KNOWING HOMEOPATHY:

1. Is Homeopathy a proved science?

It definitely is. Homeopathy is a science based on sound logic and vast experimental data. It is the only medicinal science where data has been collected by proving on healthy human beings and not on animals because human beings can communicate their actual feelings during the testing while animals cannot. The principles of Homeopathy have been derived and authenticated by vast clinical experiments and data. The homeopathic pharmacopoeia lists more than 3000 remedies, whose clinical efficiency has been proved in various clinical trials conducted all over the world.

2. Are Homeopaths qualified doctors?

Yes. There are more than 180 homeopathic medical colleges in India and about 1000 colleges all over the world recognized by their respective Governments. The degree course is an extensive study encompassing the detailed and thorough study of the human body, Homeopathic pharmacy, Medicine, Gynaecology, Materia Medica, Philosophy, Total patient management etc. In India the full course lasts for four and half years followed by internship for 1 year, which includes practical training in hospitals. There are now also postgraduate courses available in India. One must mandatorily register with the relevant Medical Council to practice legally.

3. Is it true that Homeopathic medicines are only placebos (sugar pills)?

No. The pills of Homeopathic medicines are made from sugar but they work only as vehicles. Actual liquid medicine prepared from various natural medicinal substances is poured over the pills and dispensed as medications. Homeopathic medicines are also available in liquid form or tinctures, which can be administered directly or by diluting them in water whenever required.

4. Does the Homeopath give the same white pills for all illnesses/patients?

What seems so is not true. The white pills which are dispensed from a homeopath are only neutral vehicles or carriers of actual medicines that is sprinkled on them. When the actual drug is poured on these white pills they get coated with the curative power of the drug. Different drugs are usually used in various potencies as to best suit different patients. There are about 3000 medicines and 10 variable potencies (powers of medicines) of each medicine so a minimum 30,000 various permutation and combinations can be utilized.

5. Does one have to take the medicines for a long time?

The duration of treatment depends upon the nature of the disease and the fighting capacity of the patient's body. The treatment is required for a certain time period so as to improve the resistance of the body to fight diseases. Taking into consideration all these factors the treatment is continued for a specific time frame for the benefit of the patient. Once the patient starts improving we stop the medicines and the natural immunity of the body will take care of the rest of the problems.

6. Does homeopathy take long time to act?

It is a myth that homeopathic medicines act slowly. Their action is quick and the effect lasts much longer, often forever. The disease is treated from its roots.

The time taken for relief is proportionate to the chronicity of the ailment. In fact if a patient seeks homoeopathic treatment at the onset of an ailment, he stands great chances of a really quick recovery. Also in acute illnesses homoeopathic medicines act fast and effectively. For e.g. if "X" is suffering from bronchial asthma and he is suffering for the last 14 years and has been to various systems of medicine. Now if you give him homeopathy and say in 2 years time the patient is completely alright, would you say that Homeopathy is slow to act?

7. Why is a detailed history required in Homeopathy?

Detailed history is very essential as homeopathy believes in treating the individual and not the disease. So the physician needs to know everything he can about the individual. Also the chronic diseases are due to suppression of skin affections or emotions; hence thorough history will reveal whether any past suppressed ailments have lead to the present complaints.

There are many incidents that influence our life. Knowing them gives an idea about the patient as a person, his characteristics and helps the physician to prescribe the accurate remedy.

8. What will the homeopath need to know about you?

The homeopath needs to understand you, your nature, your complaints and your disturbed mental and emotional state in order to reach to the core of your case.

Any peculiar habit that you have, your past medical history, childhood details, anything and everything about you will help the physician to help you. If you give an honest and correct history to the physician, he can assess your case accurately. Anything that you confide in your physician will be strictly confidential and helpful.

9. Do homeopathic medicines have steroids?

All Homoeopathic medicines are prepared by using scientific predefined methods of extracting the medicinal properties from source substances. There is no scope or need to adulterate the derived medicines with any other substances, as this would completely obliterate the curative properties of the same. The prescription of homoeopathic medicines is based on the similarity of symptoms of the patient with those produced by the drug (in its purest form) when tested on healthy individuals. Additionally, steroids impart a bitter taste, and homeopathic medicines are sweet.

If the patient has any doubts he should check the medicines from a standard laboratory before consuming them.

