Epilepsy and its Homeopathic Management!

Recently I happened to see many cases of epilepsy in succession and wondered why the number of epilepsy cases is increasing these days? Therefore, decided to write a detailed article on epilepsy and more importantly the homeopathic approach to a case of epilepsy. Let’s begin-

Definition- 

Epilepsy is a disorder that results due to the surges in the electrical signals inside the brain causing recurring seizures. It is a common and diverse set of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures. This results in sudden alterations in the behavior or motor function caused by an electrical discharge from the brain.

But all the people who have seizures need not have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. One must know about non-epileptic seizures too. These are also called pseudo-seizures, which are not accompanied by abnormal electrical activity in the brain but are caused mostly due to some psychological issue or stress. Therefore, distinguishing between the two is important before case-evaluation is started.

Incidence- About 2 out of 100 people in United States experience at least one unprovoked seizure once in life. However, for a diagnosis of epilepsy to be made, one has to have at least 2 unprovoked seizures. Shortly, one can say that about 0.5 to 1% of the total population is affected by epilepsy and the incidence is sadly increasing. About 30% of cases occur in children. Children and elderly adults are most often affected.

Provoked Seizures- Provoked seizures occur due to some or the other reasons like low blood sugar, trauma, low blood sodium, drug abuse, alcohol, high-grade fever, etc. fever-related or febrile seizures usually start in infancy and the child outgrows on its own by 6 years of age.

Causes of Epilepsy-

As with many neurological disorders, in most cases of epilepsy, the definite cause (from the conventional point of view) cannot be ascertained. Typically however, the known causes of seizures involve some or the other injury to the brain. Here are enlisted some such causes-

1. Low oxygen during birth (asphyxia neonatorum)

2. Head injuries during childhood or infancy or birth of the baby

3. Brain tumors

4. Viral / bacterial meningitis / encephalitis

5. Stroke or any other damage to the brain

6. Abnormality in sodium or sugar levels, etc

However, in majority of the cases, the cause cannot be found.

Risk Factors that may provoke seizures –

1. Heavy alcohol consumption

2. Cocaine or any other drug used for ecstasy

3. Absolute lack of sleep

4. Other drugs that interfere with the seizure medication that the patient is already on

5. Menses- 1 in every 2 women having epilepsy, seizures occur around menstruation perhaps owing to hormonal surges

Clinical Features of Epilepsy-

Epilepsy is divided into 2 basic types- 1. Generalized and 2) Focal

1. Generalized Seizures-

These seizures usually occur without any warning because of abnormal electrical impulses in the brain. Of this, 6 types have been recognized-

(1) Grand-mal (Tonic-Clonic) seizures- The patient often loses consciousness in this type of seizure and may collapse. During the tonic phase, the body becomes stiff and during the clonic phase, body jerks. The patient’s jaw is tight shut and he even might bite his tongue. Due to repeated contractions of the bladder, the patient might have involuntary urination and later falls into a deep sleep. All these symptoms may last for as little as 1 to 2 minutes or sometimes longer.

(2) Petit-mal (Absence) seizure- These are briefer episodes during which classic symptoms are absent but the patient might lose awareness for mere 5 to 10 seconds and stare blankly. However, these kinds of seizures usually occur several times in a day.

(3) Clonic Seizure- In this type, there is rhythmic jerking motion of the arms and the legs, sometimes on the both sides of the body.

(4) Tonic Seizure- Suddenly a group of muscles stiffens in this type making the patient to fall if he is standing. It also lasts for short durations like about 20 seconds.

(5) Myoclonic Seizure- In this type, very brief seizure occurs, due to which your body jerks as if shocked by electricity, for a second or two. The jerks can range from a single muscle jerking to involvement of the entire body.

(6) Akinetic or Atonic Seizure- In this type, the seizure makes the muscles to lose strength or relax. It especially occurs in arms or legs. These seizures are often referred to as “drop-attacks”, because though the patient may remain conscious, it can cause him to fall suddenly and injure himself.

2. Focal Seizures-

They are also termed as local or partial seizures. They are caused by abnormal activity in a specific smaller area of brain. That area is called as seizure focus. They can be of three types again- Simple focal, complex focal, and secondarily generalized seizures.  

Diagnosis of Epilepsy-

In the diagnosis of epilepsy, for both conventional therapists and homeopaths, history of the patient and the clinical examination of the patient are crucial. Most of the times, if the symptoms are of classic variety, diagnosis can be made clinically. But in cases of partial or singular variety seizure, one has to do certain investigations like CT scan and/or MRI of the Brain and EEG (Electro-Encephalogram) to find the abnormal brain activity.

Homeopathic Approach to a Case of Epilepsy-

Dealing with epilepsy patient homeopathically is a challenge. The homeopath has to be on his toes while dealing with an active case of epilepsy. However, it can be said that homeopathy can very well deal with these cases, provided the entire case history of the patient (child or adult) is studied carefully. As we often say, constitutional homeopathic treatment is the right option for epilepsy cases. I have always found that even though with our acute remedies act wonderfully well to control the acute epilepsy attacks and avert the recurrence, only apt constitutional and miasmatic study is the way out to CURE the patient.

How History is Important?

Finding out the cause of epilepsy (if existent) like any kind of birth injury or other sort of head injury is absolutely crucial. The cases in which we can trace out the exact cause, further work is comparatively easier. If such external cause cannot be found, one has to go to the core details of the conception of the child, any history during pregnancy of mother and most importantly family history.

Miasm-

The miasmatic study depending upon the family history of the patient is very important. Many theories have been published at many places. But after studying many cases of epilepsy, I have found that though Psora can be called as the basic miasm behind such abnormal brain activities, sycotic dominance in the families is often noticed. Certainly being a generalized variety of disorder, all miasms overlap each other at different periods of time. Even hyperactivity of brain can go under tubercular miasm, especially when the patient has very short duration spells and twitching of different groups of muscles. I can say that while making miasmatic study of epilepsy, one should not generalize but individualize it in every case separately, considering all the aspects that lead to apt miasmatic diagnosis.

