Can you be Off-Medication when on Homeopathy?

This is perhaps one of the commonest questions people have in their mind, when they think opting for the homeopathic treatment. Many people come to homeopathy as a last resort, when nothing else seems to work for them. Have seen numerous people who do not feel all right despite long term medication, even when all the investigation reports are normal! This is when they feel homeopathic doctors promise to cure us; why not try it? Well, thankfully this trend is changing to some extent and homeopathic followers are increasing day by day. But still many people that come to homeopathy have some or the other treatment going on with modern medicine.

This is true especially in cases like arthritis, kidney disorders, hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, etc. And when they start homeopathic treatment, first thing they want is get rid of the high doses of medication they are on. But can they be off-medication immediately as they start with the homeopathic treatment? Let’s see-

• Don’t hurry up-

Firstly you need to understand the difference between modern medicine principles and homeopathic principles. They are actually contrary. Homeopathy does not believe in material doses of medication, unless there is some gross pathological abnormality. But in modern medicine, all drugs are administered in material doses to visualize the effect in the patient’s blood stream almost immediately.

Therefore, for example, if you are taking beta-blockers (like Atenolol, etc) for hypertension; you are ingesting some potent medication that actually lowers your heart rate, cardiac output is reduced too, and it acts on the adrenergic receptors for controlling the hypertension. Within one hour of ingesting beta blocker, your body responds to it and blood pressure is lowered till the next dose of beta blocker yet again (which is usually repeated the following day)!

However, if you go for homeopathic treatment, along with considering your acute totality of symptoms, the physician considers your overall “Patient-Picture” to dig deep into your emotional and mental background. Thereafter he administers you the minutest dose of homeopathic medicine that he feels will stimulate your normal cardiac rhythm and output without creating undue stress on your cardiovascular system.

Therefore, it is mandatory to give time for the homeopathic medicine to act favorably. If we withdraw the physiological dose of beta blocker immediately upon starting the homeopathic regime, we often meet with failures and the patient may experience hot flushes or even chest pain due to sudden withdrawal of a material drug dose. Don’t let this happen to you.

Along with constitutional homeopathic medicine, homeopathic physician will also give you symptomatic acute therapy or even mother tinctures if necessary to relieve the acute symptoms. But it is just not possible to completely relieve you without the constitutional dose.

Once the doctor observes positive changes upon administering the homeopathic treatment in the form of relief from existing symptoms, he will slowly taper your dose of beta blockers and eventually stop it. Yes, it is possible to stop anti-hypertensive medication altogether unless there is serious cardiovascular complication in a person. But give him time! It’s in your favor!

• End-stage Organ damage-

In cases of end stage organ damage where the gross pathological changes have already set in, homeopathy can work just as supplement, especially during emergency. But the homeopathic medicines work as powerful supplements without a doubt to help patient achieve the “feel-good” factor necessary to pull on with the harsh treatment.

For example- if a patient has chronic renal failure and his serum creatinine and urea levels are shooting up, he has to be given emergency treatment in the form of hemo-dialysis for the time being. Along with the dialysis, homeopathic medicines in low doses can be administered to help him taper his frequency of hemodialysis over the period of time. Numerous patients today are off the dialysis trouble with the help of appropriate homeopathic medication. But it takes time, as the pathological changes take time to respond positively. Thereafter the person’s overall

health is taken into consideration. But even in such pathological conditions, totality of the patients’ symptoms (physical, mental, and emotional) must be considered by the doctor, to enable speedy recovery!

Thus, remember that homeopathy can be administered not only in dormant chronic conditions but also in acute emergencies. However, in acute emergencies, we have to give homeopathic medicine along with the emergency physiological drug doses to avoid end organ damage.

But it is certainly true that homeopathic medicines are blessings for these patients too, as they can help them sustain the side effects of harsh medication with ease!

Beware of DRUGS that can Prove Fatal!

With a Note about Myth Regarding the Safety of Homeopathic Medicines!

 It is very wise to think twice before you take any drug! Here we are talking about the physiological doses of modern medicine drugs that can be harmful for the people who take them haphazardly. Herewith I would also like to mention that we, being homeopaths, have nothing against these drugs. I often believe that homeopathy is what we should opt for in the first place before going for physiological doses of drugs, as natural therapy is always better. In cases of pathological problems or end organ damage, always we have to administer homeopathy as an adjuvant to the main modern medicine therapy.

However, when we observe a person gulping Paracetamol frequently for relieving pain, we have to tell them- It is not safe to do this. You can even read the warning on the label that says, “Frequent overuse can damage the liver!” Still why so many people keep themselves addicted to such drugs? It is because they are used to its “Pain-Relieving” properties! Of course, they will have to increase the dose from 500 to 650 mg if the pain starts reappearing after 500 mg eventually!

This was just an example. There are many prescription drugs that can be really fatal if taken –

• Haphazardly
• Continuously
• Repeated in high doses
• Taken with some other drugs that are inimical
• Taken ignorantly during some clinical condition that contraindicates the use of that drug, etc (for example- during pregnancy or lactation)

There are some drugs that can literally cause acute respiratory failures if you take without knowing its side effects in a particular condition. Especially in a country like India, where many medicines are dispensed upon asking over the counter, it is scary.

You at least must know what not to opt for without going for a dual check from an expert.

Most dangerous pain relievers are those that contain Opiates, like morphine and codeine.

Symptoms that should warn you against the drugs-

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Uncontrollable vomiting
• Apathy
• Slow breathing
• Cold and clammy skin
• Confusion
• Sudden extreme weakness
• Seizures

If anyone in your household or neighborhood suffers from the above symptoms, you must make emergency arrangements for his revival. Remember that even delay by a few minutes can prove fatal at times.

