Don’t be Depressed! Homeopathy Can Help you Overcome the Blues!

Depression and its Homeopathic Management

Happiness and sadness are the parts of life. Rather one can state clearly that both of these are the states of mind and as we know MIND is the major culprit in all the disorders whether mental or physical. Therefore, the person who governs over his mind views the life as a game and comes out of the depressive spells with ease. However if the person has a brooding tendency with typical burrowing deep into the pit, he never knows when the life has entered the phase of depression.

Today, however, the word depression is used almost by all, who do not know how to handle day to day stress. Stress-related depression has become synonymous with modern day lifestyle. But actual depression is much severe condition where the person sinks into the pits of sadness while losing interest in everything that is related to him. That emptiness and despair do not go away easily. There are some variations of depression as well. Some people reach to the point of indifference, loathe life or may even feel angry, aggressive and abusive.

Signs and symptoms of depression-

·         The person cannot sleep well or sleeps too much through the day

·         The ability to concentrate on the day to day work is gone. The tasks that were performed easily previously now seem elephantine jobs.

·         How much he tries, he cannot control negative emotions; more he tries to do so, more he sinks deep into the pit.

·         Either absolute lack of appetite or he may resort to binge eating; therefore, most depressed people are either anorexic or overweight

·         Increase in the irritability, anxiety and at times aggressiveness

·         Some kind of reckless behavior is apparent in the initial phases

·         The person may consume much more alcohol and/or smoke vigorously

·         Suicidal thoughts and attempts

·         Socially withdrawn attitude – one does not want to mix with the society and wants to keep aloof

·         Sudden drained out feeling is also quite common.

There can be many variations of this depression and one has to have individualized approach to deal with the cases of depression for the very reason.

Age differences are also quite common. Usually the depressive spells seem to start during the teenage years. If careful attention is given at this age, one can ward off this depressive spell from the life of this individual. Rather in homeopathy, we say that if we happen to trace the depressive traits in younger age, we can help PREVENT depression in this child in future. We will see this in details later on.

Depression is commoner in women than in men. Perhaps the various life-changing milestones that a woman goes through can be considered as the possible causes behind this.  

Depression is also observed in many aged people living alone, which are fed up of life. Compassionate surroundings reduce the impact of age-related depression.

Homeopathic Approach to the Patients with Depression—

As stated above, every depressed individual’s needs are different. Each one has unique life and the circumstances that are unique to them in their life. Though genetic predisposition governs many patients with depression, acquired life influences have great role to play in these people. Lack of positive atmosphere at home is one of the most important factors that causes mental and emotional hazard to people.

As we know, homeopathy believes in holistic approach to every case. Therefore, a patient with depression is looked at in a similar manner. Study of Mind is again the basis of prescription. Delving deep into the patient’s mind is an art and a good homeopath can do that through observation and apt questioning. The study of behavior, talking and/or writing style of the patient, his way of emailing, his approach to life, his likes and dislikes, etc prove vital in the constitutional prescribing.

However, herewith I would also like to stress on the point that we usually do not jump to the constitutional prescription upon first interaction with the patient. If we need to sow a seed, first we make sure that the soil is perfect for sowing so that we get a good crop. Similarly, in order to give the rightly chosen constitutional prescription, the patient should be in a position to receive the dose of medicine positively so that it will act favorably. This point is extremely important. Wrong timing of the medicine is the reason why most well chosen constitutional medicines do not act favorably.

Also many patients come to us after some kind of allopathic medication, some anti-depressants or other medicines, which might have hampered their healthy susceptibility to receive the homeopathic constitutional medicine with open arms. Also they might have some kind of acute symptomatology that needs quick attention and quick relief. For example- If a person is so depressed that he wants to attempt suicide and his constitutional remedy is Phosphorus. A high dose of Phosphorus at this juncture perhaps will not be useful. We must cater his acute needs first and try to change his mind set with an appropriate acute remedy, of course along with the psychological counseling. Once the patient is out of that spell, we can think of his or her constitutional make up and choose the remedy accordingly.

Having said that, it also needs to be stressed that there is no alternative to the constitutional study in any such chronic depression case! Only that constitutional dose can hit at the deepest of motives and instincts of man, which can prevent dangers in future.