Homeopathic Treatment of Epilepsy-

Here comes the most important part of the article. As with any other case, classical homeopathy believes in holistic approach for every case of epilepsy. Considering the physical, mental and emotional picture of every patient (whether child or adult) is must while dealing with epileptic cases. If you base your prescription merely on physical symptoms of epilepsy and seizure type, the recovery may be temporary. However, this does not mean every case of epilepsy is begun with constitutional remedy. Rather. Going for the constitutional remedy in the beginning can prove disastrous, if we do not prepare our patient first to receive the constitutional dose well. Yes, it is true of every chronic case that the patient must be in the right time-frame when we administer the constitutional remedy. And also during the treatment, all acute phases should be handled deftly with apt acute prescriptions.

Do not stop anti-epileptic drugs suddenly-

This is a very crucial thing to know for homeopaths as well as parents of the children suffering from epilepsy. Beginning on homeopathic regime does not warrant canceling the drug dosages of earlier anti-epileptic remedies the child may be on. Give the patient enough time to respond positively to the new homeopathic regimen while retaining the earlier dosages. Once the epileptic episodes are decreased with proper homeopathic treatment, we can taper off the dosages after consulting the seizure expert and finally stop the anti-epileptic drugs if patient starts responding very much positively to homeopathy.

Now, herewith we will discuss some of such acute and chronic epilepsy medicines, which can prove extremely helpful in managing the cases of epilepsy—

1) Absinthium-

·         One of the best remedies for infantile and hysterical spasms

·         The child suffers from nervous tremors before the attack

·         Sleeplessness in the child is the striking concomitant symptom

·         The child or the adult suffers from severe giddiness suddenly, has varied hallucinations and loss of consciousness ensues

·         The child suffers from frightful visions and striking loss of memory

·         Kleptomania- tendency to steal things is one of the characteristic symptom of this drug

2) Artemisia vulgaris-

·         Have seen this drug act extremely well in nervous teenage girls that suffer from epileptiform seizures

·         Girls suffering from petit mal seizures after some emotional breakdown or fright

·         Masturbation leading to epilepsy

·         There is a convulsive episode in these children, as several convulsions run together

·         Epilepsy without any significant aura

·         Somnambulism- walks in sleep at night

·         Head drawn backwards during seizure with spasmodic twitching

·         Mouth drawn to left

·         Profuse sweating that smells like garlic is a classic concomitant found most of the times

3) Cuprum metallicum-

·         This is one of the best remedies for epilepsy, recommended by the stalwart in homeopathy- Dr Schwart

·         Very useful in reducing the frequency of attacks

·         Obstinate cases of epilepsy are well-treated by this metal remedy

·         Jerking and twitching of muscles of extremities

·         Cramps in calves can be a very useful concomitant symptom, along with weariness in the legs

·         Aura begins in knees and ascends to hypogastrium or clonic spasms beginning in fingers and toes

·         Patient becomes unconscious with foam at mouth and falls

·         Periodicity is marked

·         Fright can be predisposing factor for beginning of spasm

·         Nausea is a frequent concomitant

·         Worse before menses

4) Kali bromatum-

·         Seizures occurring at new moon

·         Seizures caused by sexual abuse in men

·         Seizures occurring during or around menstrual periods in women

·         Headache almost always follows the attack

·         As moon phase is clearly mentioned in this remedy, most homeopaths regard this remedy as a great prophylactic for epilepsy

·         Extremely fidgety patient, especially fidgety hands; busy twitching of fingers, along with jerking of muscles of hand

·         Better when occupied physically or mentally

5) Cicuta virosa-

·         Violent seizures with frightful distortions

·         Sudden rigidity followed by jerking

·         Followed by oppressive breathing, locked jaw and dark red face

·         Frothing at mouth and great prostration follow the attack

·         Convulsions from concussions of brain

·         Epilepsy from suppressed eruptions

6) Bufo-

·         Seizures due to masturbation or sexual excesses

·         Fit may return during coition

·         The patient may talk incoherently or get extremely irritable before the attack

·         Attacks during sleep

·         Before the attack, the pupils are largely dilated and unaffected by light

·         Dr Kent says, if several epileptic spasms occur during the menstrual period and the patient has no realization until told, she needs Bufo

7) Silicea-

·         Epileptic attacks around full moon

·         Ill effects of vaccination leading to epilepsy

·         Prostration of mind and body

·         Lack of vital heat

·         Patient is oversensitive to all impressions- physical and/or mental

8) Oenanthe crocata-

·         Epileptiform seizures worse during pregnancy and menses

·         Uraemic convulsions

·         Convulsive facial twitching

·         Livid expression with fixed eyes, dilated pupils, locked jaw, foaming at mouth etc

·         May be associated with spasmodic, stertorous breathing

·         Child gets into opisthotonos posture

9) Calcarea ars-

·         Before the attack of epilepsy, there is rush of blood to head

·         Aura is felt by the patient in the region of heart with some strange flying sensation

·         Wants someone with him always

·         Depression of spirits due to disease

·         Worse from slight exertion

10) Ignatia-

·         When any kid of mortification or vexation bring on the attack of spilepsy, even during acute phase, Ignatia can be thought of

·         Rather Ignatia can be used in a chronic epileptic as a prophylactic when she undergoes any such emotional turbulence in life

·         Contradictory symptoms

·         Hysterical epilepsy

·         Hyperaesthesia of all senses

·         Twitching of muscles of face and lips

·         Coffee and smoking aggravate almost always

Training Mind Positively for Better Heath!

