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Written by Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH
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Wednesday, 29 April 2009 08:29 |
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Page 2 of 2 Treatment
Homeopathic treatment is usually extremely effective in relieving the symptoms of sore throats and stimulating a complete and quick recovery. Strep throats may take longer to resolve than viral sore throats.
Belladonna is the first medicine to prescribe when the throat is inflamed, red, and painful with few other symptoms besides fever.
Mercurius (vivus or solubilis) is by far the most frequently indicated medicine for children's sore throats. Characteristic symptoms include a bad odor from the mouth, an increase in saliva production with drooling in younger children, swollen lymph nodes, and irritability.
The third medicine is Phytolacca when the throat feels swollen or constricted on swallowing and the lymph nodes are swollen, but the typical Mercurius symptoms of salivation and bad odor are absent.
Symptomatic treatment includes eating frozen things (juice popsicles or ice chips), sucking on zinc lozenges, and for older children, gargling with salt water.
Give vitamin C and Echinacea as for Colds.
Give the Chinese herbal formula Windbreaker or Yin Chao Junior.
Acupuncture Massage - Massage the ring finger on the palm side from the tip to the base in one direction only.
- Massage along a line in the center of the inside of the forearm from the wrist to the elbow in one direction only.
- Press on a point at the soft junction of the thumb and index finger.
- Massage the two points at the back of the neck in the hollows on either side of the occiput.
Excerpt from Child Health Guide, North Atlantic Books, Spring 2005
References:
- Brink WR, et al. Effect of penicillin and aureomycin on natural course of streptococcal tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Am J Med 1951; 297:365.
- Denny FW, et al. Comparative effects of penicillin, aureomycin and terramycin on streptococcal tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Pediatrics 1953; 11:7.
- Markowitz M. Rheumatic fever – a half-century perspective. Pediatrics 1998; 102(1)Suppl.:272-4.
- Mendelsohn R. How to Raise a Healthy Child… In Spite of Your Doctor. Contemporary Books, 1984, p. 120.
- Randolph MF, et al. Effect of antibiotic therapy on the clinical course of streptococcal pharyngitis. Journal of Pediatrics 1985; 106(6):870-5.
- Stollerman GH. Rheumatogenic group A streptococci and the return of rheumatic fever. Advances Innternal Medicine 1990; 35:1-25.
- Weinstein L, Le Frock J. Does antimicrobial therapy of streptococcal pharyngitis or pyoderma alter the risk of glomerulonephritis? Journal Infectious Diseases 1971; 124(2): 229-31.
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