There are many constitutions in homeopathic materia medica that are prone to depression. These remedies include Natrum mur, Sepia, Arsenicum album, Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Aurum metallicum, Lilium tigrinum, Phosphoric acid, Ignatia, Staphysagria, etc and many more. It is a fascinating journey for a patient of depression to find CURE through homeopathy. A keen observer can actually witness the patient’s changing states in a step-wise manner from depression to normalcy.

A Note on Childhood Homeopathic Treatment—

We have always stressed upon the homeopathic treatment of children. Here you can read the detailed article on it. If we tap the miasmatic overload in childhood, we can prevent later damages in a skillful manner with homeopathy. Especially it is important for we can prevent such mind-related disorders in children if an apt constitutional prescription is given in the childhood. This helps them tap their fullest possible potential without falling prey to the pitfalls on the way. And wonderfully enough, this can lead to a mature and happy society in the future!

Now Homeopathic Medicine Kits are Available at DrShreya.com!

It is our pleasure to announce that due to heavy demand from our patients at drshreya.com, we have started dispensing “Homeopathic Medicine Kits”. Therefore, now people all over the world as well as the patients that are already seeking consultation services at drshreya.com can get Ready-made homeopathic remedy kits couriered to their doorstep.

We have 30 or 50 remedy kits available, which contain most commonly used homeopathic remedies for day to day ailments. However, if you need, we can make available Customized Homeopathic Kits too, tailor-made to suit your requirement.

For more details, please write to contact@drshreya.com.

Yoga Simplified!

With the health-awareness increasing globally, Yoga has become a household word. Many people have opened up their Yoga Fitness Centers and flocks of people are religiously following their routines there. But many people still don’t know what exactly yoga is and why it is to be followed.

To understand this, one has to first know what Yoga is not or what it shouldn’t be. So, let’s see-

(1)  Yoga is not attached to any religion

(2)  Yoga is not just the Yogasanas (the stretching exercises)

(3)  Yoga is not just general exercise (though it provides good one) that one can do any time of the day when free

(4)  Yoga is not a time-stipulated exercise that one can perform in hurry

(5)  Yoga is not just a ritual

Then what it is?

• The shortest possible definition of Yoga is- “It is the way of life!”
• It is something that is connected to your inner peace and subconscious.
• “Yogaschitravrutti Nirodhah” says Patanjali. It is the power to control your indriyas (senses) and gain mastery over your own health.
• The yogic asanas are the postures that give good flexibility to your joints and better massage to your internal organs, thus keeping you fit and fine.
• It is something that connects you with the supreme universal power (You may call it God, Nature, or just Supreme Being)
• Yoga is the state of mind that gives you the ultimate serenity despite being at the height of your consciousness.
• Yoga is the method by which you make yourself aware of your purpose of existence and gain supreme confidence in your righteous ways.
• It is a combination of dhyaan (meditation), yogic postures, breathing techniques, Pranayam, and the righteous modes of living.

Who can perform Yoga?

Certainly the yogic postures can be performed by all who want to earn better flexibility. But if they want to attain higher possibilities as mentioned above with Yoga, they should follow the below-mentioned things-

(1)  Be yourself

(2)  Be on the right path

(3)  Do not earn bad money

(4)  Always help others

(5)  Believe in the Supreme Being

(6)  Do not think bad about others

(7)  Shed that ego ( with practice, we can)

The above mentioned points may sound little weird to a person who has recently joined the Yoga Class. But the real expert gurus in Yoga say that these things will help you attain the highest benefits from Yoga. And certainly we do want that, isn’t it?

Know About First Aid Homeopathic Kit!

For any queries, please write to- contact@drshreya.com

First aid homeopathic kits are available at many homeopathic pharmacies across the globe including at our pharmacy outlet at drshreya.com. However, it is important to know if the remedies that the kit contains are actually beneficial. You must have come across certain kits that have remedies in a single potency. There are kits that contain mostly rare remedies. Such kits may not be of much use if you want to prescribe for the day to day ailments to your near and dear ones. That is why an apt knowledge of the basic requirements for the first aid is important. Also use varied potencies most widely used of that particular remedy for different health problems.