10. Why do homeopaths not tell the names of the medicines they prescribe?

The name of the medicine is not disclosed for the benefit of the patient. If the patient after knowing the name of the medicines starts taking it according to his or her whims and fancies, it will distort the disease picture and in future, treatment of the patient will be much more difficult. Also certain medicines have to be changed and given as per the state of the disease and recovery.

If the patient wants, a copy of case record can be provided to the patient but at the end of the treatment, when patient has completely recovered.

11. Does Homeopathy believe in disease diagnosis and pathological investigations?

Yes. It is very essential to diagnose a disease, but for the selection of the remedy we require to know the characteristic symptoms of the patient and not the disease symptoms. For e.g. A person is having an attack of asthma with wheezing and congestion of the chest, and he gets relief only if he throws his head backwards. Wheezing and congestion of chest are symptoms of the disease, but for the selection of the remedy the important symptom is 'relief by throwing head backwards'. Hence to differentiate the disease symptoms with the individual characteristic symptoms, good knowledge of disease is important. Pathological investigations are also important to know disease diagnosis and prognosis, and judge the improvement.

12. Are there any food restrictions during the treatment?

Yes the patient is only advised to avoid eating or drinking 15 minutes before or after taking homeopathic medication. One has to avoid coffee, raw onion and raw garlic. Also avoid eating mint, camphor and menthol as these can hinder the action of the homeopathic medicine or antidote the effects of the medicine.

13. Can patients suffering from Diabetes take Homeopathic medicines?

Yes why not? As the daily dietary intake of sugar by a person would normally far exceed the minuscule quantity consumed in the form of homeopathic pills (Approximately the quantity of sugar consumed with 1 cup of tea is same as being consumed by entire week of Homeopathic medication). The patient also has an option of taking the medicines in liquid form, or by inhalation. Besides this, homeopathic pills are composed of lactose that is not harmful even for diabetes.

14. Does the patient have to stop other medicines which he/she has been taking?

No. The patient should not stop the medicines which he has been taking. It should be tapered gradually once the patient is improving but this should be done in consultation with the treating physician. In some cases where the other medicine cannot be discontinued, both the medicines have to be continued for the benefit of the patient. The treatment should be planned and properly implemented.

15. Do homeopathic medicines bring about aggravation initially?

In some cases there is an initial aggravation of the symptoms but it is a good sign that shows the medicine is right and has started acting. But this happens in a few cases and not all patients will have an aggravation; most of the patients have simple long lasting amelioration.

16. Is it safe to take Homeopathic medicines during pregnancy?

Yes. It is always better to take homeopathic medicines from a qualified homeopathic doctor. If the treatment is planned in a proper way it will have lots of benefits to the mother and the child. The child will be much healthier and the medicines will help to fight the hereditary diseases which are carried from generation to generation. In fact if homeopathy is given during pregnancy, the delivery would be normal and easier. The child will be relatively healthier and emotionally well balanced, intellectually sound and physically stronger.

17. In which disease condition homeopathic treatment is more effective?

There is no condition that Homeopathy cannot treat. Conditions from a simple cold to cancer can be treated with Homeopathy. It takes into account the individual symptoms of the patient suffering from any disease and not the diagnosis of the disease. By the virtue of this certain diseases that cannot be diagnosed clinically or even unknown diseases can also be treated. Also in incurable cases where even the modern line of treatment fails to help the patients, homeopathy will prove to be a very good palliative and will improve the last days of life and ease the death. This happens in advanced stages of cancer, we can relieve pain very easily and effectively.

18. Does Homeopathy work in acute cases?

Yes. Homeopathy has wonderful remedies that give prompt relief in acute cases like fever, cough, cold, diarrhea, headaches etc. when the person opts for homeopathy at the onset of the ailment.

19. Does Homeopathy believe in Surgery?

Yes, it does. Surgery is a separate branch of medicine. It has to be resorted to in conditions that are beyond the domain of medicine. But one can avoid surgery in certain cases as homeopathy can effectively treat many so-called surgical conditions like tonsillitis, piles, warts, kidney stones, etc.

20. Should one take homeopathic medicines only from a qualified doctor?

Yes, he should. There have been instances of apparent “miracle cures” by lay people practicing homeopathy, but it is always advisable to go to a homeopathic physician, as he is qualified to judge the severity and depth of your illness and thereby prevent undue complications later on, which could be overlooked by a hobby practitioner due to his ignorance of scientific medical knowledge. Only a qualified physician can guide you towards a complete mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and pathological recovery.

