By Jean Powis, Registered Homeopath, from the Homeopathic Garden
After a soggy Spring, Summer seems a reluctant arrival, but nonetheless it is still warm enough for outdoor pursuits. Whether you’re kite surfing, riding horses, walking through the woods or just pottering around the house, if you manage to run into a scrape, you might be grateful for this golden gem from mother’s nature’s garden. Calendula, which can be found in nappy cream, lotions and ointments, was given its name by the Romans who noted that it flowered monthly, and has been used as a herb since the 12 th Century.
Aah! The sun on your shoulder and gentle sound of lapping waves is just what you have longed for all year. The gorgeous warmth is what your tired muscles crave. Take a quick swim and then relax on the beach. Great! But don’t let the sea and sunshine lull you to sleep! That was me when I was 11 years old on a delightful Italian lakeside beach. I was drifting off oh so nicely and was outraged at my mother’s insistence that I immediately woke up and went in the shade.
She had spent most of the holiday inside our camper van with a face like a beetroot and only emerging for evening sight-seeing. But then she had not forgotten the nausea and fever of sunstroke after falling asleep on a beach in Devon years before. Thank goodness my mother had the presence of mind to drag me off the beach that day because I was so relishing the warmth, I did not understand the problem until I found myself feeling as hot and rigid as an ironing board.
Thankfully, I only experienced heat and soreness, unlike one of my sons who found himself experiencing ‘hell’s itch’ after being deceived by the cool breeze of an open boat ride into thinking that suncream was unnecessary. It wasn’t until he took a shower and his skin erupted with unbearable itching, he became aware he was burned.
The NHS advises using sun-cream, covering up with clothes, hats and glasses, and seeking shade especially between the hours of 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. If you do suffer sunburn the NHS recommends a cool shower, after sun lotion, pain relief, and drinking plenty, but if there are signs of heatstroke – dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or a rapid pulse, to seek medical help.
What a shame none of my family knew about or had access to homeopathic remedies on these occasions. My son might have benefited from the homeopathic remedy Urtica or nettle, which is useful for burning heat with violent itching. Belladonna, or deadly nightshade, would have helped my red, hot burning, radiant and sensitive skin. It is possible that Gelsemium, or Carolina Jasmine, might have helped my mother’s dizziness and weakness. Depending on the specific symptoms, homeopathy offers a range of options for sunburn and thus is a good example of individualised prescribing – one of the principles of homeopathy.
Wherever you’re holidaying this year I wish you sunshine – the bringer of energy, warmth, light and pleasure – but I also wish you shade, and a loving angel – just like my mum – to watch your back.
References
What the Heck Is Hell’s Itch? (clevelandclinic.org)
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR SUNBURN AND THE SUMMER | Cristina Villacorta
Sunburn – NHS (www.nhs.uk) Sunscreen and sun safety – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
The School of Homeopathy https://www.homeopathyschool.com/the clinic/self-help-conditions/sunstroke