As we have discussed earlier many times, stress is one of the major influences today that drive us crazy. We have seen earlier how natural way of living, homeopathy and yoga can help us stay fit as fiddle through the life. However, even if we firmly decide to follow this approach towards life, something hampers our enthusiasm along the way… almost always… and that ‘something’ is nothing but our MIND. Mind runs faster than wind and is the culprit for deteriorating our life, if we do not know the art of training our mind.

The plus side of the story is that though mind acts as a culprit on the road of blessed life, same mind also can be used as a catalyst for accentuating our positive attitude in life. As everything has two sides, this amazing entity called mind also has two strangely opposite facets. If one facet ridicules you for having all the ugly things in life, the other one shows you the light at the end of the tunnel. And the best part is We Can Guide Ourselves on That Facet of Mind that takes us to the End of the Dark Tunnel! Just it requires practice and tremendous patience.

Mind is Flexible!

We all know the flexibility of mind. We know how hard it is to arrive at a decision when we are in two minds. But we also know that when we arrive at such crossroads, our inner instinct exactly knows what we SHOULD do. This is the time when we should start the hands-on training of our mind. This is the time when we should not allow our mind to wander off the track and take the right decision that will avoid all the stress later on. This is to be done on a day to day basis and not when a tedious situation arrives to be tackled.

For example- 1) You have decided to go on an outing this weekend and you are reminded of some extra chore then; saying No to that extra chore or doing it earlier may save you the hassle of thinking about the failed outing and stressing yourself upon that. If not, you should train your mind to forego the failure and take the extra chore as an opportunity to earn more / finish off a pending task, etc

2) Imagine there is sudden power shut down. Most of us would shout at the electricity board and get tensed over our unfinished works that cannot be done without electricity. But a person, who has trained his mind to stay positive, will say- Good! Anyway now I cannot work on those tasks, let’s rejoice in some hobby that I cannot devote much time to!

3) The Maid servant has not arrived today for sweeping! Oh, that gives jitters to most of my Indian friends I am sure. But there are few people I know who indulge themselves in sweeping and cleaning activities and thank the maids (in mind of course) because they were able to shed some calories without running on that boring treadmill that day!

The life is full of smaller situations woven together by a thread of our thinking. Indian spiritual scripts teach us that unless you remain detached even from your own thinking, you cannot think through clearly. Look at each thought arising in your mind from third man’s perspective and learn to laugh at the silly mind-play! Soon we realize how foolishly we engulf ourselves into stressed atmospheres at the drop of a hat!

Ask anyone who has mastered his mind and he will tell you he feels on the top of the world. Whether you want to pursue any spiritual goal or want to do your day to day work calmly, mastery over mind keeps you in the best of health.

It may not seem easy but it is the most-deserved asset you will possess once captured!

Here are some of the things you can do when you develop some control over your mind—

1) You can control your sleep (Good news for insomniacs as well as sleepy people)

2) You can work at a stretch for many hours without getting fatigued

3) You can avoid overeating and control your portions through the day, thus stabilizing your weight

4) You will be able to acknowledge smaller pleasures in your life, as mind becomes more perceptive

5) You will enhance your concentration level in your work and wandering of mind goes on becoming less and less

6) As you always look on the positive side of life, absolute negativity actually becomes nil

7) Spiritual calmness ensues upon you

8) Life truly becomes beautiful as nothing or no one really affects you negatively

9) You enhance your quality of forgiveness and learn to comprehend the other’s point of view before jumping to any conclusion

10) Every day becomes an unending source of joy and bliss!

Now tell me, isn't the mind control truly worth it? 

Importance of Learning the Basic Books in Homeopathy

If you are an ardent follower of homeopathy, you either have mastered the art or you seek proper homeopathic treatment from a qualified homeopath. It’s no wonder that once you start with homeopathic treatment, you tend to fall in love with this heavenly science! Those who know the intricacies of homeopathic treatment know exactly how much work our ancient homeopaths have done for us. Apart from proving the hoards of homeopathic remedies, these are the people who laid their emphasis on following the right principle when we give homeopathic regime to anyone. They never deviated from the original nature’s principle discovered by our Master Samuel Hahnemann and emerged victorious in righteously treating their patients.

However, the purpose of this article today is to re-emphasize the importance of learning homeopathy safely, securely, without falling to the short-cut learning methods. No science and/or art have short cuts. It is beyond imagination if a vast science as homeopathy is taught with short cuts. No doubt with evolving mankind and evolving technology, we have to move ahead with more precision and perfection. But this precision should not violate the basic principles homeopathy is beckoned for. We all have to go to the basics when we want to master this art having such vast history of treating chronic, acute and epidemic ailments world over.

Repertorization seems to have taken the front-seat today when it comes to finding the correct remedy and evaluating the case. Well, certainly repertory is a tool made to be utilized for this purpose. But we must not forget that it is just a tool. It is NOT the final authority. Final authority of prescription lies with the judicious homeopath who has mastered his materia medica well. And this is the point we all must ponder upon.

Homeopathy cannot be practiced by machines. It cannot be learnt by software. Certainly these are the adages that help the person who is well-versed with the basic materia medica books in homeopathy. It is the homeopath who evaluates the case, who studies the individual patient, who does behavioral analysis of the patient, and who prescribes the right remedy to the patient. Homeopaths are doctors. Therefore, they must fllow the duty of the doctors and not just medicine vendors.

I should say here that this post is written for those numerous students of homeopathy who keep asking me how should homeopathy be studied. I really don’t think there is any other way but to work hard and be completely ethical in your practice. The rewards will follow you undoubtedly in the form of patient’s satisfaction, which obviously culminates in your peace of mind!  

Pranayama for a Tranquil Life!