21. Are there any side effects of homeopathic medicines?

No, there are no side effects of homeopathic medicines. Sometimes you may get cold, skin rash or little discharge after taking homeopathic medicines. This means that the system is getting cleared. In the same way, your old symptoms like constipation, warts or any skin rash may reappear. Do not take any medicine to treat these reappearing old symptoms, as these old symptoms will go away in a short while and you will be healed for a long-lasting period of time.

KNOWING HOMEOPATHY

 Knowing Homeopathy- A Peek

Discovered by German M.D. physician, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, Homeopathy has existed for more than 200 years, and yet, is the youngest system of Medicine! Homeopathy can be summarized in just 3 S’s: Scientific, Sound principled and Side-effect free.

The rationale behind Homeopathy is not just to treat the symptoms or pathology. It is to go for the prime base- the Immune System, and enhance it to the level of positive response. All this is achieved in the gentlest way possible, taking the individual, not only out of disease, but on to the path of health.

 

Inner Power & Harmony

Homeopathy is a Medical science based on the well proven premise that the body has its own power to heal. A healthy body is like a well-oiled machine where every part and organ of the body works in harmony.

Whenever there is some significant mental stress or shock and/or some physical affliction such as an infection or injury, this disrupts the harmony of the body and the instability and imbalance is expressed in the form of symptoms.

The Doctor Within

We have a Doctor within ourselves! We all know that in case of indispositions or minute affections, these are very well taken care of by our body. For e.g. when we get a small cut on our finger, it bleeds, later it stops bleeding! The blood clots and we don't need any medical help for this small wound to heal.

On the other hand, if the wound is very big, it needs an external aid like some stitches or medications that help our body to heal. In the same way, a broken bone when set right, heals on its own without any medication. We have a doctor within ourselves which guides and heals our body during illness. In this context, we are aware of the fighting force of white blood corpuscles that guard our body against external afflictions.

Need of Extra Healing Power

When the disrupting cause is stronger, the relative disturbance caused to the human system is significant and then the body alone cannot manage to recover on its own and sickness surfaces in the form of sign and symptoms. Here, our body needs an external force which will aid the body to recover and this is where Homeopathy steps in. It strengthens the immune system (that guards our body) and helps the system to fight back and recover faster.

Homeopathy is the only medical science that works on the principle that our body constantly makes effort to maintain and re-establish the internal stability. So when the body is in a state of sickness, Homeopathic medicines gently provide stimulation to the immune system of our body and help to fight the disease out of our body.

Going to the Root of the Trouble

Homeopathy treats you as an individual and not just your diseased parts independently. Unlike other medical sciences, homeopathy does not treat on the name of the disease but it looks for the cause, the root of the disease. When the cause is removed, the disease automatically goes away.

Gentle Treatment with Natural Medicines

All Homeopathic medicines are prepared largely from naturally occurring substances – plant kingdom, mineral kingdom and animal kingdom. Each medicine is thoroughly proved on healthy human beings to get the most accurate remedy picture.

More than 3000 homeopathic medicines are currently in use and new Homeopathic medicines are regularly researched and proved. Homeopathic medicines do not have any side effects, the reason being that the medicine is prescribed in minimum dose which is enough to bring about relief.

 

Complete Science:

Homeopathy is a complete medical science which has a clear-cut advantage over other systems of Medicine. It considers the entire individual, his psychological and physical make-up as well as the complete evolution of the disease while prescribing a remedy.

Aims at removing the Cause:

In today's conventional practice, the physician spends very little time with the patient. He may listen to what is wrong with you and just give some medication for that particular suffering only. But a Homeopath will inquire into the cause behind the trouble and go to the root of the disease. For example: Your recurring headaches may be due to some other disorder in your body such as constipation or acidity or it may be due to stress. A homeopath will aim to remove the reason behind the headaches such as constipation, etc. or inquire patiently why are you stressed and show you the way out.

Holistic Methodology:

The homeopathic physician takes a detailed history of the patient, including his physical complaints, attributes and emotional situation. This has a 2-fold advantage. One, a detailed history elicits the root cause/s of the illness, and secondly, it is a suitable channel for the patient to vent his innermost thoughts and feelings, and feel better.

No Side Effects:

Homeopathy is a side effect-free treatment that is gentle on the constitution. Homeopathic remedies are derivates of natural substances, and the doses prescribed by a qualified physician are never more than the patient actually needs.

Improves Immunity:

Homeopathy works by stimulating and restoring the body's vital energy to heal and when this happens you will be rid of each of your troubles small or big, old or new. Since the immune system is energized, Homeopathy protects you from future troubles also.

