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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Alternative Help for Heat Exhaustion

In an effort to be pretty grounded and practical today I thought I'd go with a blog posting that suited the weather patterns.  In much of the world  it is hot. It has been hot, and it would seem it may continue to be, hot for at least few days.  Part of  Climate Change predictions for my part of the world is an increase in hot days in the summer. For most people, that part of the equation is actually fairly welcome news. But maybe it will take some getting used to and a bit of common sense. People around here usually complain about cold and wet more than hot and dry. We had some really hot weather on the weekend which I experienced first hand.  I didn't take my own advice of staying out of the sun during the peak hours, or modifying behavior and work activities because of the extreme temperatures, especially when our bodies aren't used to it. I ended up with a booming headache, a really hot and red face, lots of dizziness, and a touch of nausea. Hmm...

In first aid courses from basic to advanced, lifeguard training, and paramedic school, there are rules about the difference between heat illness, exhaustion, and stroke. The parameters that distinguish these levels are the stuff that tests are made of and they provide multiple choice angst. The bottom line is; too much concentrated sun exposure and heat makes us sick and the greater the exposure or the more intense the sun, the worse we get. The treatment options for heat illness are pretty common sense. It's about getting out of the sun, cooling off and getting lots of fluids.

 I wrote about Heat Illness last year- right around this time.  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/07/heat-wave-help.html Seems like we were experiencing similar conditions. All the same information still applies. I wrote last year about some homeopathic remedies that can be really valuable tools if you find yourself with any degree of heat illness. They include Causticum, Cantharis, Glonoine and Belledona.  Since I had occasion to try some of them out on the weekend I can speak with direct authority!

I tried Causticum and Cantharis without finding any real relief.  That doesn't mean it wouldn't work for someone else- just not quite the right match for me at that time. I didn't have any Glonoine on hand so I went right to Belladonna.  The Belladonna was amazing and most welcome relief. Ahhh..... made my whole world look and feel better.

The homeopathic remedy Belladonna comes from the plant Atropa belladonna (today's picture) which means beautiful lady apparently.  It's commonly known as deadly nightshade or witches' berry and it is poisonous. In fact, poisonous preparations have been used throughout history as have medicinal versions. Miranda Castro in "The Complete Homeopathy Handbook", ( a great reference text), writes that Belladonna was at its height of usage in witchcraft and magic in the Middle Ages in Europe. It was used as a hallucinogenic and in ritualistic practices.

In homeopathy, "like cures like", so the poisoning symptoms of dry mouth, fever, constricted throat with difficulty swallowing, nausea, red face, dilated pupils, dim vision, difficulty thinking, giddiness and delirium, can all be reversed with a much diluted form of belladonna in remedy form.

A Belladonna illness usually comes on suddenly and strongly. Violent, throbbing pains are intensified by moving or being moved or touched. It is a remedy to consider if one part of the body becomes inflamed or infected and that part reddens, throbs painfully and radiates heat. Belladonna is included in the homeopathic first aid kit and guide you can download free from my website  http://www.pixiedusthealing.com/

Perelandra ETS is also very helpful for sun exposure.  The protocol can be found on the website http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/Health-Watch-11-Sun-Heat-Exposure-W1008.aspx I did use ETS. I kept taking it while I was out working in the sun and it immediately made me feel better. It worked so well I forgot about Step # 5 where the assumption is made that you "stopped what you were doing and got out of the sun"! Dah... It would seem common sense is still required!

Next time the sun is out in such force, perhaps before I cook my brain, I'll have the presence of mind and the common sense to go find a nice shady spot of moss to just "be". http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/07/growing-without-roots.html

Enjoy the sun but bask in the shade!




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