Therefore, it is wiser to seek professional homeopathic help to design your basic homeopathic kit. Especially if you have a homeopathic doctor treating you or your family members, he or she can judge very well which homeopathic medicines you will need primarily at your home. Thus a family homeopathic physician can do this job well.

Secondly, make sure you learn the art of medicating the globules properly if you intend to purchase the liquids or the dilutions. You can also go for readymade medicated globules of different remedies. Also it is wiser to go for polychrest remedies in homeopathy when you buy a kit instead of going for smaller medicines with fewer symptoms, unless you need a specific remedy. As we always say, the basic remedies proved by Hahnemann help a great deal while treating many acute as well as chronic health problems and when you buy a kit, obviously you are intending to treat acute maladies; so broader the remedies, better!

Top 25 Homeopathic Remedies That Must be Included in the Kit —

Here I must say that choosing the right potency for a particular condition is an art and depends upon a variety of factors. However, for the sake of ease, here I have mentioned the most chosen potencies of the respective medicines for different acute conditions.

1.   Aconite 200C

2.   Belladona 200C/30C

3.   Hepar sulph 200C

4.   Pulsatilla 200C

5.   Bryonia 200C

6.   Colocynth 200C

7.   Gelsemium 30C/200C

8.   Rhus tox 200C

9.   Nux vomica 200C

10.                Ruta 200C

11.                Arnica Montana 200C/1M

12.                Arsenicum album 30C

13.                Apis mellifica 30C

14.                Cantharis 30C

15.                Hypericum 200C

16.                Dulcamara 30C

17.                Ipecac 30C

18.                Chamomilla 200C

19.                Silicea 200C

20.                Mag phos 200C/1M

21.                Carbo veg 30C

22.                Sepia 200C

23.                Natrum mur 200C

24.                Euphrasia 30C

25.                Bellis perennis 200C

  

Now you can study / read the symptomatology of these important homeopathic remedies, ask an expert and have the right remedy at the bed-side at the right time.  Apart from these remedies, you can insist for the other required remedies to make your customized homeopathic kit. After all, having the needed medicines at the right time saves lot of time and makes you feel safer at the same time! 

Eye Exercises that Help Improve Your Vision!

We have seen in our earlier blogs that homeopathy is the suitable mode of therapy for a variety of eye troubles. You can see the detailed article here. However, along with the homeopathic regime, in many of our patients, we suggest different eye exercises that help them improve their vision while minimizing the trouble.

Please make sure to consult us or your doctor before you start with these exercises, especially if you have some eye problem; for others who want to improve their vision, these exercises are quite safe to do regularly. Most importantly, many of these exercises prevent future eye troubles, if coupled with appropriate diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Especially today when lot of people suffer from eye strain due to long hours on the computers, these eye exercises help them retain the normal eye power while diminishing the effect of that strain. Blurred vision, photophobia, headaches, excessive blinking, squinting of eyes due to muscular weakness etc are also helped by these exercises. One should also know that prescribing these exercises from childhood is very important in order to have a secured vision in future and also to avoid hoards of eye problems today’s kids are suffering from.

Benefits of eye exercises-

The regular eye exercises-

1.   Strengthen the eye muscles

2.   Improve focusing

3.   Improve eye movements

4.   Eases the stress

5.   Improves control over your eye muscles

6.   Stimulates the vision center in the brain, which in turn improves short-distance as well as long-distance vision.

Some Important Eye Exercises-

1. Sit comfortably on the ground or a chair. Using cups of your both palms close your eyes without inflicting pressure on to the eyeballs for some time. Now open your eyes inside your palms and blink repeatedly, while holding your palms in the same position. Now remove the palms and again blink several times. Again put your palms on the eyes and do the same blinking exercises. Repeat this cycle 4-5 times. At the end, again place the palms on the eyes and let the eyes relax behind the closed eyelids.

2. While inhaling and exhaling consciously and deeply, rotate your eyes in all the directions 4-5 times.

3. Sit straight and try to look with both the eyes at the center of your eyebrows. Hold for a few seconds and again bring them back to original position. Repeat for 3-4 times.

