Croup – Holistic Treatment of the Three Stages

The medical term for croup is the acute form of laryngotracheobronchitis. What that boils down to is a typical short lived respiratory condition, particularly in children. This is characterised by a resonant cough, hoarseness and stridor. Stridor means a harsh sound made by inspiring air.

There are many homeopathic medicines which will help resolve the acute symptoms of croup. But it does depend very much on where in the cycle this condition is when you start the homeopathic treatment.

When it is in its early stages, you may not know what is developing. And that doesn’t matter in homeopathy. The disease label is unimportant. What is important are the patient’s unique and personal symptoms.

So if your child suddenly starts coughing, or becomes hoarse or develops stridor, then the suddenness is the most important symptom for the beneficial use of the medicine Aconite. By sudden, I mean it develops over hours, rather than a slow development which may take days.

However, if it had already developed in to a resonant cough, one which sounds like a seal barking, or a saw passing through wood, then you need the medicine Spongia. It’s hard to effectively describe that cough other than by the above description. But when you hear it, you will know exactly what I mean.

If the croup has developed beyond that stage, a different medicine will be needed. The medicine Hepar sulpuris has a great sensitivity to pain. They complain endlessly. They are irritable. Symptoms may be worse at night. There will probably be a lot of yellow or yellow green mucous, usually described as suppurative.

These are the important symptoms for Hepar sulph to be beneficial – the great sensitivity to pain and the worsening with cold, whether it is cold food, a cold drink, inspiring cold air, or being out in the cold.

The mucous may have a unpleasant odour about it – like rotten cheese. If your child can communicate well about his/her symptoms, they may indicate that the pain in their throat is like a stitching or splinter like.

Croup has three stages, as far as the different homeopathic medicines are concerned. Each stage has different characteristics, which need to be matched to the most appropriate medicine of that stage.