(For health queries, please write to- contact@drshreya.com)

(This is the recently published article of Dr Shreya Deshpande in Whole Life Times, California)

We all know how important it is to include some physical activity in our daily life, but it’s just as important to know how to relax. Controlling our breathing can help us to maintain tranquility amidst the daily hubbub of activity.

This control over breathing is termed pranayama, with techniques rooted in ancient Indian literature. Even someone who does not connect to the spiritual aspect of pranayama can appreciate the satisfaction it provides through tapping into the subconscious. Pranayama also offers health benefits to those suffering from such problems as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, nervousness, anxiety, depression and obesity.

For daily performance of pranayama, experts recommend five steps that prove exceedingly beneficial when performed daily. But before starting, the following must be observed:

1. Empty your bowels.

2. Sit erect in cross-legged posture.

3. Choose a peaceful and well-ventilated place.

Bhasrika. After focusing his mind on pranayama, the sadhaka (one who practices pranayama) performs a deep breathing exercise called bhasrika. In this, he inhales deeply through both nostrils while exerting little pressure, and exhales forcefully yet slowly. This breathing form should be continued for 2–5 minutes. Bhasrika is specifically useful for various nervous system malfunctions, cardiac abnormalities, skin diseases and so on. Even mental and emotional disharmonies can be eradicated with regular bhasrika pranayama.

Kapalabhati. Often called “breath of fire,” or “energizing breath,” this is usually the next step after the initial bhasrika. The sadhaka inhales normally but exhales forcefully while taking his abdomen (navel) upward and inward. This should be done in quick succession. Experts recommend 60 cycles of kapalabhati in 60 seconds, that is, one minute. It is very useful to perform this pranayama daily for 5 to 10 minutes. It boosts the metabolism, fresh and refreshes the energy, and is very useful for hypertension, diabetes, depression, Parkinson’s, asthma and snoring. It is also one of the principal pranayama steps for reducing extra fat deposits in the body.

Bahya. This step should only be performed once it is learned properly. Sit relaxed. Breathe in deeply while pulling in the abdomen. Hold your breath and abdomen in, while tucking your chin into your chest and pulling your gluteal and pelvic muscles inward. All these actions should happen at one time. Be in this manner for 2 to 10 seconds (increasing slowly), and then slowly exhale and sit erect normally. Bahya pranayama is one of the best remedies for constipation and abdominal troubles, as it gently massages the abdominal organs. It also helps with irregular bowel movements, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, and problems pertaining to the uterus and ovaries.

Agnisar. Agnisar involves performing all the steps of bahya pranayama except for pulling in the gluteal and pelvic muscles. As you breathe in deeply while holding your abdomen in, and tuck your chin into your chest, retain your breath as you move your abdomen inward and outward in rhythm. Perform 10 to 20 such movements (increasing slowly), and then relax. Like bahya pranayama, agnisar massages the internal organs and maintains a healthy rate of metabolism. People with high waist-hip ratio should perform this step to reduce the abdominal circumference, thus reducing the risk of future cardiac and renal difficulties. One who performs agnisar daily never suffers from constipation or bowel dysfunction. It is a cleansing action.

Anulom vilom. Sit erect in cross-legged posture. First breathe in and out slowly for some time. Now put your thumb on the right nostril, close it with it, and inhale slowly through the left nostril. Once you complete the inhalation, remove the finger from right nostril and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Then slowly exhale through the right nostril. Now the same procedure is to be repeated on the other side. Perform this step for 5 to 15 minutes. Also known as alternate-nostril breathing, Anulom vilom is considered one of the best exercises for arteries, veins and the circulatory system. Experts attest to its usefulness in eradicating atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis and simpler complaints like insomnia. Once these basic things are controlled, the sadhaka gains more control over his body, mind and psyche.

There are other steps of pranayama, but at least these first five should be performed daily to help you function at your tranquil best.

Homeopathy for Strengthening Our Children!

Hello all!

Here is embedded an article by Dr Shreya Deshpande, published today (12/12/12) in Indian Express under the heading-

Your Homeopathic Queries Answered! 

(http://newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/article1375739.ece)

Homeopathic sweet pills are a delight to have for many children. But very few parents actually perceive how beautifully they are molding their children with this wonderful therapy! It is not an exaggeration if we say - We positively cater the physical, mental and emotional needs of our children with homeopathy. Though this science and art of medicine is always under the scanner of skeptics, the number of patients opting for homeopathy is increasing worldwide.

Science of Individualization-

From mild day to day problems like cold and cough to chronic intractable problems like autism and various syndromes, homeopathy is helping its pediatric patients. The basic idea of studying the constitution of the patient holds true in pediatric homeopathic practice as well. Each child that comes to a homeopath’s office is given the fullest possible attention from the moment he or she enters the cabin. The way he enters, the way he talks, his demeanor with his parents, communication with the doctor, and so many his subtle characteristics are studied along with his actual presenting complaints.

Homeopaths always have the right equipment to boost the innate immunity of the child. Especially the children who have been the victims of chronic childhood complaints since birth are given a lot of conventional medicines. These medicines might have helped them in order to come out of the critical health issues. But when these remedies are repeated frequently and administered at the slightest outbreak of fever, cold or cough, they weaken the child’s immune system. This is where homeopathy can come to the rescue of the child. It can help the child build a solid foundation on all the planes of existence. Instead of suppressing his maladies, it gives vent to his ailments tactfully that strengthens its capability to deal with the disasters in future.