Therefore, always be warned when you opt for prescription drugs. If they can relieve you of pain or stress for a moment, they can take away your healthy life over the period of time.

A Note About Homeopathic Drugs-

It would not be apt if I don’t mention here about homeopathic medicines. You should know that even homeopathic medicines taken without expert supervision can prove dangerous. It is a myth that however and whenever you take homeopathic medicines, they will not cause harm. Well, I will not say they can kill you, as they are not fatal, being given or taken in minutest possible doses. But nonetheless they can cause certain subtle disturbances in the person acutely or in the long run.

If you take homeopathic medicine-

• With frequent repetition
• Always in higher potencies above 200 or 1M
• Take them with very short intervals between the two doses
• Take two or more medicines at a time
• Take two medicines without knowing the relationship between those two
• Take the wrongly selected constitutional medicine

Then, you may fall prey to some nasty implications over the period of time. Often these implications may take years to develop, especially if you take homeopathic medicines in high potencies and therefore may be missed as the real diseases and not the drug-induced problems. But a true homeopath often recognizes the difference between a drug disease and real disease.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended that even before opting for the homeopathic medicines, especially for the chronic, long standing cases, one must undergo the ritual of complete history and examination of the patient and then prescribe after spending enough time for the evaluation of the case!

Top 30 Keywords and Key-Phrases to Help you Live Healthily!

Here is given a list of keyword and keyphrases that WE should opt for to lead a healthy and eventually happy life! Yes, because WE BELIEVE THAT THERE CAN BE NO HAPPINESS WITHOUT HEALTH!

1. Get up early
2. Sleep early
3. Get up early even if you sleep late J
4. It is better to avoid tea/ coffee early in the morning empty stomach
5. It is good to have a  glass of lukewarm water with ¼ lemon and honey in it the first thing in the morning to boost up your metabolism
6. Do not delay your breakfast; earlier you have it, better for you
7. Have healthy breakfast containing fruits, wholegrain item, and salad
8. Home-cooked breakfast is always healthier than the instant ones
9. Do not leave a gap of more than 4 hours between your two small meals
10. Have fruits empty stomach more often to relish in the healthy ingredients
11. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of plain water every day
12. Keep an eye on your bowel movement; get yourself treated properly to have good evacuations as constipation is the culprit that ruins your health
13. Avoid laxatives and purgatives, as they wash off your healthy gut bacteria
14. Exercise regularly; else get ready to suffer from syndrome-X eventually (the syndrome comprises of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, and obesity
15. Keep yourself busy with routine work; routine work is the best approach to conquer depression!
16. Avoid stress at all costs! Nothing is better than a stress-less and healthy mind!
17. Once in a while forget about all the rules and have your favorite food J
18. Always exercise control over the quantity of food you eat at one time
19. Control the way you lead your life than merely controlling calories you eat
20. Stop smoking; there is no excuse to this any time!
21. Minimize alcohol consumption to bare minimum; stopping it completely is not a crime!
22. Go vegetarian; we humans are not carnivores! Respect what nature has made us for!
23. Opt for relaxation techniques as often as you can. They lower your blood pressure, improve sugar balance in the body, and make you a more balanced individual.
24. Listen to your favorite music as often as you can
25. Indulge in your favorite pastime/hobby as often as you can
26. Always help those in need. It is one of the most positively selfish acts you can do for your well-being! J
27. Get rid of procrastination. It is one of the topmost things that lead to stress.
28. Communicate well with those around. While you learn many things, you also learn to respect others’ feelings and emotions
29. Be a child whenever you can. Don’t think of the world and engage in some childish behavior with your loved one.
30. Shed that ego if you can and the world will be yours! J

Top 5 Things about Healthy Eating!

We all live in an era where newer diseases are making our life miserable. Still there are a bunch of people who live healthier life despite all odds thrown upon them! What’s the secret? Well, no prize for guessing the answer as “healthy lifestyle”! These two words have captured the attention of all health-conscious people recently. And a recent survey has a positive thing to say that number of such health-oriented people is increasing. J At least some positive vibe out there!

While searching for tips about healthy living, the topmost point comes as “healthy eating”. And when it comes to healthy eating, there are many misconceptions. Rather, many times it makes difficult for us to choose what exactly the right food to eat is.

So, let’s see the top 5 points one should remember while eating “Healthy” food!

1. GO LOCAL- Eating habits vary from place to place. Recently one of my vegan friends went to China and was left with very few choices to fill his tummy. Well, the cause might lie in his lack of knowledge about the availability of good vegan food there but in general we all experience this when we move to places. People who are omni-eaters (eating all types of cuisines) usually have no problems with having what they want in any place. Also certain places are suited for certain type of food for better digestion and absorption. You can have the example of our Southern India where people loathe the thought of paranthas and indulge in rice related items, because that’s what is digestible there. So, especially when it comes to day to day food, don’t think of some extravagant mall food but go for locally grown greens and fruits. They will give you better stability and energy. But it is imperative to know what grows locally! Go for wider options and you will multitude your chances of “Complete Meal”.

2. VARIETY- As said earlier, your meal should include variety of food stuffs having different proportions of all proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals. If you want to skip taking daily dose of a multivitamin and multi-mineral tablet, go for variety of food. Of course, naturally eaten food vitals will help you bettering your health than gulping the tablet. Try searching for different options for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner, so that you don’t get bored of the same stuff every time!

3. PREPARE YOUR FOOD- This is one point you should focus on, especially if you want to have a wholesome eating plan. Even if you are on a particular diet plan, it is always better to stick to what you prepare at home than some canned food from outside. Don’t fall prey to faulty notions that costly packed food item with list of ingredients always gives you good nutritious diet. Many such foods might have hidden artificial ingredients and preservatives. In case you have to have outside food, see the labels clearly and go for standard and natural food items only. Especially set yourself free from the so-called low-fat diets that are mostly deceiving. Never get laid in the trap- “Too Posh to Prepare”! It’s not worth it!