Safest Medicine:

Homeopathy is very safe, even for pregnant women and babies. Homeopathic medicines can be taken along with other medications without causing any adverse interactions or reactions. Homeopathic medicines do not lead to any drug dependency or substance abuse.

Preventive capacity:

Homeopathy works as a preventive and helps to maintain the healthy state of the individual not affected by the environment. Medicines can be given as prophylactics to prevent an individual from contracting a disease that people around him may be suffering from. For e.g. If one child is suffering from Chicken pox, in order to prevent the other child from getting the infection, if he is given the indicated remedy he will not suffer from that disease or even if he suffers, it will be in a very mild form.

Use in Epidemic diseases:

Homeopathic medicine can be very useful during epidemics. The remedy that is selected on the symptoms that are characteristic during the epidemic is known as the Genus Epidemicus. Such carefully selected remedies can prevent a person from acquiring the epidemic disease.

 

Myth 1: Homeopathy is placebo

Fact: Many scientific clinical trials have proved that homeopathic medicines are far above the placebo effect. The curative effect of homeopathic medicine has been observed in millions of cases with wonderful results, so saying that Homeopathy is placebo is irrational.

 

Myth 2: Homeopathy gives the same white medicines for all diseases

Fact: What seems so is not true. The white pills are only neutral vehicles or carriers of actual medicine that is sprinkled on them. The potent medicine coats the white pills. Different remedies can be prescribed in various potencies to best suit different patients. There are about 3000 medicines and 10 variable potencies (powers of medicines) of each medicine so a minimum of 30,000 various permutation and combinations can be utilized.

 

Myth 3: Homeopathy is slow to act

Fact: Not really. Homeopathic medicines act rapidly and the effect lasts much longer, as the disease is eradicated from its roots. The time taken for relief depends on the chronicity of the disease.

 

Myth 4: Homeopathic medicines contain steroids

Fact: It is a myth that homeopathy is slow to act, and when people see excellent and quick results in acute and chronic cases, they feel that homeopathic medicines contain steroids. But it is not true at all. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from natural substances and are sweet. Steroids taste bitter and so THERE ARE NO STEROIDS in homeopathic medicines.

 

Myth 5: Homeopathy is not a Medicine of emergency

Fact: Homeopathy has wonderful remedies to give quick relief in acute conditions like fever, cold and cough, pneumonia, diarrhoea, migraine, injuries, etc. However, it is important to note that you must consult a qualified homeopathic physician to get correct guidance.

 

Myth 6: Homeopathic medicines cannot beat antibiotics

Fact: Over the years, it has been seen that infections can be wonderfully abated and controlled with just homeopathic medicines, without the aid of antibiotics. Moreover, there is absolutely no chance of drug resistance in Homeopathy, unlike antibiotic medications.

 

Myth 7: There are a lot of food restrictions with homeopathic medicines

Fact: Homeopathic medicines are absorbed from the tongue and the inner lining of the mouth hence patients are asked not to eat or drink anything 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after taking the medicine. Also, it is advisable to cut down on raw onion, raw garlic, strong coffee and mint as they may antidote some of the medicine. These are the only food restrictions.

 

Myth 8: Homeopathy cannot be taken along with other medications

Fact: Homeopathic medicines can be taken along with other medications without any fear of side effects and complications. Homeopathic medicines also help in reducing the side effects of conventional therapies like in case of cancer. Homeopathic medicines will help in alleviating the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy also. "The doctor might ask you to restrict certain medicines incase they interfere with the treatment or affect the judgement of the treatment."

 

Myth 9: Homeopathy cannot help in certain cases like for warts, piles etc. Surgery is the only option.

Fact: Surgical treatment of conditions like warts, piles and kidney stones do not guarantee any form of long-lasting recovery, especially if a tendency to develop such conditions is present in the patient. Correct homeopathic treatment can not only take care of the present attack, but will also eliminate the tendency to recurrence.

 

Myth 10: Diabetic patients cannot take homeopathic medicines as they are sweet

Fact: Homeopathic medicines do not contain glucose (harmful in diabetics). They are made of a complex sugar called lactose. The actual amount of sugar in homeopathic medicines consumed over a period of one week is not more than one teaspoon. And still if the patient disagrees to this, homeopathic medicines can be taken in liquid form which is not sweet.

Though, there might be certain food restrictions specific to your disease.