Gives Children a Shell of Protection-

We, as parents, always wish the best for our child. We always wish they remain hale and hearty and do not fall sick often. We dread of the names of diseases that seem to have created havoc all over. Even the critical diseases like cancers are said to emerge in mind. No wonder we must equip our child to have a balanced mind that will cope with the forthcoming problems in life bravely. We want to build a healthy society that is devoid of crimes, suicides of students, and new-age disease-syndromes. This is possible if we rely on solid foundation for our kids since beginning. We must instill in them a sense of freedom coupled with moral education that will begin at home. One might ask what the relation of homeopathy with this is. But through the years of experience with homeopathy, it can be said that homeopathic constitutional medicine actually builds an attitude in the child that protects him from pessimism in life. No doubt the environment he lives in has lot to do with his attitude. But to a great extent, homeopathy can help him build a personality for himself that can be trusted upon.

Physical and Mental Boost Up-

Thus apart from developing our children into physically strong individuals, homeopathy helps in making them mentally, emotionally and intellectually fit individuals. I think this is where the success of homeopathy lies. One of the stalwarts of homeopathy, Dr Kent used to say- “Homeopathy applied in childhood is like prevention of crime in society”. I think that says it all! 

Why Homeopathy is Best Applied in Childhood?

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

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for changing my life for better. I would not even think of acquiring this feat in my career a few years back. Your dose of homeopathic medicines and I remember the dose of  Phosphorus changed ME drastically over a period of time and today I am a well-balanced individual with good intellectual capability and running my own business successfully.”

These were the words of one of the patients who has severe phobias all her life and despite having good intelligence she was not able to channelize her energies properly. This is not a lone story. If you ask people who have opted for homeopathy early in life, they are always the ones who boast about its positive aspects on their life as a whole.

Childhood is the best period to apply homeopathic principles –

Children are innocent. They still are far from catching the magnanimous falsity of this world and are true to their nature. Even though they certainly carry the various traits inflicted upon them by their parents and ancestors, they have little overlapping on these traits by artificial or acquired traits. They are truly like moldable earthen pots. Better we mold, better human beings we get as adults. And there is no boasting in the fact that homeopathic constitutional prescription helps these children to remarkable extent. You can literally mold them in the best possible manner by carefully considering the miasmatic influence active in them, their attitude study, and their behavioral manifestations. It is a vast topic to discuss about.

You can always make the best use of homeopathy in children. Total metamorphosis can occur even in children with critical illnesses like autism, Down’s syndrome, ADHD etc. Truly speaking, till date I am yet to see a child that is not benefited with homeopathic treatment over a period of time.

Parental Awareness is Necessary-

Major responsibility is of parents. They have to remain patient while caring for their children. Do not change your homeopaths frequently if the results do not come fast enough. In chronic conditions, every qualified homeopath has to follow certain principles while taking the child through the journey of cure. He cannot take hasty decisions and give him high doses of medicines at once. They will not be of any use. Most importantly, while treating any child for any condition, primary care has to be taken by the homeopath not to inflict any bad effect on the child in the long term. As I always say, (badly chosen) homeopathic medicines’ side effects are often not visible immediately like those of allopathic drugs but they might remain latent and become developed after long period of time. Therefore, choose a homeopath wisely who can give your child the due attention and proper evaluation at every step of the treatment. But once you know your child is in right hands, have faith in your doctor completely. With homeopathy, your child is being groomed into a healthy, wise, and balanced individual for sure.

Sinusitis and Homeopathy!

Do you know that Sinusitis affects 37 million people each year, making it one of the most common health problems? It is said to be more prevalent than heart disease and asthma and has a greater impact on quality of life! People suffering from sinusitis know how hard life becomes with that continued heavy eyes and head! They just want to expel all the contents in their air-spaces at once! But many times due to lack of awareness about the holistic treatment of sinusitis, they opt for suction operative from the air spaces without treating the root cause for their recurring problem. This does not relieve them permanently as can be easily understood!

Therefore one must be aware of the right mode of therapy for sinusitis and appropriate auxiliary regimen that can save them from chronic heaviness of head!

Types of Sinusitis-

There are two main categories of sinusitis: acute and chronic.

Sinusitis is usually preceded by a cold, allergy attack or irritation from environmental pollutants. Often, the resulting symptoms, such as nasal pressure, nasal congestion, a “runny nose,” and fever, run their course in a few days. However, if symptoms persist, a bacterial infection or acute sinusitis may develop.

If the condition occurs frequently or lasts three months or more, you may have chronic sinusitis. In some individuals, the chronic sinusitis becomes too troublesome to carry on day to day activities. Most importantly it affects their work-routine and necessitates immediate treatment.

The signs and symptoms may include:

• Facial pain, pressure, congestion or fullness
• Difficulty breathing through the nose
• Discharge of yellow or green mucus from the nose
• Teeth pain (which is often the radiating type of pain)
• Loss of the sense of smell or taste
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Bad breath

There are 3 main pairs of sinuses in the skull- frontal, maxillary, and ethmoidal. There may be congestion of one or more sinuses at a particular time.

I have often seen that people that use nasal decongestion drops often present with sinusitis at some point of time, if they continue using the drops beyond a certain stage. They feel relieved in the nose but all the mucus gets accumulated many times in these air spaces, causing sinusitis.

Homeopathic Treatment of Sinusitis –

Homeopathictreatment of sinusitis, according to me, is must to prevent necessity of any surgical step towards them or any other suppressant medication. ALL cases of sinusitis can be successfully treated with aptly chosen homeopathic medicines. Certainly the root cause of the illness, the exciting factors, and the maintaining factors need to be studied in individual patients and accordingly we need to choose the right medicines. Family history of the patients often leads us on the discovery of miasmatic overload in these patients so that we can institute appropriate miasmatic therapy in them. Certainly with homeopathic constitutional treatment, it is not only possible to cure the patients of their chronic sinusitis but also to eradicate the allergic tendency in these individuals.

Different homeopathic medicines like Kali bichromicum, Pulsatilla, Natrum mur, Natrum sulph, Kali iod, Belladona, Silicea, Medorrhinum, Tuberculinum, Phosphorus, etc can be used acutely or chronically, depending upon the totality of the case.

