LACHESIS: When children have a sore throat that is worse on the left side, this medicine is often indicated. The left gland in the throat is more swollen, and inside the throat the left side is more red, sometimes purplish. They tend to experience a constant tickle or a feeling of a fishbone caught in the throat. Their pains are worsened by empty swallowing (just swallowing saliva) or drinking warm or hot liquids, and the pains are eased when swallowing foods. Their throat particularly hurts when they try to hawk up mucus. The throat is hypersensitive to touch, which explains why these children do not like wearing clothes with a tight collar.

Lycopodium: This medicine should be considered when the child has a sore throat that is worse on the right side or one that has started on the right and moved to the left. Although the child may not notice the difference, the parent who looks in the throat will be able to see more inflammation on either side. The throat is aggravated by swallowing cold liquids and relieved by warm ones. The child may experience a choking sensation, as though a ball was stuck in their throat.

MERCURIUS: These children have colds that settle in their throat. They have a constant desire to swallow and much pain when they do so. In extreme cases they have a choking sensation on swallowing. There is much redness and swelling in the throat along with a raw burning pain. Their throat is dry despite much salivation in their mouth. They may have so much salivation that they need to swallow frequently, and they may wet their pillow with saliva. They have swollen tonsils and lymph glands, and their throat pain extends to the ear. Their throat can be ulcerated and tends to be worse on the right side. Another characteristic symptom is their noticeably bad breath. When a child has these symptoms along with a left-sided sore throat, give Mercurius iodatus ruber; when a child has a right-sided sore throat, give Mercurius iodatus flavus.

Phytolacca: There are two types of pains that are experienced when swallowing which are characteristic of the need for this medicine: shooting pain from the throat into the ears, and pain at the root of the tongue that causes pain when the child sticks out their tongue. They have a feeling of rawness and roughness in thethe throat, which is usually worse on the right side and while drinking hot fluids. The children feel a swollen, constricted feeling in the throat. The tonsils tend to be swollen and may have been swollen for a long time. The glands in their neck are also swollen.

RHUS TOX: These children have throat pain on initial swallowing but experience relief the more often they swallow.

Sulphur: This medicine is helpful for children who experience burning pains in the throat that are aggravated by warm food or drinks and relieved by cold drinks. They have swollen tonsils and offensive breath.

Wyethia: When children have a tickling sensation on the roof of the mouth or in the throat that stimulates coughing, this medicine should be considered. Another important indication for this medicine is a sore throat caused by an allergy. It is also commonly effective in treating sore throats in children who sing a lot or who irritate their throat from overuse. They usually have a dry, hot, and swollen throat with a constant desire to swallow saliva, despite having difficulty swallowing.

Copyright 1992 by Dana Ullman, M.P.H. used by permission of the author from the book Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants published by Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.