4. DON’T AVOID ANY FOOD INGREDIENT COMPLETELY- This is a vital point in today’s genre of low-fat fads. It is imperative to know that many times, high-carbohydrate or starch diet causes more sugar imbalances in the body than high-fat diets. Now here is a pointer- “If you want healthy skin, hair, and abdominal health, you have to have some amount of fat in your diet.” Definitely go for healthier fat options and avoid trans-fats as far as possible. It is a myth that Only-Protein or Only-Carbohydrate diets work. They don’t! Or if they do, they bring you many side effects along with in your weight loss plan. Only-protein diets are not good for your kidneys and only-carbohydrates might lead to sugar imbalances, even if the carbohydrate is from complex sugars! Therefore, the easier option is “Eat Everything in Moderation!”. Imbibe this mantra especially in your children so that they will stay away from obesity in future and would be able to avoid serious X-Syndromes!

5. EAT AT THE RIGHT TIME- This is one crucial point many of us miss while taking care of our diets and eventually health. Especially in Indian settings, I have seen people, especially women not eating anything at all till the early noon. This makes things worse for them. They eat their night meals at around 9 or 10 and have the next meal (or breakfast) at around 11 or 11.30 am the next day. Such a huge gap in your meals! Obviously if you follow such regime, you are responsible for your hyperacidity. Where should the acid go that is produced for proper digestion of the food in the body? If you don’t eat in time, this acid bothers you with heartburn, belching, indigestion, abdominal cramps, and at times vomiting. Also, having your first meal (breakfast) early in the morning helps you sail through the day more confidently and energetically. Also time eating certain food aptly. For example, it is a wasteful practice to have fruits after lunch or dinner. Have them when you have appetite or when you get up in the morning. This makes the fruit better absorbed, better assimilated, and your body gets better supply of vitamins and minerals from it. Also it avoids layering of calories and thus your weight is kept in check!

Thus, the above 5 points are the beginning pointers towards healthier eating. And healthy eating is the pioneer of healthy lifestyle! Think about it! 

Why Homeopathy is Supreme Treatment for Chronic Ailments?

{For health queries, mail to- contact@drshreya.com}

We all know that homeopathy is being increasingly administered in the patients with chronic ailments. Certainly it is equally useful for acute problems but in lay people’s mind, homeopathy many times is equated to the treatment of chronic illnesses. In certain way, they are right. Rather we can say that treating the chronic ailments is the major plus of homeopathy. In many other forms of therapies, chronic ailments are dreaded from, because they don’t really have weapons to eradicate the chronic disease from its root.

This is not the only reason, however, for popularity of homeopathy in treating the chronic diseases. Let’s see what the peculiarities of homeopathy are that makes it an ideal therapy for chronic diseases-

1. Holistic medicine-

Homeopathy is the system that is said to be holistic in its approach. This is the reason we often say that homeopathy doesn’t advocate the use of term ‘diagnosis’. Well, that doesn’t mean homeopathy doesn’t believe in diagnosing a condition. This is a myth that homeopathic doctors never utilize any investigative approaches before they proceed for treatment. If necessary, certain procedures must be done before the doctor commences homeopathic treatment.

But this “disease-name” derived after the investigation may just help the homeopaths to know few of his hierarchy weapons to select from. But his choice depends more upon the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease per say. This is one of the reasons homeopaths never fret from taking case of any tedious chronic disease, be it an autistic trait or chronic arthritic trouble!

2. Homeopathy applied ‘homeopathically’ works without suppression-

While dealing with any chronic ailment, a homeopathic physician seeks all the important history from his patients. He seeks details right from his birth history and family history of illnesses. This is needed to proceed with the case ‘homeopathically’. Here we should again note that unless homeopathy is administered homeopathically, we might be suppressing the disease again.

For example- if a patient has skin rash and you choose Urtica urens in low potency just to annihilate his skin rash temporarily, you are not actually acting homeopathically. However, if you study in case in details and then administer a constitutional dose to eradicate his tendency to rash formation, you have applied ‘homeopathic principle’ in this patient and it will lead him on a long-lasting path of recovery and/or cure.

That does not mean homeopathy doesn’t advocate the use of acute medication. It does. But while annihilating the disease acutely for the time being, a homeopath’s eye must be on the constitutional prescription in the due course, to relieve the patient of this suppression and improve his natural immunity.

This is one of the most important reasons according to me that make homeopathy an ideal medicine for chronic ailments. No chronic ailments can be cured unless the root cause lying within the depth of man is dealt with. This is termed by Hahnemann as miasm. So, in every chronic case, miasmatic diagnosis of the patient is must. Only then the person can be set to achieve the homeostasis of his body, mind, and soul!

3. Homeopathy works like magic-

This is not exaggeration. To a lay person who doesn’t know the science and art behind homeopathy, every cure of a chronic disease resulted homeopathically is no less than a magic! Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why homeopaths are attacked by the critics (or skeptics!), who are boggled at the wonderful results! When a 40-year old eczema vanishes without leaving a trace with homeopathic medicine, people really wonder what magic has been done. But a true homeopath knows that it is not a magic but apt recognition of innate disorder that might lie in one of the three basic planes of a person- body, mind or spirit. That homeopath succeeds who possesses the ability to trace that disorder and alleviate the suffering.

4. Minimal dose and least repetition-

Classical homeopathy advocates use of minimal dose of the medicine with minimum repetition. When exact simillimum is matched of the drug picture to the patient-picture, there is little need to repeat the dose too often, especially in case of chronic ailments. This makes patients happy, as they do not need to take the medicines frequently. Also medicine form is very convenient to take, either in liquid or pill-form. Most homeopaths believe in administering the medicine through sugar of milk or plain sugar pills, which makes it even tastier and less cumbersome.

