April Showers Bring … Sinus Headaches

Susy has suffered from sinus headaches and infections ever since she had mono in college. Long ago, she noticed that every time the barometric pressure shifted as the weather changed, a headache would come on — often followed by a sinus infection.

She tried analgesics, antibiotics and even steroids, but nothing relieved the pain. And worse yet, Susy learned that steroids could cause bone loss. She suspected that it was no coincidence that she recently broke her ankle in a minor fall.

A little hesitant about venturing into the world of alternative health, Susy’s apprehension lifted after she consulted with a homeopath. She learned that homeopathy is gentle, causes no side effects, and can be used in tandem with conventional drugs. So, she finally had hope that as her sinus pain diminished, she would be able to cut back on those side-effect-laden sinus pain prescriptions. (And that’s just what happened!)

You see, the homeopath listened to her headache symptoms carefully and recommended Kali bichromicum 30, every 1-3 hours as needed until the pain subsided. Other symptoms supporting this remedy choice included intense pain above the eyes and sinus pressure that worsens when stooping down.

Although Susy had been skeptical, once she began this new regimen, she had to admit that the pain did lessen. In addition, the chronic post-nasal drip (that had become a part of her daily life since who-knows-when) was also resolved.

After a few weeks, Susy was completely free of head pain — even when a storm came through and the pressure dropped.

After a few months, she also realized it had been some time since she had suffered a sinus infection — even though she had eliminated the antibiotics.

Susy’s sinus issues were history!

Now, let’s consider Lucy.

Lucy suffered terribly from pollen allergies and sinus pain caused by weather changes. Years ago, she had tried allergy shots but found that instead of improving her symptoms, they only worsened. Her doctor told her that it was because she was getting older — that life is just like that, and she simply needed to accept it. Her list of triggers continued to mount.

She found some relief from her symptoms after eliminating wheat and pasteurized dairy, but a significant portion of her allergies lingered.

Changes in barometric pressure ushered in sinus pain that began above the eyes and spread into the sinuses. In fact, whenever the barometric pressure changed or the cottonwoods released their fluff, her sinuses would become so painful she could barely function.

Lucy had joined a Gateway to Homeopathy study group to learn about homeopathy in a fun, supportive group of like-minded individuals. The weekly online meetings were Lucy’s happy place! She was taking her health matters into her own hands, and she knew that this path would one day make her both confident and competent in using homeopathy for herself and her family.

During a meeting, a fellow group member was excited about her recent purchase of A Materia Medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families.

I wrote that book for people just like Lucy — people who wanted to learn more about the more commonly used homeopathic medicines in an easy-to-read format.

Excited to delve deeper, Lucy ordered a copy of my materia medica for herself! Her eyes opened wide when she got to the section on Kali bichromicum (also known as Kali bi or Kali bich). She could hardly believe her good fortune as she read a case that precisely mirrored her own!

Her Gateway to Homeopathy study group reminded her to search my blog for further information. So, after typing “kali bichromicum” into the search box on my website, she discovered my blog post from a few years ago, Not Tonight, Honey, in which Kali bich 30 had uprooted another person’s suffering!

She learned that Kali bichromicum is our first thought for acute or chronic sinusitis. This homeopathic medicine is made from potassium dichromate, a bright orange, caustic, corrosive compound used in the manufacture of dyes and batteries, to tan leather, to etch or clean glass and in photography — deleterious to health in its gross form.

Wait. What?

Well, for those who don't know, homeopathic medicines are often derived from toxic substances. When harnessed by employing the homeopathic super-dilution and succession process, the harsh material becomes a helpful aid — even curative for some. And in this case, for conditions featuring thick, stringy, yellowish, or greenish mucus, especially from the nose — but also from the throat or larynx.

Kali bich coughs are dry, forceful coughs that often go on for some time without relief. These coughs often worsen when breathing damp cold air, worsen in the early morning hours, and improve in warm air.

The person often feels pressure and fullness in the sinuses and experiences extreme pain at the root of the nose that improves when pressure is applied to the painful spot. They may also experience fullness or pressure in the middle ear or migraine headaches that start at night.

So, the next time a front moved through her area, triggering an overwhelming episode of dripping sinuses, stringy mucus and powerful sinus pain, Lucy took a dose of Kali bichromicum 30.

She repeated the dose two hours later, realizing that it might take a round of three to four doses before improvement ensued.

Just after the third dose, Lucy fell asleep for two hours. This was unusual for her, but those familiar with homeopathy know that sleep is a noteworthy sign that the correct homeopathic medicine has been chosen (and is hard at work).

Historically for Lucy, the pain and weariness from one of these episodes lasted for days. But this time, upon awakening, she found that the head pain wasn’t merely minimized — it had vanished! Lucy was energized and pain-free even though the usual provocative weather conditions were still at hand.

A month later, when the rain pelted after a long stretch of drought, Lucy got another characteristic headache. However, this time, its intensity was uncharacteristically mild. Nonetheless, she took a dose of Kali bichromicum 30 again and promptly fell asleep for 20 minutes.

When she awoke, the aching and soreness were absent once again, replaced by a sense of well-being.

Many months later, Lucy again noted a developing weather change. But because she had experienced no sinus pain for the last several months, she smiled to herself knowingly. No headache, no dripping sinuses, no fatigue.

It’s been two years since her first dose of Kali bichromicum. And thanks to her Gateway study group, her materia medica, and my blog posts, Lucy is still pain-free!

Thanks to their experience with Kali bich, both Lucy and Susy learned firsthand why homeopathy has a reputation for addressing self-limiting illnesses and ensuring that those problems never return. These two ladies now understand the difference between feeling okay and radiating authentic health.

Gentle, efficacious and cost-effective homeopathy brought them to a better place in life, and neither woman is ever looking back.

Now, Susy's looking to lose some weight using homeopathy, and Lucy has taken on her mother's arthritis and her husband's irritable bowel condition.

That's how this works. We can't help but want to do more and more using this medicine.

So, if weather-induced sinus headaches plague someone you love, hand them protection against the storm — a homeopathic “umbrella” called Kali bichromicum. What a marvelous opportunity to pass on the good news of homeopathy!

Warmly,