Overheated? Too Much Sun? Homeopathy Can Help!

Homeopathy can be invaluable for helping with heatstroke or sunstroke.  Like all health issues, prevention is the best cure.  But if you find yourself in a situation where you are feeling worse from being in the sun, homeopathy has many solutions!

Summer is Here!

Summer has arrived in Minnesota. As I sit and type this in the air conditioned comfort of my office, I am able to avoid the outdoors where temperatures are in the upper 90’s with humidity hovering around 45%. Fortunately, it is windy outside, but hot and windy is my least favorite summer weather combination.

While I get to stay inside, others aren’t so fortunate. So if you must spend outside in the heat, be sure to wear sunscreen, try to stay in the shade if possible, try not to over exert yourself, drink plenty of water, and replenish your electrolytes. I like to do that by squeezing lemon and lime in to the water, perhaps ½ to a whole of each into a quart jar. Put ½ to 1 tsp salt in the water, add ice, and blend or shake well. Yum!

What Should You Do If You Over Heat?

If you, or someone you are with, gets overheated, be sure to have these homeopathic remedies along. You never know which you will need, so be sure to have them on hand ahead of time. Treatment should begin as soon as possible, so having to run to the store will delay treatment. In fact, the person needing the remedy will probably feel better pretty quickly with the right remedy. If not, try a different one.

In trying to find a remedy for sunstroke or heatstroke, you will need to do some observing with a keen eye, because the person needing the remedy may not be able to tell you some of what you need to know. For example, they probably won’t say they are confused, but you can most certainly observe that.

There is a difference between sunstroke and heatstroke, but if you pay attention to the symptoms you will be able to find the correct remedy and the difference won’t matter that much. Except that if a person has sunstroke, there is a problem with reoccurrence, so it is important to prevent it in the future. With sunstroke, the patient usually has dry skin, a hot head and a severe headache. Heat exhaustion presents itself with greater weakness.

One of the consequences of too much sun is a condition called Hyperemia, which means there is an excess of blood in the vessels supplying an organ or a part of the body. Hyperemia is generally found with congestion, which means that the blood is also not backing out of those areas. Many of the most common remedies for this condition are found below.

The Remedies for Sunstroke and Heatstroke

Dosing: Usually one 30C dose is adequate, although it may need to be repeated. Please see the blog post on dosing for further information.

Aconite:

• Aconite, like Belladonna, has a rapid onset of what seems like fever,
• A very painful headache which may be on the top of the head or the back of the head, better from ice or cold packs.
• Headaches may include a bursting feeling, pressing pain either inward or outward, and a feeling of a band around the head. Other very painful headaches may also occur.
• Sensitivity to light and pupils which are constricted (Belladonna has dilated pupils).
• Skin rashes from getting over heated. These can be all sorts of red rashes, painful, itching, rough feeling.
• Aconite will be fearful as well, in particular that something bad is going to happen healthwise. It is a well known fear of death remedy where the patient feels they will die NOW!
• Worse from falling asleep in the sun.
• Hyperemia of the head from exposure to the sun.

Belladonna:

This is the #1 remedy for people with sunstroke or heatstroke. Symptoms that would indicate Belladonna include:

• Rapid onset of what seems like a fever (elevated body temperature), throbbing headache, red face, dilated pupils and confusion.
• The skin will be very warm to the touch.
• They are made much worse from jarring, such as walking across the floor to check on them or sitting on the bed.
• Someone who needs Belladonna will be dry and very thirsty for very cold water.
• Like Aconite, Belladonna is a remedy for sunstroke from falling asleep in the sun. So all you sun bathers should have this remedy and Aconite.
• Belladonna is a remedy for Hyperemia of the head from exposure to the sun.

This remedy is in every remedy kit, so if you aren’t sure what remedy to give, choose this one, unless you are certain another one is correct.

Camphora:

This remedy is not readily available but has a very peculiar symptom that would make it easy to spot.

• A person needing Camphora would be very chilly to cold from over exposure to the sun. This person would not want to be covered up. In fact they would want a cold shower or bath.
• Veratrum Album is also chilly, but they would want to be covered up.

Carbo Vegetabilis:

• Weakness and collapse from exposure to the heat and the sun. This is an awesome remedy for bringing someone back from the brink of collapse and near death from illness.
• May include fainting from being over heated.
• Clammy and cold.
• Will feel better by being fanned.
• Nausea is a strong symptom when Carbo Veg is needed. They may also have diarrhea after too much sun and heat.

Gelsemium Photo 70525928 / Gelsemium © Migianpi | Dreamstime.com

Gelsemium:

• Weakness, collapse, and you really just don’t care.
• The onset of Gelsemium symptoms is rather slow, so you might not notice it immediately.
• The headaches of Gelsemium patients are often accompanied or alternate with Abdominal complaints.
• Like an influenza case of Gelsemium, there will ikely be pain in the occiput (back of the head) but could also have pain in the forehead or top of head.
• You might have chills down the back of your spine.
• Gelsemium patients are generally not very thirsty, so you may need to do a bit of encouraging.
• Hyperemia of the head from over exposure to the sun.

Glonoine:

• The symptoms of Glonoine are very similar to Belladonna, except the people who need Glonoine are worse for tipping their head backward
• Applying cold water to cool down the patient can make them spasm.
• People needing Glonoine are very desperate to rest in the shade.
• Movement makes the patient worse.
• There may be a blue tone about the face.
• The jaws may be clenched tightly.
• Flushes of heat and hot sweat (Bell. is dry)
• Hyperemia of the head from exposure to the sun.

Natrum Muriaticum:

This remedy is very common for over exposure to the sun. It is, afterall, homeopathic Sodium Chloride. If you have Belladonna and Natrum Muriaticum with you, you should get some relief.

• Hot, thirsty, dehydrated from being in the sun.
• Stars or sparks in the field of vision. ***

I remember using this remedy for my husband many years ago when we were doing landscaping one warm summer day, prior to attending a concert we had tickets for.  He was concerned he wouldn’t be able to go, but Homeopathy For The Win!

Veratrum Album:

• Chilly from over exposure to the sun, but desires to be covered up from the chills.  This is an excellent sunburn remedy where the result is chilliness.
• I remember a college aged trip tubing on the Apple River, getting sunburned and being really chilly. I remember messing with the blankets and sheets to be covered just right. Of course, I didn’t know about homeopathy then.
• Hyperemia of the head from exposure to the sun.

What Next?

There are at least 50 remedies for sunstroke and heatstroke. These are just the most common ones.  Be sure to have these remedies on hand, because waiting to get them may be too late.

If you need more information or help choosing a remedy for heat stroke or sunstroke, please contact Lotus Homeopathy for help. 651-748-1556.  If you feel like it is a medical emergency, please all call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.

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