5. Attains maximum immunity and shaping of better future-

I think this is the most important reason why one should opt for homeopathy. When you seek any treatment, you aim at complete cure. Moreover, you want the medicine to help you conquer future illnesses as well. This is no exaggeration but with the aptly chosen constitutional homeopathic medicine, we help the patient gain enormous strength on all planes to fight the future diseases naturally, often without or the least aid of medicine. I would like to stress this point in case of children, because if you give minimal dose of constitutional homeopathic medicine to a chronically ill child, he will gain good resistance power to fight future illnesses. Also he will develop into a relatively better human being, as his mind and psyche is shaped well too with this dose. This is a time-tested statement and not even a bit of exaggeration.

The above five are the topmost points why one should go for a homeopathic treatment when it comes to the treatment of chronic disease. One can safely and assuredly rely upon a qualified homeopath for this!

Have a Glowing and Soft Skin with Homeopathy!

{For health queries, mail to- contact@drshreya.com} 

Having a glowing complexion is everyone’s dream. And we all do so many things to achieve it. When it comes to skin nobody wants to take chance; but everyone takes chance with so many different skincare products available in the market. We are not here to judge which products and good and which are not. But I am sure most of you have fair share of negative remarks about such products, after using them.

Why do so many skincare products give us negative results?

• First of all, we do not seek professional advice before opting for the skincare products available in the market. We jump to the new bandwagon of products once they are launched on television or magazines.
• Secondly, we do not know about our own skin. I have often seen people telling me- “I have a very oily skin doctor”, when I find the skin dry and flaky on examination. Many people go on the basis of appearance after they apply make up and can’t really judge their skin types.
• But most importantly the lacuna lies somewhere in our health that depicts on our skin. And these skincare products do not annihilate the negativity lying in the body. They obviously do the superficial work that is visible on the surface. But the inner bodily disharmony doesn’t bother this superficial work and attacks the skin that is the primary and the biggest organ to get affected by internal disturbances.

So, what should we do?

Does that mean all skincare products are bad? Well, not really if you intend for temporary results. For example, if you have a marriage to attend to, you obviously will go for a product that speedily puts your acne on backburner and gives you a temporary fresh and supple look. But remember the acne that you have put on the backburner. It is going to affect you again sooner or later. And we should definitely aim at alleviating the skin problem permanently.

• Get back your body homeostasis on track. This is the first thing you should aim at before resorting to any treatment.
• For this, drink maximum quantity of water (at least 10-12 glasses/day in tropical countries). This will naturally hydrate your skin that is crying for conditioning and suppleness. No external moisturizer can do the work of plain water. Truly the best things in the world are free! J
• Another good thing you can do for your skin is get moving. More you work out regularly; more anti-oxidants will fight the free radicals that damage the skin along with the other vital organs.
• Eat right. This is a crucial step to nourish your skin with necessary vitamins and minerals. Seek expertise if you need any additional supplements to replenish the deficiencies for stipulated duration.
• And go for natural therapies like homeopathy.

Homeopathic Help for Skin is Holistic!

Homeopathy doesn’t consider skin as a separate organ but part of the whole “YOU”. Therefore, homeopathic doctors give (or should give) enormous importance to your constitution, that is, your physical, mental, and emotional built up, while dealing with your skin problem. The root cause of your skin anomaly definitely lies deep within, that need to be traced by your physician. Once this is done, you will be prescribed accordingly. Do not hurry up the things with your doctor if you want perfect cure. And do not think that your homeopathic medicines are going to act slowly. They will not, if you have given all your details to your physician properly. In many cases I often find that, even within the first dose, patient reports us with positive feedback. It may be the case of acne, dermatitis, eczema, facial discoloration, warts, or just dry skin. Even in conditions like psoriasis, lichen planus, and intractable acne rosacea, homeopathy works pretty fast if the case sought is complete and prescribed accordingly.

One thing is sure! If you seek homeopathic help for your skin condition, it rarely happens that you get the same problem again after it is completely annihilated. Moreover, we often find that the overall skin texture is improved, the dark spots are visibly reduced, and the skin glows naturally!

It’s a dream completely achievable with good lifestyle and homeopathy! Try it!

Top 6 Pointers for the Patients of Ankylosing Spondylitis!

If you are suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, you definitely know the pain and crippling feeling it brings with it. Most of the doctors tell you that now you have to live with this pain and nothing permanent solution can be achieved. Most patients that come to us (homeopaths) usually come to us as the last resort. But when we assure them about the positive outcome that can be achieved with the homeopathic medicines, they are happy. But when we tracked the records of our patients of ankylosing spondylitis, we found that there are differences in the pace of positive response from our patients. Some respond faster than others and those who take years to respond have some real flaws in their routines that need be followed by a patient of AS.

This article is to bring to your notice certain pointers that should be known by the patient of ankylosing spondylitis in order to achieve faster and desirable effects with homeopathic constitutional medicine—

1. Exercise- Firstly let me clarify that unless you make up your mind to exercise the right way, you have very little chance of rectifying your AS. Exercising is crucial. Also I said, “Exercising in the right way!” When we treat our patients at our consultancy services, we give stipulated personalized exercises for AS patients. It is important to note that the deformities or disabled body movements vary from patient to patient. A single set of exercise for all many times fails to yield beneficial results. Therefore, if a patient needs just a brisk walk to revert the AS changes along with the medicine; another patient might need some special yoga exercise along with the walk. Here I also would like to mention the fact that we have seen remarkable improvement in these patients when they follow the “Pranayama” regime inclusive of Kapalbhati and Anulom-vilom. It actually boosts the effect of homeopathic medicine on all planes- physical, mental, and emotional!

