Homeopathy for Heat Stroke? … Absolutely!

​Heat waves are part of summer, however when they are extreme they can seriously affect our health. The people most at risk are the elderly, children, people with chronic diseases especially heart and lung issues, and people on certain medications. However anyone that is sensitive to heat can feel consequences even if it is only irritability and a loss of energy. 
 
The concern is with Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. Heat Exhaustion is when your body gets too hot and can’t cool down by sweating due to dehydration. Symptoms are heavy sweating, rapid pulse, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea, headache and cool, moist skin with goose bumps. Heatstroke is when the body temperature rises to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and at this temperature the brain, heart, kidneys and muscles may be damaged leading to serious complications, and without cooling or emergency intervention the person may die. Symptoms include altered mental state or behavior, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing and racing heart rate.
 
How can homeopathy help with the extreme heat?
Homeopathy can be a very helpful intervention in cases of both heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Be sure to assess if you or the other person needs immediate emergency medical care first. Remember that homeopathy can offer a safe complement to emergency medicine. Then using the matching symptoms one of the following remedies can be selected.
 
Belladonna:
A good remedy for high heat when the face gets flushed and red. Look for dilated pupils, a throbbing headache, radiating heat with little or no sweat and sudden spikes in temperature. There may also be violent shooting pains in head, which come and go suddenly, dizziness and restlessness. The heat is in the hot face, the hot temper and hot flushes although the hands or feet may be cool. It is easy to confuse Belladonna and Glonoine since they both have a hot head and glassy, staring eyes but in Belladonna you see the dilated pupils and the face will typically be red. 
 
Glonoine:
This is another great remedy for heat when you see staring, glassy eyes, pupils contracted, pulse barely perceptible or so quick it can’t be calculated, congestion and throbbing, loss of speech, face pale, cold sweat, body cold and head hot to the touch. This remedy is for effects of sun- stroke and hyperemia (excess if blood) of the brain from excess of heat. Generally worse in the sun.
 
Aconite:
Here you will see heat in the whole body, contracted pupils, a full pulse. There will be a lot of anxiety and restlessness. Often after lying with head exposed to the direct rays of sun. There is faintness and dizziness. Aconite is good for when the temperatures change rapidly, so feels unwell after exposure to a sudden cold wind or sudden exposure to hot weather, since this causes a shock to the body.
 
Gelsemium:
Another shock remedy, this is useful in sunstroke with a high body temperature and drowsiness, sleepy or a comatose state, and oddly a lack of thirst, refuses water.
 
Lachesis:
A great remedy for sun headaches, faintness and dizziness. Hot flashes, hot sweats, hot heavy headaches and the fatigue that follows heat, this remedy is very cooling when there is a lot of heat.
 
Bryonia:
There is great thirst for water, feels better with rest and being quiet. There will be a feeling of dryness, mucous membranes seem dry and throbbing, bursting headache. There is irritability, mostly due to pain with any movement because of lack of fluids/moisture.
 
Ferrum-phos cell salt:
When there is redness, heat, headache, minor fatigue or low fever in the first stages of irritation or illness from too much heat or sun. The result is a feeling of physical weakness, fatigue and you don’t feel right but it is not extreme. This remedy can be of general use for a speedy recovery from feeling unwell after a day in the sun!
 
 
To help choose a remedy, or for more information on how to take a homeopathic remedy you can talk to a homeopath or visit a shop with a homeopathic consultant. Many homeopaths offer a half hour or acute session reduced rate for issues like heat stroke or sun complaints such as sunburns, dehydration or headaches! 

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