Frequently Asked Questions in Homeopathy

  How do Homeopathic remedies work ?
  How fast Homeopathic medicines can act ?
  What are sources of Homeopathic medicines ?
  Why should Homeopathy be first choice of therapy ?
  What is Health ?
  What is a sign ?
  What is a symptom ?
  Difference between acute and chronic disease ?
  Why  Homeopathy is best for psychosomatic diseases ?
  Are there any antibiotics in Homeopathy ?
  Does Homeopathy work on viral infection ?
  Is there any cure for allergic diseases ?
  How can it help in surgical disorders ?
  Why to individualize patient in Homeopathy?
  Does Homeopathy work for infants and children?

How do Homeopathic remedies work ?      Top

Many symptoms we experience are results of one under lying cause. For example,  pain, swelling, redness could be results of an infection or by some irritation. Homeopathic stimulates the body's own healing power, unlike other systems which interfere in body's process of healing to remove the underlying cause. Examples: Pain killers simply stop the message transmission to brain without removing the real problem which is cause of the pain. cough suppressants stop expulsion of phlegm (but  gets accumulated  in lungs  makes   more potential environment for bacteria), Homeopathic remedies completely cure the underlying cause without side effects.

How fast Homeopathic remedies can act ?     Top

Homeopathic remedies start working immediately after it is taken. Often,  headache patients find relief within minutes. Patients feel the relief  instantly. It may take a while to get complete cure depending on the condition of the patient. Most of the patiensts with acute conditions like fever and cold find relief in one or two days. In chronic cases, patients start feeling better in few days. As chronic diseases develop over a period of time ( asthma, arthritis, diabetes ),  and the cure should be brought by reversing the pathological changes, it may take longer time in certain cases.

In case of arthritis, many patients get tremendous relief  withing couple of weeks of starting of the treatment. Patient will be cured by removing  the pathology of  inflammation ( swelling of membranes, absorption of fluids, redness) by stimulating the body's defensive system.

What are sources of Homeopathic remedies ?     Top

Homeopathic remedies are prepared from vegetables, minerals, chemicals, animal products and nosodes.

• Vegetables: Allium cepa (onion), Asparagus.
• Animal Products: Lac Cal, Spongia.
• Minerals: Natrum mur (common salt), Ferrum met (iron), Kali sulph.
• Chemicals: Ars alb, Calcaria carb.
• Nosodes: Syphilinum, Medorrhinum.

Why should Homeopathy be first choice of therapy ?     Top

Homeopathy  should be first choice of therapy because it acts quickly without causing any side effects. The homeopathic system of medicine which is  proved on human beings is very effective in both acute and chronic conditions. It treats the disease from the root and establishes the harmony in health. Besides treating the condition, it improves the general resistance and avoids frequent visits to physician for different diseases . The homeopathic pills are sweet and every one  especially kids love to eat. Homeopathic treatment can be started  depending on signs and symptom without waiting for the diagnosing test results there by avoiding the progress of disease and preventing further complications. Homeopathic remedies remove the disease from roots.  It offers long lasting to permanent cure.

What is Health ?     Top

According to World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental or social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 
While treating the physical condition homeopaths consider the state of mind as well as social relations. Usually associated with dis-ease, different people have different moods, some are angry, some are dull and some weep. One may weep for the pain he is experiencing, other may let go as anger. A very bold person becomes depressed after diabetic attack . That indicates the hormonal levels of that person  which maintain Psychology, Physiology and immunity system. In thyrotoxicosis (excessive thyroxin hormone by hyperactivity thyroid gland),  patients have irritability and anxiety with rapid heart action, loss of weight , exophthalmia, tremors, enlarged gland. Each hormone takes care of  many functions by   regulating many organs. In order to know the cause, classical homeopaths take the totality of symptoms and treat  the main cause but not each symptom, so that patient gets the complete cure not just the relief.

What is a sign?     Top

Sign is objective in kind . A sign that can be seen, heard, measured or felt by the diagnostician. finding of such sign(s) can be used to confirm  or deny the diagnostician's  impressions of the disease. e.g.: swelling, redness, blood pressure, temperature.

What is a symptom?     Top

In general, symptoms are subjective and expressed by patient. Symptom is any perceptible change in the body or it's functions  that indicate the kind or phases of disease. Symptoms are subjective e.g., pain, burning sensation, weakness, feeling cold. Objective  indications are called signs. These signs and symptoms are vital for homeopathic remedy selection. Knowledge of the following listed characters of symptoms makes the patient comfortable to give clear picture of  their problem.   And  also it shows how the patient is different from similar disease group. Each patient of arthritis have different times of aggravation, different associate symptoms.

General symptom analysis includes the following:

• Onset of Symptom: Date, manner (gradual or sudden), precipitating factors (awakening the symptom from dormant state to dominant state) like sudden psychological impact by loosing someone, business loss or physiological conditions like excessive exposure to severe cold weather.
• Characteristics of Symptoms and Signs:   
• Nature of pain: Burning, smarting, tingling
• Location of pain: Pain in head, heart
• Radiation of pain:  Pain in heart radiating to hand, back or localized
• Severity: Mild or severe pain
• Timing: Morning, evening, night or specific time
• Aggravating or Relieving factors and associated symptoms
• Course since onset : Incidence, progress, effects of therapy

Homeopathic treatment gives equal importance to patient feelings and expression. As the selection of Homeopathic remedy mostly depends on signs and symptoms,  patients who gives the exact description of their signs and symptoms will get suitable remedy and will be cured fast.

