Homeopathic remedies for summer
Your Complete Guide
Disclaimer
Disclaimer, Powers of Homœopathy, Website and Online Educational Courses offer information for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace or serve as medical care or advice.
"Aaah, summer – that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It's a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends."
- Darell Hammond
Summer time
A word from Donna Powers
Summer. The word alone makes me smile.
Whether you are hiking a mountain trail, riding horses at the ranch, relaxing at a lakeside cottage, cheering kids through a summer camp, or simply chasing the day until the streetlights come on — summer is the season for adventure, and adventure has a way of finding us whether we are ready or not.
I am always ready. Not because I am fearless (I once hiked 107 floors straight up a mountain at Lake Louise, Alberta, and could barely move the next day!) but because I am an "in case of" kind of person.
Wherever I go, a small homeopathic remedy kit comes with me. And over the years I have learned — sometimes the hard way — exactly which remedies earn their place.
This is my complete guide to homeopathic remedies for summer. Whether you are packing a kit for a backcountry trip, a week at the cottage, a horse-riding camp, or simply your own backyard, you will find everything you need here.
How much? How often? How strong?
Before we get into the remedies themselves, let's talk dosage — because this is the question I get asked most.
Intense situation
(pain, swelling, fever, injury, or itch rated 7–8 out of 10):
- 1 granule for babies to 4-year-olds
- 2 granules for ages 4–10
- 3 granules for ages 10 and up, through to adults
Repeat every 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, up to three times. By the end of that window, you should see improvement — they may fall asleep, feel better in themselves, have more energy, or show reduced swelling, fever, or pain.
Less intense situation
(rated 4–7 out of 10):
Same number of granules, but repeat every 2–5 hours, up to three times.
Potency
A 30CH is a good all-purpose potency for your kit. For more intense situations — serious falls, high fevers, extreme heat — a 200CH is worth having on hand. I now carry an Arnica 1M for any "moderate" mountain hikes!
One important rule: For anything involving heavy bleeding, breathing difficulties, head injuries, broken bones, loss of consciousness, or severe burns — you are giving homeopathic remedies on your way to emergency or while waiting for first responders. Homeopathy supports healing; it does not replace emergency care.
One important rule
For anything involving heavy bleeding, breathing difficulties, head injuries, broken bones, loss of consciousness, or severe burns — you are giving homeopathic remedies on your way to emergency or while waiting for first responders. Homeopathy supports healing; it does not replace emergency care.
The summer remedy lineup
Here are my best suggestions for preparing to make any decision that could affect the health of your child. If you choose to go ahead and vaccinate or are forced to vaccinate, there are suggestions as well for preparing for possible outcomes – before and/or after mandatory vaccination:
Arnica — The First Remedy You Reach For
Arnica is the remedy I always have within arm's reach, whether we are on a mountain trail, at the stables, or simply in the backyard. It covers so much ground: falls, bumps, bruises, muscle soreness, and shock.
When to use Arnica:
- Falls, bicycle accidents, and any injury where bruising is going to happen
- Sore, aching, bruised feeling — even after a first day of riding when there has been no fall at all
- After overdoing it physically (hello, day two of hiking 107 floors!)
- Shock after witnessing a traumatic event, even if the person insists they are fine. A person who truly needs Arnica often says, "I'm okay" and does not want to be touched. Give the remedy anyway
- Black eyes from baseballs, Frisbees, or sibling elbows
Some parents have told me their child had the biggest lump on their forehead after falling on concrete steps, and by bedtime you could barely tell there had been an injury. That is the power of Arnica.
Aconite — Shock and Sudden Cold
Aconite is the companion to Arnica for shock — particularly when the shock comes on suddenly and unexpectedly, and there is visible fear or panic.
When to use Aconite:
- Sudden shock from an accident or fall — give alongside Arnica, alternating doses
- Witnessing a frightening event (think a fire, a serious fall, or a horse accident)
- After exposure to cold winds, especially when sneezing and sniffles follow soon after. On one mountain hike, cold icy winds at the summit gave me the sniffles; a few doses of Aconite 12CH kept it from becoming a full-blown cold
- For everyone after a frightening emergency — pass it around. A 200CH is a good potency for intense situations
Belladonna — Sunstroke, Heat Exhaustion, and High Fever
Belladonna is the #1 remedy for most people, most of the time (and for pets too) in situations involving sudden, intense heat — whether from fever, sunstroke, or a blistering summer day.