4. Now focus on your tip of the nose with both the eyes. Again get them back to normal position. Repeat 3-4 times.

5. Close your eyes. Now squeeze the eyes tightly shut. Again open them and relax. Repeat this squeezing and relaxing technique 4-5 times.

6. Close your eyes. Gently touch your eyelids and massage your eyes with circular movements. Press lightly. Don’t try to press too hard. Make 10 circular movements, first clockwise then counterclockwise.

7. Trataka- This is one of the very useful yogic technique that we suggest to many of our patients at drshreya.com with various eye complaints. This exercise not only helps cleanse the eyes but also helps improve concentration and focusing. Sit straight. Now focus on any small object at a distance of about 2 feet without blinking (Many people suggest to look at a candle or a lamp, which is fine too). Keep the gaze steady till your eyes begin to water. Now close your eyes and try to visualize that object mentally. You may put the palms of your hands on both the eyes too.

8. A variation of Trataka is also suggested as follows- Sit straight. Now bring your right arm in straight line of your shoulders in front of you and extend the thumb in thumbs-up position. Now slowly move your arm in a straight line away from center towards the right side. While doing this, do not move your neck but follow the thumb with your eyes rotating along with it. Now, again get the thumb back to the original position while rolling the eyes in with it. Repeat the entire exercise using left arm and thumb too.

Treat Dermatitis with Homeopathy:

We are all living a life full of stress. Even the people in towns are not free from stress. There are many diseases that occur due to imbalance of body, mind, and psyche. Skin ailments are no exception. Adding to our woes, there are many other trigger factors that aggravate the skin conditions like dermatitis. 

You might have seen people who keep on scratching the skin and there might be mild to moderate rash. There is no need to jump to conclusion that they might be suffering from some contagious form of skin infection like scabies. It might be just allergic dermatitis that they have caught as a result of exposure to some substance that they are allergic to.

How to find what are we allergic to?

It is really a difficult question. We handle so many things daily and we also go through so many fumes and perfumes daily that it is difficult to identify the exact cause of allergy. However, it is also true that you should try to find the recent changes in your diet, clothing etc. Many times experts have found that allergic reaction occurs to relatively harmless item like a new piece of shoe or change in cooking oil. Indian women may even get allergy to kumkum that they sport on their foreheads (termed as kumkum dermatitis). Any types of dermatitis may be aggravated by winters, sun exposure, scratching the patch frequently or simply by washing the part with water. 

Symptoms of dermatitis:

Usually the dermatitis patch itches a lot. There might be redness and little swelling of the affected area. The surrounding skin looks patchy and inflamed too. It might be whitish or pinkish in color. It becomes a constant source of irritation for people and triggers restlessness. 

How homeopathy helps?

There are homeopathic remedies for every type of dermatitis. The remedy however differs from person to person. The selection of the remedy is done on the basis of symptoms of the patient, the probable causative factors of dermatitis, his or her emotional and mental disposition, the aggravating and ameliorating factors of dermatitis, and presence of any concomitant symptoms. Homeopathy thus treats the dermatitis from inside out. Even for nasty dermatitis like kumkum dermatitis, the homeopathic remedies provide absolute cure. 

The best part of homeopathic medicines is that in most of the cases of allergic dermatitis, after the patient is cured of allergy, he or she can continue using the substance that was causing allergy after successful treatment. The homeopathic remedies build a kind of immunity against such allergies and make us stronger! 

Sensitive Skin Care: for those yearning for supple skin!

For more info, visit http://www.drshreya.com 

How to achieve perfectly balanced and acne free sensitive skin?

The skin experts say that actually the sensitive skins are the most beautiful skins, or they can be made one. But caring for such skins is definitely not easy unless you know some special and expert tips. With the hoards of products creating a nonsense burden on skin, one has to look for no-nonsense and trustworthy source to help one’s skin achieve that perfect bliss despite being sensitive. Rather, it should be an attempt to make sensitive skin your plus! It is definitely possible with expert sensitive skin care and modifying your skincare habits according to it. Also choosing the skincare products as per the requirement of skin and avoiding the harsh treatments make your skin most wonderful and confident!

What are the products to be avoided while dealing with sensitive skin?