Difference between acute and chronic disease ?     Top

Acute diseases :  They have rapid  onset, severe symptoms, short duration. e.g.  flu, malaria, acute renal infection. Depending on the the condition and severity, acute diseases can be treated in few hours to few days. Except some conditions like urinary infections, acute diseases are seasonal, many people get them at the same time.

Chronic diseases : They have slow onset and  long duration. e.g.  diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma. In chronic diseases patients start feeling better within few days of taking suitable homeopathic medicine. Usually chronic diseases have acute episodes (e.g. getting pain once a  week ) in their course.During the treatment,  progress of case determined by degree of  relief, frequency and duration of the acute episode     Top. During the homeopathic treatment, patients experience better degree of relief and increased gap between episodes. Most of the chronic diseases are complicated  with multiple organic involvement and often associate with mental problems like anxiety, depression. Cure is achieved by restoring comfortable mental condition, healthy physiological changes in organs and harmonic connections between them.

Why  Homeopathy is the best for psychosomatic diseases ?     Top

The disorders that have a physiological condition but are originated in the emotional state of the patient are termed psychosomatic ( Psyche means mind, Soma means body ). The psychosomatic disorders are also referred as psycho-physiologic disorders. This term applies to a large number of disorders of organs  innervated by the autonomic nervous system in which emotional factors are a primary contributing factor. The nervous system regulates and coordinates body, activities and brings about responses by which the body adjusts to changes of environment, either external or internal. The autonomic nervous system which controls the body functions involuntarily divides in to sympathetic and parasympathetic system. Conditions like anxiety, fear stimulate sympathetic nerve fibers and produces vasoconstriction in the part supplied like  general rise in blood pressure, acceleration of the heart, depression of gastrointestinal activity. Some effects of  parasympathetic stimulation are constriction of bronchioles like in asthma, contraction of smooth muscles of alimentary canal (produce griping pain in stomach), slowing of heart rate, and increased secretion by gland like salivary, gastric glands. Repeated episodes of these anxiety conditions produce disorders in those organs. By treating mental anxiety and physical problem together disease can be removed completely. In homeopathy, remedies  act at the level of mind and body together, thus eradicating the disease as a whole.

examples of psychosomatic disorders: Migraine, asthma, acidity, peptic ulcer, allergy. Most of the times, some of the following mental conditions are the cause for these disease: such as excessive anxiety, irritability, insecurity, obsessive traits, undue jealousy, suspicion ( paranoid fears ), depression, neurosis etc...

By relieving these emotions, homeopathic remedies bring harmonious state of health. This is a therapy for the person rather than the disease.

Are there any antibiotics in Homeopathy?     Top

Biotic ( living ) means science that deals  with functions of life. Antibiotic means destructive to life. When you attend a party where hundreds of people are there, you will wave to few people, the people whom you know or people who respond to you . Similarly  if hundred people are exposing to same bacteria at the same time, only few people develop  disease.  Not all are welcoming the bacteria, even if at it enters, it is destroyed by antibody of immunity system . Antibody is a protein developed in response to a specific antigen (foreign substance which produce disease) and controls it from producing a disease. That means our body develops suitable reacting antibody to each bacteria, each virus and each allergic substance .That is how,  our health is maintained though  we are exposed to bacteria every day. Whenever this immunity system weakens, disease develops.  By strengthening Immunity system, Homeopathic remedies eliminate the need of antibiotics which develop many side effects. Homeopathic remedies stimulate Immunity system to produce different   antibodies to different disease producing agents, there by no need to run for multiple vaccinations every year.

Homeopathic remedies treat following diseases effectively without antibiotics and brings rapid recovery without side effects: e.g.  sinusitis, tonsillitis, urinary infection, ear infection, bronchitis, meningitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, gastro-enteritis (vomiting-diarrhea), dysentery, etc.. . Homeopaths give individually selected remedies to each patient  with similar disease.  As the condition improves Homeopaths change the medicine according to the need. Even though, new medicines are invented every year, there is no single homeopathic medicine out dated in two hundred years.

Does Homeopathy work for viral infections ?     Top

Yes. Homeopathy offers best treatment for viral disease through it's unique method of strengthening immunity system. Homeopathic medicines give good cure for diseases like common cold, flu, measles, chickenpox , viral hepatitis (jaundice), viral meningitis. Allopathic system has no antiviral drugs except poisoning the body with antibiotics under the pretext of preventing secondary bacterial infection.

Is there any cure for allergic diseases ?     Top

Yes. Allergy is an acquired hyper sensitivity to a substance (allergen) that does not normally cause a reaction. It is essentially a disorder of immune system resulting antibody-antigen reaction. But, in some cases there may be a genetic predisposition to acquisition of particular allergy, where we can't find any antibody.