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include increased thirst, weakness, fainting, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, irritability, headache, increased sweating, cool and clammy skin, and body temperature below 40.5°C (105°F).
Signs and symptoms of heatstroke include severe headache, weakness, dizziness, confusion, rapid breathing and heartbeat, loss of consciousness, possible seizures, flushed hot dry skin, and temperature at or above 40.5°C. This is a medical emergency — give Belladonna on the way to hospital.
When to use Belladonna:
- Flushed, red, hot face — often shiny and swollen looking
- Dilated pupils (the black circle of the pupil nearly covers the colored iris entirely)
- Pulsating or throbbing headache; you can actually see the artery throbbing at the temple or neck
- Burning heat with body warm and feet cold
- Alternating chills and heat with confusion
- Fever of 39–40°C with intense head heat or delirium
- Sunstroke or heat exhaustion — the turnaround with just a couple of doses can be quite remarkable
Glonoinum — Intense Sunstroke
Very similar to Belladonna but more intense. Think of Glonoinum when:
- Speech sounds confused or thick and the tongue feels heavy
- There is a sensation that the head is enormously large
- Symptoms are similar to Belladonna but even more pronounced
I gave this to my mom once when she was experiencing exactly these kinds of symptoms. She had not been in the sun at all, but her symptoms were exactly as stated above. One dose of a 200 turned her around within 5 minutes!
Gelsemium — Heat-Related Weakness and Trembling
Where Belladonna is hot and flushed, Gelsemium tends toward trembling, weakness, and a heavy, droopy feeling throughout.
When to use Gelsemium:
- Trembling and weakness from heat exposure
- Heavy, weighted sensation in the body and limbs
- Possible double vision or visual problems
- Head pain at the back of the head (occiput)
- A sensation of icy cold water running down the spine
- Altitude sickness combined with physical and mental exhaustion — one dose has helped restore energy and equilibrium on backcountry trips
Note: Cocculus is another remedy to consider for combined altitude, motion, and exhaustion where there is vertigo and weariness.
Apis — Stings and Bites with Swelling
Made from the venom of the honeybee, Apis is exactly what you want after a bee sting, wasp sting, or any bite where the skin becomes hot, swollen, shiny, and puffy looking. The pain is typically stinging and burning.
When to use Apis:
- Bee or wasp stings
- Mosquito and horsefly bites, especially when swelling is significant. On one backcountry trip, a woman's entire hand swelled from a single bite; one dose of Apis and within an hour the swelling was gone
- Any bite with stinging pain, hot puffy swelling, and a shiny, watery appearance to the skin
- Weepiness alongside the physical symptoms is a good indicator
- Cool applications feel better; anything warm makes it worse
Ledum — Puncture Wounds, Bites, and Tetanus Prevention
Ledum is the other great insect bite remedy and an essential partner to Hypericum for any kind of puncture wound.
When to use Ledum:
- Any puncture wound — knife, nail, animal bite, sharp shell or rock
- Insect bites, especially when cool or cold applications feel better
- After a tick bite — give Ledum promptly and you may head off Lyme disease
- For the possibility of tetanus: let the wound bleed and keep it open to the air (tetanus bacteria grow where there is no oxygen), and give Ledum and Hypericum alternately — 2 to 3 times, every 15 minutes is a good starting point
- Hard to tell if you need Apis or Ledum? Try one and if there is no improvement, try the other
Hypericum — Crushed Fingers, Toes, and Nerve Pain
Hypericum is brilliant for injuries to areas rich in nerves — fingertips, toes, and the base of the spine. Together with Ledum it is the homeopath's pairing for puncture wounds and tetanus prevention.
When to use Hypericum:
- Crushed fingers or toes (car doors, being stepped on by a horse — yes, it happens!)
- Barefoot summer stubs and scrapes
- Puncture wounds (alternate with Ledum)
- Falls that land on the tailbone or spine
- I once slipped on wet hardwood and suspected I had broken my second toe. Three doses of Hypericum and I was pain free — tender in a closed shoe, but without it I would have been a whining mess
Cantharis — Burns of All Kinds
Whether it is a campfire accident, a hot BBQ grill, roasted marshmallow mishaps, or a bad sunburn, Cantharis is the first remedy to reach for.
When to use Cantharis:
- Burns from fire, hot surfaces, or steam
- Sunburns, whether blistered or not — it will take out the heat and support healing
- Blistered, watery, raw-looking skin with burning pain
- For serious burns: give Cantharis 200CH orally, 2 granules every 15 minutes, for 4–5 doses or until first responders arrive or you reach emergency
Rhus tox — Allergic Skin Reactions and Overuse Injuries
Made from poison ivy itself, Rhus tox is a remedy that cures what it can create.