2. Avoid lifting heavy weights- This can be said as a generalized statement in all the patients of ankylosing spondylitis. Maximum cases of aggravation in pain and further deformed body movements have been observed in patients who accidentally life some heavy weights. That’s why I strongly condemn the use of heavy weight gym exercises too in these patients. However, once your AS is rectified to a certain extent with the homeopathic medicines and exercise, you can do moderate weight exercises to tone up and strengthen your muscles.

3. Turn up to one side when you get up from your bed in the morning- we have observed that in many patients of ankylosing spondylitis, morning stiffness is common. If you stretch your back muscles unduly during these wee hours, you worsen your chances of developing acute pain. This is especially true of patients with moderate to severe AS. Therefore, turn to one-side preferably left (unless your pain is aggravated by turning to left side) and then get up while avoiding any kind of jerky movement.

4. Avoid food that aggravates your flatulence- This is our personal observation while dealing with the patients of AS though there is no direct connection between the two. People, who suffer from flatulent dyspepsia more often, develop acuter pains of ankylosing spondylitis more frequently. Therefore such patients often complain of pain in their back when their tummy is full of gaseous distension.

5. Pay attention to your posture- People especially those who work on computers for long hours have to have correct postures. Also it is important to pay attention to how you bend while bending down. In patients who have pain when bending, we recommend practicing sitting down by bending knees instead of bending at the waist.

6. Bed quality- Your bed shouldn’t be too hard or too soft (fluffy) to avoid further spinal damage. Go for good quality beds that provide you apt comfort and adaptable spinal protection. This definitely lessens your chances of early morning stiffness. 

Conscious Emotional Detachment for Healthy Heart!

Emotions play a very crucial role in our lives. A person that can handle emotions better can conquer all phases of life positively. Well having said that, I would also say that unless one is equipped to deal with day to day emotions with brevity, he or she rarely has chance to look at the positive side of the story. Considering the fact that emotions play with our health, we should hereby come to the terms of a fact that to live healthily, we should be able to detach consciously from our emotional turmoil.

Not a single person on this earth lives the perfect life that he or she craves for. Everyone has dreams; they at times get fulfilled only to create new dreams. Nothing is wrong in that though. But if this is done completely involving oneself with emotional attachment, there is risk of over-indulgence in one’s own desires, thereby creating undue stress. And once there is stress, you have whole lot of chance to burden your healthy heart. Stress actually increases load on the heart and makes it to pump harder. This in turn clogs the arterioles and your heart is at risk of end-organ failure.

Does that mean we should stay away from work that stresses us? Absolutely not! Rather you should continue working just by playing some tricks that keeps your heart fooled! What does it mean?

Well, it’s not easy not to get emotionally involved for many people. It may be with people around, friends, family, society, and work! They ‘feel’ the responsibility. I know people who feel extremely burdened by some ‘stressed’ things going in today’s economic and political scenario. Certainly it’s not bad to feel the responsibility, instead of putting the blame on someone else. But do not let this responsibility get hold of you. Same goes true with family matters. You obviously cannot avoid familial responsibilities. But if these responsibilities are taking away your good night’s sleep, then say good-bye to your ‘emotionally-attached’ attitude that’s playing the culprit. You are still handling your responsibilities just with a detached attitude.

One can seriously object to this view of being emotionally detached, saying that without being involved emotionally, no work can be done with great success. But I frankly object to this view-point. I would like to go ahead and say- you can work doubly better if you keep yourself detached from the circumstances, people, and even your work!

Many times, our emotions make us weak and prevent us from doing things that need be done at that point of time. If you look at them from third man’s perspective, you realize how foolish it was to involve emotionally. The emotion should be your ally and not foe! Even our ancient scriptures like Bhagavad-Geeta says similar thing about Karma-Yog. It entails why working continuously without watching for the fruit of labor is essential. Today we can acknowledge its importance. Working in such a way doesn’t make you stressed but enables you to enjoy the work. Fulfilling familial responsibilities becomes easier and less-cumbersome then. Anyway you are working for the sake of it. You certainly have the goal in your heart but your work is what will turn it into reality and not your stress.

One might think that this point is quite philosophical and it’s difficult to implement in real life. But when you understand its importance from health-point of view, you realize how crucial it is to follow. As is wisely said, nothing is more important than your health. This is not being selfish but the fact that should be kept on your topmost agenda; whatever work you are up to. No joy, no achievement, no certificate in the world is worthy at the cost of your health.

Our heart and al other vital organs like liver, kidneys, brain, etc work efficiently when we have a stress-free mind. No exercise in the world can help you boost your good cholesterol if you are stressed because of everything and everyone.

And at the back of all this stress are present ‘emotions’! Both positive and negative emotions need to be conquered. Also don’t run away from them and try to become indifferent. That will be the worse scenario. Recognize them, look at them from third man’s point of view, live with them, but don’t let them conquer you! Laugh at them at times. It will help you realize that nothing is worth brooding for!

As said above, make ‘emotion’ your strength and not something that weakens you! Your heart will thank you for sure! 

Menopause: What you need to know? Is Hormone Replacement Therapy an Answer or Homeopathy?

A woman’s life has many important milestones through which she at times struggles to remain hale and hearty. Menarche, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are some of the milestones. Among them, menopause is the period when some of her female hormones reduce in quantity leading to stoppage of menstruation that made her fertile and healthy for so long. The time of menopause differs from woman to woman and in some cases it is seen to be hereditary. If this period is troubled, she does need valuable menopause info to carry on with the normal day to day routine.

What are the signs and symptoms of menopause?