Allergic conditions include:

• Eczema, allergic rhinitis or coryza, hay fever, bronchial asthma
• Symptoms like eosinophilia, nasal congestion, tearing, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, itching rash, eruptions

§         Etiology: pollen, dust, hair, fur, feathers, scabies, wool, chemicals, drugs, insect bites and  specific foods such as eggs, chocolate, milk, wheat, tomatoes, citrus fruits, oat-meal, potatoes.

§         20th century syndrome:  These patients develop symptoms like allergic  to every thing in the environment. This is most probably due to acute or chronic emotional stress. The individuals may isolate themselves from environmental materials.

Allergic conditions could be genetic or might have been developed later due to a specific cause. Considering the  cause Homeopaths gives best treatment for all the allergic conditions with a single remedy that covers signs and symptoms  including mental condition, allergic substance.

How can it help in surgical disorders ?     Top

Homeopathy is not against surgery when it is really needed. But there are number of diseases which can  effectively be treated by homeopathy  without surgery. Recurrence of the problem will be there until the tendency to develop such problem is removed. Diseases like septic recurrent tonsillitis, piles, fissures, fistula, appendicitis (except gangrenous), chronic ear discharge, vocal cord nodules, polyp in nose-ear, kidney and gall bladder stones, small size uterine fibroid, ovarian cysts, warts, corns etc. can be cured with Homeopathy. Homeopathic treatment removes the recurring nature of  disease while treating the condition

They often reappear as described below:

• After surgery they appear in the same place,  e.g.: recurrent kidney stones  after repeated surgeries.
• After surgery they develop in different location e.g.: caries tooth. Infection of another teeth after removal of badly infected teeth in same side or opposite side. This chain may end up the patient with artificial dentures.

Some are false surgical conditions like piles or hemorrhoids. Piles are nothing but swollen pyloric veins . the real problem may be pressure on veins from constipation, congested liver or heart problem. Until the root cause is removed, they appear again and again even after they are operated. In case of  constrictive sphincter ani,   nerve irritability should be treated instead of operating on sphincter the cause.  In case of uterine prolepses  the medicines which give  strength to muscles and ligaments to hold that in proper place save the uterus from removal.

The pathological changes are nothing but end products of disease. Just removal is not the solution for many conditions. Homeopathic medicines not only treat the pathology  without surgery,  they also remove the tendency to develop again.

Why to  individualize Patients in Homeopathy ?     Top

Individualization means individualize the patient from similar disease group people. It's not uncommon  to see the doctors  not paying any attention to patient's narration of symptoms except worrying about the test results . The whole person is a united system of multiple organs which interact with each other. The trouble in one place reflects in many organs. To avoid many drugs for multiple symptoms, in Homeopathy, either the cause is treated directly or a single medicine which suits for all the symptoms is given to treat the patient . So there is no chance of  medicines interaction as only single medicine will be used for the treatment. No need to run from one specialist to other specialist.  If treated separately,  medicinal side effects results in so many complications,  for which  the treatment continues for life. Briefly why homeopaths individualize a case is to get single remedy which covers all the symptoms and signs and treat the disease as fast as it can be treatable without side effects.

• Take two cases of hay fever, one having headache with fever, other having runny nose with itchy eyes.
• Take two asthma  patients, one getting his attack in winter, other in summer.
• One diabetic patient loves sweets, other hates them.
• With fever some people have heat all over the body, for some people, only head is hot and other parts cold.
• In menorrhagia, one has bleeding only in day time, other have only in night.

§         There are many time specifications, some people feel their troubles are more in the morning , for others night is worse.

All these differences in signs and symptoms show underlying pathology and cause. Just by observing this we can know lot about patient's condition without diagnostic tests. If bacteria is only cause for disease why similar streptococcus bacteria  effects differently in each patient  like throat, heart, joints develops as strep throat, rheumatic heart disease, rheumatic arthritis. These symptoms show the weak points of body and underlying pathology. This shows the individuality of the patient. When body is crying out clearly in the form of signs and symptoms, why to neglect them and paying more attention to least important tests. Homeopathic remedies establish the harmony in the system contrary to the other systems and person becomes more healthier.

Does Homeopathy work for infants and children?      Top

Homeopathic medicines are safe and very effective for children. As Homeopathic medicines strengthen the resistance,  it is very wise to start Homeopathic treatment as early as possible and let them grow healthily from the beginning. It lessens or removes the need for eye glasses, dentures etc... Homeopathy is also effective in behavioral problems and temperament seen commonly in children like irritability, obstinacy, temper-tantrums, fears, phobias, thumb-sucking, nail biting, destructiveness, bed-wetting; as well as mentally and physically backward children. Most of the children's ailments like cold, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, colic, tonsillitis, bronchitis, asthma, chicken pox, mumps  can be treated very effectively  with homeopathic medicines without any side effects. Homeopathy removes allergic tendencies in kids to most food items. For multiple symptoms, one medicine in very minimal dose is offered. Homeopathic medicines being sweet in taste are loved by kids.