As said, the sensitive skin care is not easy. But it is difficult only for those who do not know what to opt for and what not to. Therefore it is always advised by skincare experts that more than knowing what’s right for you, you should first know what’s not right for you. This saves you from many problems later. Studying the safe cosmetics guide can help you learn some hard facts about so-called popular skincare products.

It is recommended that one should avoid those skincare products those do not mention the list of ingredients clearly. You must know what you are using and what your products contain. Try to see carefully for harmful ingredients like parabens, propylene glycol, petroleum byproducts, formaldehyde, aluminum, triclosan, mineral oil, and artificial colors, etc. Also sheer clear of products with fragrance!

Not many people know that fragrance that we all love so much is our enemy when it comes to skincare. Almost all fragranced skincare products are allergic to our skin and are neurotoxic. Also petroleum and mineral oil products are said to trigger cancer development and are also linked with various allergies. Basically remember that sensitive skins almost always flair up acne or rosacea when oil or petroleum products are used. No wonder the sensitive skin care experts suggest water based products for your skin. Well, one should also remember that we should not opt for so called natural and herbal skin products without duly checking the ingredients because many of these products contain substances that are harmful for sensitive skin.

Do you know that even Aloe Vera can cause severe allergy and itching in some of the people with sensitive skin?

Top 5 things you must know about sensitive skin care:

After comprehending your irritable and sensitive skin, you really get vehement and keep cursing your fate. But that’s certainly not done! You must act and act fast enough to counteract your heightened sensitivity of skin. What can be done? Here are 5 tips to follow for your sensitive skin care:

(1)  Firstly understand that each skin is different and so you should seek individualized treatment for your ailing skin. Do not go by “all are opting” norm and it will never work. Therefore well-sketched individual treatment regimes for sensitive skin care should be opted for from experts who know your skin type and underlying pathology that is causing you trouble.

(2)  Try to formulate exact problem. Figure out if underlying skin disorder like eczema, hives, rosacea, or allergic dermatitis is the reason behind your troubled skin. Also age, race, and gender can affect the skin though at least moderate modifications can definitely be achieved in almost all cases.

(3)  Applying any cream or ointment to your skin is as good as eating it. Your entire body is absorbing it and your entire body is going to be affected positively or negatively by it. Therefore, whenever you choose any product for your sensitive skin, see if you can eat it too. It’s not an exaggeration and especially sensitive skins need the purity and mildness in the products applied on it. Not even all eatables act mildly on your skin and that’s why there is need of expert intervention!

(4)  Doing spot test can be a wonderful tool you have to avoid allergic reactions from any skincare product. It is always advisable to apply few dabs behind the ear or on the radial aspect of wrist to comprehend the allergic reaction after around 8 to 10 hours. Remember to do the test even for the mildest looking creams.

(5)  Last but not the least; your diet plays a crucial role in the sensitivity of your skin to external allergens. Do not underestimate value of good nutritious diet and make it a part of your sensitive skin care!

Do you know that lactic acid in yoghurt is an awesome skin exfoliant for sensitive skin?

Homeopathy helps!

It is extremely important to know that mild homeopathic treatment works wonders for all sensitive skin problems. Once the innate instability is traced by the homeopath, he can lead you on the path of hassle-free skin for sure! 

A Small Diabetic Cooking Guide

It is well said that when someone from your family develops diabetes, the meal plan for whole family should change accordingly, only to have better health benefits for all. When you cut down the use of sugars, fats, and sodium in cooking, you automatically prepare healthier meals for everyone and many diseases are prevented in this manner.

Let’s see some top 10 recommended tips for healthier cooking for diabetics:

(1) It is better to substitute simple carbohydrates like fructose and sucrose by complex carbohydrates in vegetables and whole grains. Remember that each serving should not contain more than 15 grams of carbohydrates.

(2)  Using different food-combinations including vegetables, fruits, sprouts, whole-grains etc in a single meal helps you derive all the necessary nutrients.

(3)  Simple changes in cooking like use of egg white instead of whole egg and avoiding garlic salt and using mere garlic powder can make a big difference in total carbohydrate, sodium, and fat intake.