(1)   The foremost sign any woman would notice is the variation in her menstrual cycle. If there is no sudden stoppage of menses altogether, she might develop irregular cycles through a period of 1 to 2 years or more.

(2)   The hormone cycle variation leads to hot flushes occasionally with sudden chilly spells too.

(3)   Due to lack of estrogen, the vaginal mucosa becomes dry and the woman may develop itching of vagina and/or eruptions.

(4)   Lack of interest in sex is the usual symptom many women complain of.

(5)   With the weaning of protective female hormones, women share their risks of cardiac diseases and kidney disorders with the male counterparts; rather the risk is said to be much higher in diabetic females after menopause.

(6)   Occasional migraine attacks, mood swings, excess irritability are also some of the early menopause symptoms.

(7)   The osteoporosis is one of the most troubling consequences of menopause in some women. The bones become brittle and lead to recurrent fractures during trivial accidents.

Is Hormone Replacement Truly an Answer?

Many gynecologists these days recommend hormone replacement therapy for women who suffer from menopause blues. And that seems to help in the initial phase. There can be sudden suppression of the existing symptoms and the woman may experience a boost psychologically too. But in many cases this seems to be short-lived. Women who were feeling better after a period of time sense that the similar symptoms are returning and even some side effects are noticed. Also she has to undergo regular investigations like mammogram to rule out any side effects. So, certainly hormone replacement cannot be termed as an ultimate answer to menopausal symptoms. (For side effects of HRT, please see at the bottom of the article)

How can Homeopathy Help Women with Menopausal Symptomatology?

Homeopathy gives large importance to the past and family history of the patient. Many women do have certain positive family trait that makes them vulnerable to these menopausal problems. Therefore, homeopathy puts her in a stipulated group of miasmatic overload. And unless this miasmatic overload is treated efficaciously with apt homeopathic constitutional medicines and/or nosodes, the woman is liable to suffer from these symptoms. But once the homeopathic physician senses the miasmatic load (in most cases of menopausal problems, the dominant miasm is Sycosis or syphilis).

It is good practice to start the homeopathic treatment with appropriate symptomatic remedy depending upon the then physical, mental, and emotional picture of the patient. Once the patient is capable enough to respond to the chosen constitutional remedy, give it in a single dose. Follow the case well and over a period of time (may be months together), if you sense that there is a stand still position and even the chosen remedy fails to work, give the apt nosode to stimulate the vital force again and take out the miasmatic load by its intercurrent action. Wait again! Later (may be after months again), you can think of giving or repeating the constitutional medicine once more in the same or higher potency depending upon the condition then.

What are the plus of homeopathic treatment over the hormone replacement therapy?

1. Most importantly, when chosen appropriately homeopathic medicine never gives temporary relief but the effect is long lasting.

2. Even homeopathic acute remedy chosen wisely is able to help the patient get over her acute symptomatology very soon. (Within days of starting treatment)

3. When the medicine given is correct and in appropriate potency, there are absolutely no chances of side effects with homeopathy.

4. In many cases it is observed that when we give homeopathic treatment, the patient does not have to take supplements over long term. Yes, even as homeopaths if necessary, we should give the woman supplements like calcium or vitamin D3, etc; however, with the constitutional boost homeopathic medicines give her, even the supplements act favorably without leading to just cumulative effect.

5. As the homeopathic medicine is usually given in single or least possible dose with least repetitions, the woman is pleased not to take bigger tablets thrice or twice a day over a long period. This itself boosts her psychological morale multifold!

A Protective Circle of family and friends!

Yes, this is one of the crucial factors in treating the menopausal blues. If the woman has supportive family and friends, a doctor can do miracles by eliciting fastest positive results with apt homeopathic therapy. The mood swings need to be understood by the spouse and children and help her get through the phase smoothly. There are many support groups too these days that encourage the women to opt for the safe alternative therapies like yoga and Pranayam, which help her gain confidence and carry on with life with a smile on!

Yes! Finally that’s what matters, isn’t it?

RISKS OF HORMONE THERAPY (Courtesy-http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007111.htm)

BLOOD CLOTS

Doctors have long known that taking estrogen increases a person's risk for blood clots. Generally, this risk is higher if you use birth control pills, which contain high doses of estrogen. Your risk is even higher if you smoke and take estrogen. The risk is not as high when estrogen skin patches (transdermal estrogen) are used.

CANCER

Breast cancer: Woman who take estrogen therapy for a long period of time have a small increase in risk for breast cancer. Most guidelines currently consider hormone therapy safe for breast cancer risk when taken for up to 5 years.

Endometrial/uterine cancer: The risk for endometrial cancer is more than five times higher in women who take estrogen therapy alone, compared with those who do not. However, taking progesterone with estrogen seems to protect against this cancer. Endometrial cancer does not develop in women who do not have a uterus.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Heart disease: Estrogen may increase the risk of heart disease in older women, or in women who began estrogen use more than 10 years after their last period. Estrogen is probably the safest when started in women under age 60, or within 10 years after the start of menopause.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT or blood clot in a vein) and pulmonary embolus (PE or blood clot in the lungs) are more common in women who take oral estrogen, regardless of their age.

Stroke: Women who take estrogen have an increased risk for stroke.

Women who also smoke, have heart disease, or are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke are less likely to be given estrogen hormones.

GALLBLADDER DISEASE

Several studies have shown that women who take estrogen/progestin therapy have an increased risk for developing gallstones.

SIDE EFFECTS OF HORMONE THERAPY

As with all medicines, side effects are possible. Some women taking hormone therapy may have:

• Bloating
• Breast soreness
• Headaches
• Mood swings
• Nausea
• Water retention

Changing the dose or form of hormone therapy may help reduce these side effects.

