Recurrent Throat infections in kids
Dr. Pankaj Darji
It is very common for a homeopath to see a lot of anxious parents seeking treatment for their kids who suffer from recurrent throat or upper respiratory infections. Believe me, these young anxious parents are tougher to handle than their kids.
Kids who have recurrent upper respiratory infections usually develop symptoms which start with cold and can very fast progress into bad chesty or dry cough, fever and even difficult breathing. The bigger problem is the kind of recurrence that can occur in some kids . I have personally seen kids developing infection every 15 days and seem to be perpetually living on antibiotics. This affects their quality of life and education in many ways. Now, the big question is whether homeopathy has an effective remedy for the recurrence, the answer is a big ‘yes ‘.
Before we get to the actual homeopathic solution let us try to understand why these kids fall sick so frequently.We are born with Immune system(body’s own defence system) which inherits some antibodies from the mother during gestation and with breast feed . Quite a bit of Immunity is developed later in life. The cells that fight infection in our body are called as antibodies. Our body has a very intelligent immune system and can recognize a microorganism as new or one that it has previously encountered and respond accordingly. The response in the previously encountered microorganism is to send the already developed antibodies to fight that organism. In the case of new type of Microorganism the body creates specific antibodies and once they are made, they are replicated in the body in great numbers and stay in the body for long. They keep on providing cover against that specific kind of organism henceforth. This is one the reasons why grown up’s don’t have infections that frequently.
The biggest reason for the recurrence of infections is that the young body with in immature immune system is not getting a chance to develop natural immunity, as these kids at the slightest sign of infections, are being over-medicated by anxious parents and unscrupulous physicians. As most of the pediatricians would agree that quite a few of these infections are Viral in nature, which means that they require very less treatment and are self-limiting in nature. Bacterial infections are not that common and are the are ones that can require antibiotics. It is very commonly seen here in India that at the slightest sign of any infection (even viral infections) antibiotics are given to kids. This Injudicious use of antibiotics is what leads to body not getting a chance to develop its own antibodies. This leads to recurrence of infections. I have no hate for antibiotics and I strongly believe that they are life saving medicines; but the parents have to realize that they should be given only when there is bacterial infection and the body is showing no signs of fighting it.
If overuse of antibiotics can lead to an impaired immune system, why would homeopathic medicines help in restoring immunity? The answer lies in the basic principle around which homeopathy works – ‘Like cures like’. Homeopathic medicines work by giving a similar impetus to the body (like that of the disease) causing the body’s immune system to get activated and fight Infections. Timing is very important while taking homeopathic treatment. Infections respond much faster when homeopathy is started at the initial stages of infection i.e. within 24- 36 hours. Gradual Improvement in Immunity occurs with homeopathic treatment, once couple of Infections are managed well with Homeopathic medicines.