(4)  Cut the fat content to ½ in your recipes. Avoid fried veggies and beans etc. go for newer recipes that recommend roasting, grilling, boiling, and/or baking. Trimming the meat is important. Also remove the poultry skins and fat properly. Use of olive oil that contains far less saturated fats and more of omega 3 fatty acids is recommended by experts for better cardiac health, though it should also be used in moderation. Seasoning of vegetables should be done in fat free and low-sodium broth is recommended. Switch over to liquid margarine to make your food low-fat.

(5)  To reduce salt intake, use low-sodium salt in moderation. Go for lemon juice or spices instead of salt while sprinkling on veggies and other foods.

(6)  Simple steps like cooking vegetables in non-stick pan also help reduce use of oil in cooking.

(7)  Reduce the food dressing to half and use non-fat yoghurt, non-fat salad, or mayonnaise.

(8)  Remember over-cooking will take away the essential nutrients from your meal. So avoid it to preserve nutrient value that is must for an overall balanced diet for a diabetic (and even for a normal person).

(9)  Preservatives in food almost always make it less-healthier to eat. Read the labels on packets that you buy from food markets and stick to preservative-free low-carbohydrate, low-salt, and low-fat food and drinks.

(10)               Measuring the portions you eat can be a great tool to keep excess weight at bay. Also break your day-time meals into 5-6 smaller sizes so that digestion is better and you will not ingest more calories at a time.

  

Some Health Gems for You! Don’t miss! :-)

• We must have our keyboard placed at a lower level than the level of the table, so that undue pressure on our shoulders can be avoided and pain prevented eventually. Rotating-shoulder-exercise helps too!

• People who breathed in coconut fragrance in a small pilot study at Columbia University saw their blood pressure recover more quickly after a challenging task. The researchers speculate that inhaling a pleasant scent enhances alertness while soothing our response to stress.

• It just slows down your metabolism if you skip one of your meals, especially breakfast. It can never put you in trimmer frame if your metabolism slows down. Instead it accumulates more fat in the problem areas and you tend to look bulky. Eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day with adequate hydration is the trick to actually lose FAT, as such a meal-pattern accelerates your body's metabolism and helps it perform optimally without causing fatigue!

• People whose diets are rich in potassium may be less prone to high blood pressure. Besides reducing sodium and taking other heart-healthy steps, eat potassium-packed picks such as bananas, cantaloupe, and oranges.

• TULSI leaves have many health benefits! Research suggests that this Ayurvedic herb, also called holy basil, may help manage levels of the stress hormone cortisol, helping to boost your mood. 

• Is your energy lagging? Though it may be the last thing you feel like doing when you're tired, exercise -- even a brisk walk -- can be more effective than a nap or cup of coffee at fighting fatigue.

• It is found that even mild dehydration can enhance stress levels and optimal water intake can help one remain jovial!

• A study states that people who wrote down three good things that happened to them each day for 6 months reported to have much improved outlook on life! 

• Studies over 30 years at the University of Illinois state that - "The highest levels of happiness are found with the most stable, longest and the most contented relationships"

• Hot, spicy foods containing chillies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful, almost narcotic, effect and make you feel good after exercising. 

Nullifying the Top 3 Myths about Homeopathy:

Various alternative systems of medicine have gained great importance in last few decades. Among them, homeopathy is one of the health-sciences that was surrounded by so many controversies but kept emerging victorious, thanks to its eternal principles and scientifically proved medicines. No wonder Master Samuel Hahnemann (Founder of Homeopathy) leaving his roaring practice of modern medicine, dedicated his life for Homeopathy.

Then why many people are still skeptical to use homeopathy in their healing practice? Lack of apt knowledge and intellectually acquired ability to interpret the facts may be some of the reasons. Here is an attempt to nullify some of the myths that surround this beautiful and efficacious science. Let’s see-

(1) Homeopathic medicines are slow to act-

I think this is one of the most fatal myths that prevent people from approaching this wonderful science. The homeopathic medicines are selected not just on the basis of diagnosis of a particular case but on the basis of characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. Moreover, it is an individualistic science where exact match between drug symptoms and disease symptoms need to be done in order to impart cure. So failure to match the symptoms of the patient with that of the medicine leads to partial similarity or no-similarity. It obviously leads to slow-effect or no-effect. Here one must understand that these failures are due to homeopaths and not homeopathy! When the expert homeopath after carefully evaluating the patient, applies the law of similars, relief of the symptoms takes place even within minutes. 