Some women have irregular bleeding when they start taking hormone therapy. Changing the dose often eliminates this side effect. Close follow-up with your doctor is important when you have any unusual bleeding.

(Courtesy for side effects of HRT- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007111.htm)

Everything about Hemorrhoids! (PILES)

Heredity, sedentary habit, bad eating habits, etc are some of the risk factors for hemorrhoids. Early intervention with milder therapies like homeopathy is possible, so that the surgery can be avoided.

The enlarged veins at the lower end of rectum and anus are termed as hemorrhoids. Enhanced pressure within the rectum and anus is the prime reason for protrusion of hemorrhoids and even per rectal bleeding. The incidence of hemorrhoids is increasing day by day, thanks to our modern lifestyles and irregular and junk eating habits. The initial signs of the hemorrhoids should be recognized so that the disease can be brought under control at an early stage with mild medicinal treatments like homeopathy and thus surgery can be averted.

Hemorrhoids- Causes, Symptomatology, and Homeopathic Treatment

Hemorrhoids called ‘piles’ in layman’s terminology are one of the growing problems faced mainly by the people of middle and old age. The two types ‘internal’ and ‘external’ hemorrhoids can be differentiated. The external variety is located under the skin that surrounds the anus. With the bowel movement, these hemorrhoids may swell, be felt, and cause pain and/or bleeding. The internal hemorrhoids however located in the inner lining of the rectum and cannot be felt. These are usually painless and can lead to bleeding per rectum with or without protrusion.

Causes of Hemorrhoids-

Though the genetic disposition is the prime factor; certain risk factors (mostly modifiable) have been identified for development, aggravation, and chronicity of hemorrhoids.

The major factor that contributes to hemorrhoids is excessive straining at stool. However, certain causative factors and/or risk factors have been described as below-

• Heredity- Our genetic make up is one of the major factors for development and aggravation of hemorrhoids. There has been found familial weakness of blood vessel wall. Large supply of arterial blood to hemorrhoidal plexus is also found in certain families.
• Pregnancy- Post-partum and/or pregnancy hemorrhoids are found in many women owing to increased tension in rectal wall due to excessive straining during child birth and expansion of uterus during pregnancy respectively.
• Untreated conditions- Certain conditions like colitis, diarrheas, dysenteries, etc can be the pre-disposing factors for hemorrhoids if left untreated for long.
• Chronic constipation- Chronic constipation has myriad of causes ranging from unhealthy eating habits to sedentary work-style. But it is by far the commonest cause of hemorrhoids.
• Sedentary habits- People working in sitting postures for long time have higher risk of developing hemorrhoids. Lack of physical activity or exercise is one of the chief pre-disposing factors.
• Some serious illnesses- Systemic or portal hypertension, inferior vena-caval congestion, rectal cancer, cardiac or pulmonary diseases, etc also may lead to hemorrhoids.

Signs, Symptoms, and Complications of Hemorrhoids-

1. If the internal hemorrhoid is prolapsed, one can feel it as a lump outside the anus. Many times, it can also be gently pushed inside the anus. But if not, it can lead to enlargement and swelling of internal hemorrhoid too. Entrapment of hemorrhoid may require immediate intervention.
2. There can be pruritus ani (itching at the anus) and tingling sensation
3. Increased desire to have repeated bowel movement is also observed in many patients
4. Thrombosed external hemorrhoid may lead to severe pain that gets aggravated with every bowel movement and prolonged sitting
5. Bleeding per rectum is one of the commonest symptoms detected first by the patient
6. Mucus discharge may accompany prolapsed hemorrhoids.
7. Complications like strangulation of piles, profuse hemorrhage, thrombosis, ulceration, and rarely gangrene may occur if hemorrhoids are left untreated for long.

Treatment of Hemorrhoids-

Most cases of hemorrhoids have good prognosis, especially if treated in time. One can diagnose hemorrhoids on clinical findings alone. However, if the hemorrhoids are associated with one or more symptoms like pain in abdomen, strangulation, excessive hemorrhage, etc, some other investigations like sigmoidoscopy, rectoscopy, or colonoscopy may be required to rule out other potential dangers.

Conventional hemorrhoid treatment comprises of stool softeners, surgery for prolapsed internal hemorrhoid, rubber-band ligation, sclerotherapy, laser therapy and/or hemorrhoidectomy. Even conventionally, medicinal treatment is commenced first and later interventional therapies are sought after if the medicinal therapies fail to achieve desired results.

Homeopathic Treatment of Hemorrhoids-

Many times, homeopathic medicines are aptly said to replace the surgeon’s knife. The homeopathic medicines work on the principle of “like cures like” and many different medicinal substances are used in varied potencies to help cure hemorrhoids (or any other disease for that matter). Homeopathy is a holistic medicine that is based on “Individualistic Approach” to any case.

As per this approach, any disease including hemorrhoids is treated individually after carefully considering the physical, mental, and emotional symptomatology of the person. Certain miasmatic dispositions are described in homeopathy and every individual has predominance of some miasm. They can also be called as pre-dispositions or susceptibilities of an individual suffering from certain disease traits. With aptly chosen constitutional homeopathic medicines, these traits can be modified positively to obtain cure from the existing problem and an overall health is achieved.

Also homeopathic medicines are extremely useful for acute symptoms of hemorrhoids. The pain, inflammation, itching, bleeding per rectum, etc can be effectively tackled with accurate simillimum chosen homeopathically.

The homeopathic medicines like Aloe soc, Collinsonia, Hamamelis, Muriatic acid, Thuja, Aesculus, Ratanhia, Nux vomica, Kali carb, Ammonium carb, Kali carb, Phosphorus, etc work marvelously when indicated homeopathically in a particular case of hemorrhoids. However, one must not treat himself on the basis of cursory knowledge of homeopathy. Expert homeopathic intervention is must, as deriving the constitutional prescription is more of an art that needs to be mastered and without the constitutional approach, it is hard to find perfect cure from hemorrhoids.