When to use Rhus tox:
- Poison ivy or poison oak contact
- Any allergic skin reaction with itchy, watery blisters that are red and intensely itchy
- Joint and muscle stiffness that improves with movement and gets worse with rest and in cold damp weather — particularly useful for overuse injuries and old joint problems that flare up on a long hike or ride
Ruta graveolens — Tendons, Ligaments, and Old Injuries
Where Arnica covers bruised muscle tissue, Ruta goes deeper — tendons, ligaments, and the periosteum (the covering of bone).
When to use Ruta:
- Sprained ankles and wrists
- Old injuries that flare up under exertion — on one backcountry trip, one of the hikers had an old knee injury act up so badly he was not sure he could continue. One dose of Ruta and the next morning his knee did not bother him at all. He finished the trip pain free
- Tennis elbow, sore wrists from paddling, strained tendons from hiking
Arsenicum — Food Poisoning and Stomach Bugs
Public pools, summer BBQs, outdoor food stands, and picnics can bring unwelcome digestive misery. Arsenicum is your first line of defense.
When to use Arsenicum:
- Food poisoning — chills, burning pains, vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Both ends at the same time (Norwalk-type illness)
- The person feels worse after midnight, is restless, and feels chilly despite burning sensations
- Anxiety and restlessness alongside the physical symptoms
Nux vomica — Overindulgence
Summer is a season of celebration — and sometimes the teens and adults in the group overindulge a little.
When to use Nux vomica:
- Hangovers, indigestion, and heartburn
- Too much food, too much alcohol, too much coffee, and too many late nights
- Irritability and a desire to be left alone
Pulsatilla — Children's Catch-All Remedy
Pulsatilla is one I keep on hand for children in almost any situation. Children often respond to it beautifully when the symptoms are indicated.
When to use Pulsatilla:
- Fever with no thirst (a child who is sick but refusing water is a classic Pulsatilla picture)
- Sore, weepy eyes
- Stomach complaints after too many fatty summer treats — ice cream, hot dogs, chocolate; fatty foods can aggravate
- Too much heat, not enough to drink
- The child is clingy, weepy, and wants to be held
- Changeable symptoms that shift from one thing to another
Backcountry and remote travel: special considerations
If your summer adventures take you further off the beaten track — backcountry camping, remote lake country, mountain trails — a few additional thoughts.
In remote areas, first responders can take a very long time to arrive. This is not the time to hesitate. Give remedies while you wait and make the call for help early if there is any doubt about the seriousness of an injury.
For backcountry travel, add these to your kit:
- Cocculus — for vertigo, nausea, and exhaustion from travel, altitude, and time zone changes combined
- Coca — for altitude sickness with exhaustion
- Consider a wilderness first aid course — the confidence it gives you will make everything else easier
What goes in your kit
customized kits for every summer type
Homeopathy Core Summer Kit (for everyone)
- Arnica 30CH or 200CH
- Aconite 30CH
- Apis 200CH
- Belladonna 200CH
- Cantharis 200CH
- Hypericum 200CH
- Ledum 200CH
- Arsenicum 30CH
Homeopathy for Hiking and Mountain Adventures
- Arnica 1M
- Glonoinum 30CH
- Gelsemium 30CH
- Ruta graveolens 30CH
- Cocculus 30CH
Homeopathy for Riding and Equestrian Activities
All of the above — plus keep Aconite, Apis, and Arnica in your riding pocket
Homeopathy for Cottage and Remote Settings
- Nux vomica 30CH
- Pulsatilla 30CH
- Rhus tox 30CH
A final word
Leave behind the home remedies of the 1960s and be amazed at what you can do with a small kit of 10 to 15 homeopathic remedies this summer. The cost of remedies is so reasonable that you can have a cottage kit, a hiking kit, a summer camp kit to send with the kids, a kit for the fishing or hunting enthusiast, a canoe trip kit — whatever your summer fun is all about, you can put a homeopathic kit together that will get you through the bumps, bruises, bites, and burns.
Take the kit. Go have the adventure. And if you find yourself standing at the top of 107 floors of Rocky Mountain trail, gasping at turquoise lakes and yellow larches — take your Arnica at lunch. You'll be glad you did.
Yours in health and healing, Donna
Want to go deeper?
Check out the How much? How often? How strong? course and Just the remedies - level I for more confidence with dosing and remedy selection.
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