Cholera – 9 Homeopathic Medicines for Prevention and Management

Cholera happens to continue being a widespread disease in parts of the world where unhygienic living conditions are prominent, and there is inadequate awareness about the spread of the disease. Compared to earlier times, the threat of cholera has been limited with more knowledge and awareness about how it spreads and affects the body. Along with prevention and rehydration measures, homeopathic medicines for cholera can be very effective in controlling and even preventing it.

Homeopathic Medicines for Cholera

1. Veratrum Album – Top Medicine for Cholera

Veratrum Album is a natural medicine for treating cholera prepared from a plant called ‘White hellebore.’ It belongs to the natural order Melanthiaceae of the Liliaceae family. Veratrum Album is indicated when there are copious vomiting and diarrhea in cases of cholera. There is marked nausea along with vomiting, which is profuse, yellowish, watery and forcible. It is attended with severe retching. Vomiting soon after taking fluids is well noted. The stool is watery, greenish, gushing and is often mixed with flakes. A pinching abdominal colic and severe exhaustion may be felt before and after passing the stool. A cold feeling in the stomach, excessive weakness, cold sweat (especially on the forehead), a pale face with sunken eyes and dark shadows, a quick feeble pulse, and cramps in muscles of hands, calf muscles and feet are other symptoms that may be present.

2. Arsenic Album – For Cholera due to Consumption of Contaminated Water, Raw fruits or Vegetables

Arsenic Album is a natural medicine for gastric ailments in cholera that arise from the consumption of contaminated water and raw fruits/ veggies. The chief features to use Arsenic Album are vomiting of clear water, with nausea, retching, and diarrhea. The stool is rice watery, foul and may be involuntary in some cases. An extreme prostration is present with the above symptoms. Anxiety, restlessness is also marked with gastric signs.

3. Camphor – For Cholera with Weakness

Camphor is a well-indicated medicine for treating cholera where the patient loses strength rapidly. There is sudden diarrhea with watery and sour smelling stools. The stool may be involuntary. Colicky pain in the abdomen may be present with diarrhea. Watery and slimy vomit may be, and coldness on the body may also be present.

4. Croton Tiglium – Effective Remedy for Cholera with Profuse Diarrhea

Croton Tiglium is a natural medicine for cholera where there is profuse diarrhea that gushes out. The urge to pass stool is constant and with marked urgency. The stool is watery, yellowish or dirty greenish and profuse. There is a lot of rumbling, gurgling in the abdomen and passing of flatus along with stool. Colic before passing stool, extreme weakness, nausea, cold body and dizziness may also be present with the above features.

5. Podophyllum – Natural Remedy for Cholera with Painless Diarrhea

Podophyllum is a medicine prepared from the root of the May-Apple plant of the family Berberidaceae. It is used in cases of cholera with painless diarrhea. The stool is yellow-greenish, watery, gushing, and offensive, but does not cause any abdominal pain. Fetid flatus, gurgling in the bowels followed by copious evacuation, and vomiting of hot, frothy matter is usually present.

6. Aloe – For Cholera with Urgent Stools

Aloe is a natural medicine for the treatment of cholera prepared from the plant Aloe Socotrina of the Liliaceae family. Its use is considered for cases of cholera where the person has an urgent and sudden need to pass stool. Urging to pass stool is constant with fullness and weight in the rectum. The stool is watery, profuse, yellowish and hot with pinching colic in the abdomen. Rumbling gurgling in the rectum is also well marked.

7. Cuprum Met – For Cholera with Muscle Cramps

Use of medicine Cuprum Met is considered in cases of cholera where the patient experiences prominent muscle cramps. Cramps are marked in toes, fingers and calf muscle of the legs. There is diarrhea of greenish or greyish water with violent cramps in the abdomen. Pressure is felt in the pit of the stomach that worsens from touch. Vomiting of watery, frothy, greenish fluid is present.

8. Ipecac – For Cholera with Constant Nausea and Vomiting

Ipecac is prepared from the root of a plant named Ipecacuanha. The natural order of this plant is Rubiaceae. Nausea is marked, distressing and is almost constant. Constant vomiting of bilious, greenish, yellowish or gelatinous matter may be present. With vomiting there is diarrhea, and the stool is loose, yellowish-greenish, putrid smelling with flatus. White mucus may pass in the stool, and a griping pain around the navel is most marked.

9. Colchicum – Effective Natural Treatment for Cholera with Watery Stools

Colchicum is a plant remedy prepared from the Meadow Saffron plant. Its family is Melanthiaceae of Liliaceae. Colchicum is also very helpful for cases of cholera where there is vomiting of bile, glairy, greenish mucus with violent gagging. Loose, copious, watery stool with mucus and colors like greenish, bright yellow to orange-yellow color. Flatus having a stinking smell passes with the stool. White membranous, shreddy particles may pass in the stool. There is an ineffectual urging to pass stool. The stomach is very sensitive to the touch, and intense nausea is frequently present with the above gastric symptoms.

Cholera – Its Causes and Consequences

A cholera infection usually occurs by drinking or eating foods and drinks that are contaminated with the cholera bacteria. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. Cholera spreads rapidly in areas where there is an inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

Cholera is the illness caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. It infects the intestines, causing diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. The mode of action by which the bacteria produces these symptoms is by releasing a toxin which starts absorbing water and electrolytes from the body through the intestines, producing severe diarrhea.

Cholera can be mild, and not even cause any symptoms in some cases. However, a severe infection can cause death if not treated immediately. Diarrhea and vomiting that the infection causes can quickly lead to dehydration, and this can make a body go into shock, causing death within a few hours.

Signs and Symptoms of Cholera

Medically speaking, the cholera bacterium has an incubation period of one to three days, which means that the symptoms can take from one to three days to show up from the time the infection entered the body. Cholera can be a mild, uncomplicated episode of diarrhea; or a potentially lethal disease. In the classical case of cholera, sudden painless diarrhea and vomiting are the initial symptoms.

Treating Cholera and Associated Dehydration

Uncomplicated cases of cholera are self-limiting, and the patient recovers within three to six days. The fatalities are more than 50 percent in untreated cases and less than 1 percent in cases that are treated in time.

The main aim of the treatment is to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes in the body. Initially, in mild-to-moderate cases, oral rehydration is advised with the WHO-recommended (http://www.who.int/cholera/technical/prevention/control/en/index4.html) (World Health Organisation) oral rehydration solution or with a mixture of sugar and salt in water. In advanced cases, when the patient is not in a condition to take oral rehydration, intravenous rehydration is recommended.

Steps to Prevent Cholera

Follow this rule of the thumb: for eating anything “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.”

Drink only water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine. Other safe beverages include tea and coffee made with boiled water and carbonated, bottled beverages without ice.

Eat only foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot or fruit that you have peeled yourself.

Avoid undercooked or raw fish. Make sure that all vegetables are cooked. Avoid salads.

Avoid eating foods and drinks from street vendors.