For all types of allergies, homeopathic regime works best whether they have mere sinusitis or the problem coupled with allergic rhinitis, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, etc. No separate drug for every problem is needed but a homeopath derives a drug that will cater all the symptoms simultaneously and cure the patient completely of his problems.

HolisticHomeopathy is like a wonder-weapon to treat all sorts of chronic maladies. While helping the patients normalize their routines, they help them acquire enough strength to conquer all life’s problems with smile, whether physical, mental or emotional!

Why Must We Sit Straight? (Benefits of Upright Posture)

Stressed Facts About Stress!

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

I always tell my patients that it is necessary for us to “just relax” and that we shouldn’t aim at “must relax”, which often gives contrary results. But recently I am coming across lot more cases of stress-related problems. Stress about work, family, relationships, examinations, money, and power! Rather we can say that there is hardly any field today that is devoid of stress or so we perceive; all this at the cost of our health and peace! Therefore perhaps, now it is more important to know about some facts about stress more seriously!

When the counselors try to imbibe this fact into the minds of the patients, they often retaliate by saying- “No doctor, the stress now will go with me!” Grrr….. What are we trying to tell ourselves? That we can never be happy? Then what are we striving for? What is the purpose of working round the clock if we cannot master our own psyche and emotions? I utterly feel bad not for people who are struggling with frank physical illnesses but for those who are succumbing to self-created hell of stress! No doubt some time or the other they will have to face the consequences of the same.

The purpose of writing this post is truly to create awareness about being ourselves and happy. What are we competing for? We all have enough happiness spread across the universe to receive aplenty. Then why aren’t we able to perceive it with open arms? What is holding us back? It is the lack of awareness about the temporariness of the material things. Everyone wants money, big houses, and best amenities in the best of surroundings! But what about our inner surrounding that is calling for our attention?

Today we truly need a Guru who will guide us on the right path holding our hand and scolding us for the wrong deeds that never cross our minds for being wrong! It is always said that if we happen to find the conscientious way of living, we can never fall prey to the demon called stress.

Stressed are those who do wrong or are afraid of the society for doing right!

Doing the rightful duties while having a compassionate attitude towards our fellow beings is today’s necessity, not for having a great world but for having healthy and peaceful people! It is necessary to imbibe in our minds that nothing is permanent, neither you nor me! When it is true, how wonderfully happy we should make our life in order to enjoy the blissful humanness bestowed upon us by nature or Almighty!

Looking at the deadly psychosomatic illnesses arising every other day, shouldn't it be our first priority to erase the stress from our life? As is rightly said, negative things around us may not vanish but our attitude towards them can become more positive and forgiving. It doesn’t mean we are forgiving the wrong people or things but it means that we are forgiving ourselves and saving us from the jaws of stress and attracting the universal peace that is omnipotent! 

होमिओपथी - एक सहजसुंदर उपचार पद्धती

खूपशा लोकांना होमिओपाथी बद्दल नीटशी माहिती नसते. त्यामुळे बरेच लोक ह्या उपचार पद्धती बाबत खूपसे साशंक असतात. फक्त त्यात औषधांचे दुष्परिणाम होत नाहीत एवढी जुजबी माहिती त्यांना असते. परंतु हे माहित नसते कि अत्यंत जुन्या आणि किचकट आजारातही होमिओपाथी च्या मदतीने ते रोगमुक्त होऊ शकतात. सर्वात महत्त्वाचे म्हणजे ह्या उपचार पद्धतीमुळे आपली रोगप्रतिकारक-शक्ती वाढण्यास मोलाची मदत होते.


रोग कशामुळे होतात ह्याचे उत्तर बरेच लोक काही जंतू कृमी अथवा आहारातल्या कमतरता असे देतील. परंतु आपण हे समजून घेतले पाहिजे की हे जंतू आपल्या शरीरावर हल्ला करू शकतात कारण आपण आतून मजबूत नाही. किंबहुना आपण असे काही अंगभूत कमतरता घेऊन फिरत असण्याची शक्यता आहे ज्या मुळे आपल्याला कुठलेही आजार चटकन होतात. नक्कीच आजच्या युगातला चुकीचा आहार आपल्या शरीराला अजून चुकीच्या मार्गावर नेतो. ह्या सर्व घोटाळ्यामुळे आपण अशा काही आजारांच्या विळख्यात सापडतो.

होमिओपथी मुळे आपण ह्या दुर्धर आजारांपासून पूर्ण सुटका मिळवू शकतो. आपल्याला वाटतं की हे होमिओपथिक डॉक्टर आपल्याला एवढे प्रश्न का बरे विचारत आहेत? पण ह्या प्रश्नातूनच ते आपले खरेखुरे व्यक्तिमत्त्व जाणून घेऊ शकतात. आणि होमिओपथी हे एक व्यक्तिमत्त्व जाणून उपचार देण्याचे शास्त्र आहे. त्यात आपण कधीच आजारासाठी औषध देत नाही. याचा अर्थ असा नाही की आपल्याला होमिओपथी चे औषध सुरु केल्यावर असलेली रोगलक्षणे नाहीशी होणार नाहीत. ती नक्कीच नाहीशी होतील परंतु जर रोग जुनाट असेल तर आपली रोगप्रतिकारक शक्ती वाढवून तो रोग पुन्हा आपल्या वाटेला जाणार नाही याची तरतूद ह्या औषधांमुळे होऊ शकेल. हीच तर होमिओपथी ची सर्वात महत्त्वाची कामगिरी म्हणता येईल.

