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Are you ready for those unexpected mishaps? Big or small they are sure to happen; bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes, stomach bugs, strained muscles or maybe even broken bones!

Adding homeopathic remedies to your first aid kit can reduce feelings of panic and allow you instead to jump into productive action!

You do not need an elaborate kit to begin with. Just start small and gradually add more homeopathic remedies as you learn better how to match symptoms to remedies.

Let?s start with these 5 remedies/medicines: Aconitum napalus, Arnica montana, Apis malafica, Calendula officinalis in a spray or ointment, and Nux vomica.

Oh my, that was difficult choosing just 5 remedies! There are so many great ones, but we have to start somewhere.

Aconitum napalus 200C is used for anything that comes on suddenly. This could be either physical or emotional such as an acute illness, an accident or even shocking news. Aconite (we often shorten the remedy words) doesn?t make it all disappear, but it helps to calm the shock so we can deal with what needs to be done at that moment.

Arnica montana is known to help with bruising, bleeding, and pain. This is a great remedy for a head injuries, overdoing things (overly exhausted), sprains, broken bones, and it is often used after surgery to help with pain, bruising, and quicker healing. Start by purchasing Arnica in 30C and 200C (more potencies can be added later).

Then there is Apis mellifica. Because Apis is made from the honey bee, I bet you can guess what symptoms this remedy often addresses. It is very effective in helping with excess swelling of face, nose, throat or bags under the eyes.

Apis is also good for stinging type symptoms such as occur with UTI?s or insect bites, burns including sunburns, bacterial infections of the skin, and it has been known to help with anaphylaxis. Start by purchasing Apis in 30C as well as 200C.

Keep Calendula ointment on hand for the occasional time you touch something hot, OUCH! I have been able to minimize pain as well as avoid blistering by using Calendula ointment. Calendula can also aid in the healing of wounds.

Calendula purchased as a botanical (not homeopathic) in an alcohol/water combination can be diluted in a 1:20 ratio (one drop calendula to 19 drops distilled water) and then sprayed directly on a wound or soak gauze in the dilution and then apply to the wound to help with soothing and healing.

Dorothy Shepherd, a medical doctor during WWI and then a trained homeopath using homeopathic remedies during WWII makes many references to using Calendula for wound healing in her book Homoepathy for the First Aider.

Now what about Nux vomica? Once I learned about Nux vomica, I wouldn?t be without it! Such a great remedy/medicine for those suffering with occasional constipation. Nux vomica can also help settle down the upset stomach when over eating, or even when drinking too much. Nux can also be useful with the detoxing of chemo as well as other medications.

Most all homeopathic remedies have emotional as well as physical aspects to them. In the case of Nux vomica, it is often helpful to calm those who have a ?short fuse? as well as those who are easily agitated by noise. If you are prone to ?road rage? perhaps you need some Nux vomica!

Consider using Nux vomica 30C for constipation and 200C for over-indulging issues.

Here are a few tips from my mentor Joette Callabrese.

Are you ready to go on? How about adding another 5 remedies to your first aid kit? There are so many amazing homeopathic remedies it is difficult to choose. However, I wouldn?t want to be without my Rhus toxicodenron, Hypericum perforatum, Ledum palustre, Belladonna, and last but not least Ipecacuaha.

Okay, I guess we'll do 6 more! Because there?s one more remedy that you just might find helpful in a stressful or grieving situation, Ignatia amara 200C.

Why Ignatia 200C? This homeopathic remedy is helpful for grief, anxiety, hysteria, feeling overwhelmed, being too weepy, regret as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder just too name a few reasons to have it on hand.

 

Rhus tox 200C (remember we like to shorten the names) is one of my favorites for when I?ve overdone a new exercise program or spent too long in the garden. We often say Rhus tox is the ?rusty gate? remedy. We are stiff at first but then often feel better as we get moving. I most often use Rhus tox in a 200C but, it is also affective when used in a 30C.

And then we don?t want to be without Hypericum 200C just in case we stub a toe or shut a finger in the door or anything else that causes a SHOCKING or shooting pain.

Ledum 200C is a great medicine to help heal and prevent infections. It is often used for puncture wounds, animal bites, insect bites and stings, and can help with a black eye.

You don?t want to be without Belladonna 3C for headaches, high fevers, and conjunctivitis. We often think of Belladonna for children who are not feeling well and have red-flushed cheeks.  

Ipecac 30C is great for stomach issues such as persistent nausea and vomiting.

We have used Ipecac in our home for ?gagging? coughs. You know the kind; it wakes you up at night and you feel like you just can?t stop coughing and there?s no way you?re going back to sleep. Give Ipecac an opportunity to do its good work!

You could start by taking Ipecac every 15 minutes and then start backing off and giving it less frequently as the cough gets better.

I?ve even use Ipecac with great success for my dog when he has had stomach issues. Yes, homeopathic remedies are so gentle and effective that they can be used by the youngest to the oldest member of your family as well as your pets. 

The remedies each have more conditions they can help with. I?m just covering a few keynotes to get you started. You can find more information on each of these medicines/remedies by reading about them in a materia medica.

Leaning homeopathy can seem like a daunting task. However, if you just study one medicine at a time and then go on to the next, it won?t be long until you have 10 or more medicines you feel confident using.

Okay - let?s stop there and get organized! There are a lot of small containers that will hold several remedies. Companies such as Boiron and Ollios sell storage containers. There are also a variety of storage ideas on Etsy. However, the containers don?t necessarily have to be made for homeopathy.

I have found handy storage containers at dollar stores, craft stores, and even hardward stores that all work quite well. Just for starters, initially just organizing a few remedies in a zip-lock baggie will work.

You may know how to use the homeopathic remedies. However, what if you are the one that needs help? Others need to be able to understand how to help YOU when YOU most need the help!

So, along with having the remedies, make certain you create a brief description on a 3x5 card of how and when to use them. Be sure and keep the ?how and when cards? with the remedies for easy access.

There you have it ? no excuses for not being prepared. Start gathering those remedies and put them where you are most likely to need them at a moment?s notice; in an actual first aid kit, medicine cabinet, car, or even put a few favorites in your purse, just-in-case.

If you would like to learn a more about homeopathy and how it can benefit you and your loved ones, be sure and check out my class schedule here. I?d love to have you join one of my study groups!