Prevention of Hemorrhoids-

The modifiable factors or risk factors of hemorrhoid can be prevented by following these things—

1. Increase the water intake. One must drink at least 10 glasses of water per day that helps keep our stools soft and improve bowel activity
2. Increase dietary fiber and it will add roughage to your food. It certainly enhances regular bowel movements
3. Avoid junk food devoid of fiber that just adds empty calories. This kind of food also adds extra pounds leading to obesity, which is another pre-disposing factors for hemorrhoids
4. Boost up your physical activity level. Especially the people with sedentary working habits have to get moving, as lack of physical movement is one of the chief factors contributing to increased incidence of hemorrhoids these days. Exercise also helps to get rid of hemorrhoids faster by reducing the tendency to constipation and pressure on hemorrhoidal veins. So keep active to prevent piles.
5. Also one should not suppress the urge for stools for long time. This step helps a great deal in hemorrhoid prevention.

Hemorrhoid and Homeopathy FAQ –

1. Can homeopathic medicines cure hemorrhoids completely?

Ans- Yes, the aptly selected homeopathic medicines can help one get rid of hemorrhoids completely. However, the treatment must be sought from an expert and one should not try to self-medicate.

2. How long homeopathic treatment should be taken for hemorrhoids?

Ans- The duration of treatment depends upon the stage of hemorrhoids and the existing signs and symptoms. Also it varies from person to person depending upon his level of remedy-compliance. However, tentatively, one should follow the homeopathic regime at least for 2 consecutive months to be able to find relief from the existing symptoms. Follow-up later with the homeopathic expert is important too.

3. Can homeopathy deal with complications of hemorrhoids like gangrene, ulceration, etc?

Ans- Treating the complications of hemorrhoids is certainly an expert’s domain. However, one must make sure to undergo all the depicted investigations and follow all the guidelines laid by the expert homeopathic physician. In emergencies like strangulation and gangrene however, one should weight the pros and cons of medicinal treatment and the expert will decide whether surgery will be needed.

4. Can one take homeopathic and conventional medicines for hemorrhoids simultaneously?

Ans- Usually this is not recommended by the homeopaths. It is better to follow a single regimen in any given case. However, if the person is already on some other regimen, homeopathic expert usually consults the concerned physician and later decides the path of course, whether to stop the earlier medication or taper the dose slowly. 

How Useful Homeopathy Is For Allergies??

Common cold is too common for people who have it once in a while due to climatic changes. But if it becomes the rule of life like in cases of allergic conditions, it’s hell! There are people who get up every morning with the dread that the sneezing will start like a demon to end never at least for a few hours. Suppressing these attacks with anti-allergic drugs obviously benefits prima facie, but it is just temporary, as witnessed by thousands of allergy sufferers.

There are many home remedies too that are tried by these victims of allergy like using ginger in tea etc. But again this gives just temporary relief, as the root cause is never dealt with.

What is the root cause for these allergies?

Do you think that allergens are responsible for this? Well, it is true that the allergens lead to these allergies. But what causes these allergens to be so dreadful as to attack people so violently? There must be something deep within. Yes, this “Something deep within” is the root cause! We can call them tendencies to catch allergies, infections, etc. Unless this tendency is dealt with efficaciously, we cannot expect radical cure from allergies.

One more interesting story is that, if you suppress these allergies with counter-acting drugs and for time being, if they really vanish, don’t be overly elated! The reason behind is that, you haven’t kicked them away but have suppressed within the body. Either it is lying in dormant condition inside or is busy preparing to attack some other vital organ to trouble you later. There are many cases of respiratory allergies being suppressed by drugs and developed into some skin allergy later on (without even known by the sufferer the reason behind this new-found skin allergy).

Does homeopathy help?

Yes, it does! The principle of homeopathy is “like cures like”. When judiciously this principle is applied in practice, we enforce the similarly acting drug to stimulate the vital force inside to expel the symptoms of the disease (allergy) and establish harmony.

Well, sounds like just a theory?

Do homeopathic medicines never suppress?

It is not true. Homeopathic medicines if applied wrongly, without considering the totality of symptoms, i.e., the person’s physical and mental make up, his attitude towards life, dominant miasm in him, and things alike. Also if the potency chosen is not correct or excessively high or cruder, it may lead to suppression, only to be revealed again later on.

Choose right homeopathic remedy to cure allergies!

However, it is also true that rightly chosen remedy, potency, and its application in the right way do help to annihilate the symptoms of the disease in the mildest yet powerful manner within no time. In that sense, homeopathy is a true healer. Go for expert homeopathic consultation and your struggle to overcome an allergy will come to a good end.

Allergies are of different kind. In homeopathy, they usually fall under categories (miasms) Psora and Tubercular. However, if it is badly expressed allergy or a more destructive kind of allergy leading to some drastic end organ damage, it also can fall under Sycosis or Syphilis miasms. This understanding and differentiation can be done only by an expert homeopath. But once rightly recognized and attacked the root cause of allergy, the person frees himself of the recurrent spells of sneezing, cough, colds, and other bodily complaints due to it and leads on the path of complete cure!

About homeopathic remedy tips!

Hi all,

The homeopathic remedy tips mentioned below in 11 sections are the clinical symptoms observed in various patients during acute and/or chronic treatments. However, while studying them, one must remember that they are mere key notes or symptoms that certainly need further evaluation. Never ever treat any health condition merely on the basis of these tips. You have to have complete case history of the patient in order to reach to a constitutional homeopathic prescription after thorough evaluation.

These tips are for the reference of the new learners of homeopathy.

Thank you!