परंतु केवळ दुर्धर आजारामध्येच होमिओपथी चा उपयोग होतो असे मात्र नाही. कित्येक प्रासंगिक आजारामध्ये, ताप सर्दी खोकला हगवण एलर्जी पाय किंवा हात मुरगळणे यांसारख्या Acute आजारांमध्ये देखील होमिओपथी चा अतिशय फायदा होतो. आपण नुसते त्या आजारापासून मुक्त होत नाही तर ते आजार वरचेवर आपल्याला त्रास देऊ नयेत यासाठीची तरतूदही या औषधांमुळे होते.

या पेक्षा दुसरी गोष्ट म्हणजे कुठल्याही वयोगटासाठी होमिओपथी ची औषधे वरदान ठरतात. वार्धक्यात जेव्हा काही औषधे दिल्यामुळे दुष्परिणामांचा धोका जास्त असतो त्या वयोगटात देखील होमिओपथी अतिशय उपयोगी पडते. अर्भकावस्थेतही आपण याचा सयुक्तिक वापर करू शकतो, ज्या योगे बाळाला पुढील आयुष्यात आरोग्याची खूप मोठी आणि उपयुक्त अशी शिदोरी आपण देऊ शकतो.

परंतु कुठलाही गैरसमज होमिओपथी बद्दल पसरवू नये. आपणास कोणी काहीही माहिती होमिओपथी बद्दल दिली तरी ती योग्य आहे अथवा नाही याची चौकशी होमिओपथी च्या डॉक्टरांकडे करावी म्हणजे आपण आणि आपले कुटुंबीय होमिओपथी च्या अप्रतिम अशा उपयोगापासून अकारण वंचित राहणार नाही!

Top 8 Tips to Stay Healthy during Ramadan!

A Guide to Healthy Fasting during Ramadan

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

Ramadan is a holy month observed by millions of followers of Islam throughout the world. One of the principle parts of Ramadan is following a fast that might be tedious for some. But the fasting during Ramadan is prevalent since long and most of the people love the spiritual concept behind the fasting. No wonder despite suffering from several hurdles along the way, many people fast during the holy month.

However, if we follow certain rules during our fast, we will not only remain healthy but also can enjoy the fasting while performing our religious pursuits and actually the purpose of physical and spiritual cleansing will be served.

Here are some expert tips to have healthy Ramadan-

(1)    Instead of having two heavy meals after sunset and before sunrise, opt for three portioned meals- one after sunset, second 5 hours later before you sleep, and third before sunrise. This spaces your intake well so that the sugar levels are maintained even in diabetics.

(2)    Stay away from habits like smoking at least during this month of fasting, because tobacco with just two heavy meals often plays havoc for the health of the smoker.

(3)    Water intake is one of the most vital things to keep tracking during this month. As the fasting person doesn’t take water in between, often he suffers from problems like acidity, constipation and/or urine infections etc. To avoid this, as soon as the sun sets, first attempt should be made to have plenty of water, lemon water, or coconut water.

(4)    Suhoor meal (early morning meal before sunrise) should never be missed. It is this meal that keeps your metabolism chucking well throughout the day. Only one meal after sunset makes your digestive system extremely weak and also you may suffer from liver imbalances, thus unbalancing your lipid profile.

(5)    It is good to have food with low glycemic index- some cereal, yoghurt, or a fruit etc. This type of eating slowly releases energy and also helps the person keep the hunger pangs at bay. One can also go for other complex carbohydrates like barley, wheat, oats, lentils, whole meal flour, semolina, beans, etc.

(6)    Deep fried food like samosas, pakodas, etc should be avoided as far as possible. Heavily processed fast burning foods like refined sugars, white flour, chocolates, biscuits, cakes, and other sweetmeats should be avoided too.

(7)    Excess tea and coffee usually makes people suffer from dehydration during the month. Tea and coffee are considered as diuretics. When you indulge in them, you tend to lose more water through frequent urination.

(8)    It is good if the person doesn’t sway a lot from the day to day food that he or she is used to otherwise, during this blessed month too. All major food groups should be taken into consideration while preparing the delicacies during the month.

Thus, if we take some precautions during this blessed month of Ramadan, we certainly can enjoy the whole month with health and spirituality exemplified. Rather only if we remain healthy throughout, we can concentrate on our spiritual pursuits and at the end of Ramadan can boast of having cleansed body, mind, and spirit! 

Importance of Constitutional Homeopathic Treatment and its Intricacies

If you ask me what is the best part about practice of homeopathy, I would say, it is the possibility of having a science that works closest to the Nature’s Law. Whenever we find positive results in homeopathy (consistently), we are thrilled by observing how the “Like cures like” worked exactly! It is not a miracle but the nature’s law that never forgets acting alike! When we act according to the nature, the nature has to give us the desired fruit of this action. There is no other way! But we must know that the desired effect in healthcare industry means “Cure”!

We are going through the era of newer and newer drugs, combinations, patents, etc even in homeopathy. Every other day we find some catchy advertisements that boast of its efficacy in treating various nasty diseases. However, do they really work for the betterment of sick people? With all respect to their inventors, are they really according to the law of nature that governs homeopathy? Sadly no!

That does not however mean that these patents and/or combinations do not work. They do in certain individuals to annihilate the problem. Take for example, an acne ointment available in the market or psoriasis tablets that are making rounds! Well, they do contain multiple medicines but perhaps not the one intended in a particular patient. Generalization is never homeopathy. If we generalize, what is the basis of homeopathic prescription in such cases? - Common symptoms of the disease? If yes, that is sadly not homeopathy. Our Master said, “Unless we look for characteristic symptoms of the patient on the physical, mental, and emotional plane, we cannot treat him or her homeopathically”. Individualization is the basis of nature’s law too. What a person sows, he will reap. His sowing will not yield crop to another being.

