and also more effective than powerful medications. However, honey should not be given to babies under age one as it may lead to a rare but serious illness
4. Steam - e.g., from the bathroom shower or a humidifier - can help the child feel more comfortable. It may, however, not shorten the illness. One should be gentle to prevent the risk of burns and scalds
5. A child who has bronchitis may not eat as well as normal, but it is important to offer them extra water or fluids. Older children may like a hot lemon and honey drink
6. Keep your home and car smoke-free
7. If the child does not start to feel better within a couple of days, or starts to feel more ill, see your homeopathic doctor immediately.