And “Constitution of the Patient” is the basis for individualization in homeopathy. The constitution does not mean only the physical built up of the patient but it constitutes the totality of the following things -

1. His physical symptoms of the disease
2. His mental problems pertaining to the disease
3. His emotional turmoil that has cropped up as a result of the disease
4. His physical, mental, and emotional built up otherwise (generally)
5. The causative factor/s behind the present disease (physical, mental and/or emotional cause)
6. His bodily built up including his likes, dislikes, etc
7. His past history of illnesses
8. Family history of any serious illnesses, etc.

And everyone should know that in every patient, we need to know each one point from the list in details. When I ask patients to fill up the questionnaire, many people (Ignorant about homeopathy), fill up just cursory details and write “Not-applicable” under most of the columns. But in homeopathy, there is nothing “not-applicable”. Everything pertaining to the patient is applicable for our evaluation of the case. It seems to be a tedious task no doubt. But with practice a good homeopath knows exactly how to reveal history from the patients. And only then he can understand the various aspects of this person, and not just his disease. We as homeopaths need to treat the patient as a whole; that’s what our master intended when he left his practice of modern medicine and entered the realm of homeopathy! Holistic medicine is what homeopathy is and not just disease-oriented science.

In an individual for a certain abnormality to occur, there must be some innate problems that result in these abnormalities. Unless we check those innate problems (miasmatic overload) in every patient, we CANNOT cure him of his chronic malady. Yes, this is particularly true of the chronic problems.

That however does not mean that we should not treat his acute exacerbations of the chronic problem or acute diseases during the course of treatment. We can certainly help him get over the acute crisis with our acute remedies. But while selecting the acute remedies too, we should individualize and never generalize!

That is the depth of homeopathic prescription. If we merely prescribe certain medicine depending upon the external symptoms and signs, without considering the person as a whole, we might mislead the treatment in the long run. The patient might get temporary relief but it is not according to the law of nature but according to the theory of suppression. And then what’s the difference between homeopathy and conventionalism? The difference lies in the holistic approach of homeopathy and the constitutional study gives homeopathy its holistic background to depend upon.

Thus, if one longs for cure from his or her malady, he must look for constitutional homeopathic prescription and not the patents available in the market!

Understand the Spirit of Homeopathy Before Giving Medicine!

Most people that turn to homeopathy for their treatment do not know how this system of medicine works. Rather they have many misconceptions as regards the realm of action of homeopathy. Many people misinterpret it as a science that can be easily learnt at home and applied to the sick at home. Well, it is true that the person who understands the gist of homeopathy in a precise manner can apply it easily. But when I find people often taking lots of homeopathic medicines through the day, I find it strange. Often when we prescribe, we suggest people to take exactly the dosage suggested in the prescription of the given remedy. For no reason without consulting us, they should take another dose of the remedy. It is very strictly maintained, especially in online consultations where we don’t meet the patients on one to one basis.

Homeopathic medicines act best when taken minimally!

This point needs to be stressed by the homeopathic physicians. When some patients ask us why we give so minimum dose of the medicine, it is many times hard to convince them that it is the way homeopathy acts; not only acts but acts better! The potentized dose of any homeopathic medicine is strong enough to stir the vital force latent inside the individual. We should give this dose enough time to act and exhaust its action. Only then we should think of the repetition or changing the remedy as per the requirement.

Also, the remedies react to each other- positively or negatively. The “Relationship of the Remedies” is one of the most important topics of study in homeopathy. Without knowing which remedy follows well and which remedy antidotes or is inimical, we should not take another medicine during the primary course of a remedy. I had prescribed one of my patients Merc sol 200 for obvious reasons and symptom complex including mouth ulcers. He was a novice studying homeopathy on his own and as he developed slight sore throat the next day morning, he took a dose of Hepar sulph 200. The two remedies contradict each other and his sore throat increased while his mouth ulcers aggravated too. He was perplexed. That is when we told him the reason why this happened and having faith in the science, he listened to our suggestion and continued exact therapy suggested afterwards.

But this doesn’t happen always. Some of the times I have lost some of my patients that cannot be convinced of the minimal dose concept. They find it strange and knowing some small things about certain remedies, take the remedies on their own during the course suggested by us.

This type of attitude doesn’t do any good to anyone. Moreover, we form certain tedious symptom-complexes by this haphazard consumption of homeopathic medicines. And that is when the case is unnecessarily complicated. It is often stressed by stalwarts of homeopathy that a messed up case with homeopathic medicines is the hardest case to treat efficaciously. There is absolutely blurred picture after such recurrent doses and the patient cannot be cured of his malady for longer duration. I have particularly observed this in skin and respiratory problems.

To treat homeopathically, a homeopathic physician has to have lot of patience. Wait and Watch is many times the best policy instead of changing the drugs repeatedly and handling the case in childish manner. This does not mean during a chronic case, we cannot institute any acute remedy for acute complaints or acute exacerbation of chronic complaints. But the remedy selected has to be in sync with the earlier administered remedy and should be given after an appropriate gap. Especially after we administer nosodes, we must wait at least for two weeks before we give any other remedy. Nosodes are potent medicines and they need time to act. We must not interfere in their action. If no emergency comes, we should wait even longer before we resort to another remedy. Due to nosode’s intercurrent action, many times the earlier remedy starts acting much better and there remains no need of any new remedy at all.  

All these points are considered when the homeopaths ask you to give gaps between your regimes. Always remember that classical homeopathy advocates no repetition of dose or remedy if the patient has started feeling better. We should wait till the action is over and only then think of the next possible course.

Do not fall to the myth that homeopathic medicines absolutely don’t have any side effects. Yes, it is completely untrue. Of course when given judiciously, the homeopathic medicines act the best without inflicting any ups and downs in the patient’s condition. However, haphazard consumption of homeopathic medicine if doesn’t lead to short term side effects, will certainly lead to some long term problems that can be hard to tackle later on! So, be careful and judicious while applying homeopathy in you or in other people. Comprehending the spirit of homeopathy is must before we act!