(2) Homeopaths do not divulge the name of medicine they are giving-

Well, homeopaths certainly do not want to claim that they are doing miracles and their secret medicine will impart relief. If the patient is educated and can understand the depth of homeopathic medicines well, homeopaths really do not have problems with telling the names of medicine they are giving. But homeopathy is not like modern medicine. It is an individual science that caters problems of people individually. If two people are suffering from common cold, the remedy for these two may not be the same. If in case the doctor tells the remedy name and the patient in utter ignorance about homeopathic principles, gives the same medicine to his friend or family member for similar-looking symptoms, it may lead to bad effects or no effects at all. Even in the same patient the set of symptoms may differ every time he catches similar illness. So, the medicines may change. That’s why many homeopaths prefer to dispense medicines on their own and do not prescribe. There is nothing more to it at all!

(3) Upon starting homeopathic treatment, the patient gets terrible aggravation of his symptoms, be it skin related or otherwise-

Basically homeopathic medicines are given on the basis of symptom similarity as we said. Therefore, in the initial period, slight aggravation of existing symptoms is a good sign, which indicates that the medicine selected is right. But this temporary rise in symptoms never prolongs and after this brief period, patient starts feeling better almost immediately. In many patients, such initial rise of symptoms is also not found and the patient feels better right from the first dose. If there is extreme aggravation of any kind, it indicates wrong remedy selection and the doctor has to verify his history taking and re-evaluate his case. 

Arthritis treatment with miraculous homeopathy!

When it comes to any type of pain, it is really hard to bear. One can bear anything and live life happily but when it is pain, al happiness seems to go haywire and person perceives only misery through any experience. That is why when patients come to us with the severe joint pains (arthritis), we often tend to cater them as a priority. Rather, arthritis is one of the faculties I can say that busts a myth about homeopathy, that homeopathy does not act fast enough to relieve the pain of arthritis. Rather, when aptly applied the principle of homeopathy, remedy found relieves arthritic pain more rapidly than even the best of analgesic.

Whether it is rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, homeopathic treatment as with any other disease revolves around the signs, symptoms, and constitution of the patient. Miasmatic background must be understood by the homeopathic doctors before they prescribe to such patients.

What homeopaths need to know about arthritis of the patient?

The patient’s history is of paramount importance when it comes to arthritis. The patients must describe-

(1)  Since when the pain has started

(2)  What is the nature of pain (throbbing, dull, aching, excruciating etc)

(3)  Does anything aggravate the pain?

(4)  Does anything ameliorate (lessen) the pain?

(5)  In what position does the patient feel comfortable?

(6)  Is there anything characteristic about the pain?

(7)  Are there any concomitant symptoms along with arthritis?

The above mentioned points are just about the arthritis. But to understand the totality of symptoms, doctor must ask the patient about his mental symptoms or behavioral tendencies, his emotional vulnerability, his psychological and intellectual built up, other physical symptoms, and all the things you feel you need to understand the patient fully.

It may seem the tedious job initially but after one gets accustomed to the art of case-taking, one can easily navigate through these questions and perceive what is important to us. Homeopathic treatment revolves around these questions and answers to be frank. And that’s why homeopathy is a life-long learning process. With every new case, we tend to comprehend some special features of our vast material medica that we use for treating the sick. Surely it’s an amazing experience to match the disease symptoms with drug symptoms or do self-proving in order to completely understand what is described in material medica.

Arthritis is one of the problems that revolve around all three miasms, psora, syphilis, and sycosis. But with good history taking skills, and differentiating ability, one can find perfect simillimum in order to attain perfect cure. Certainly with homeopathic remedies, arthritis patients can find pain relief, reversal of bone pathology, halting the progress of disease, and consistently improve the condition with an overall well-being. 

Treat Asthma with Homeopathy!

Homeopathy is developing into a mainstream mode of therapy, thanks to its potent drugs and medicines acting deeply upon individual to bring positive results for wide variety of ailments. Asthma is one of major domains of homeopathic prescribing. When a homeopath gets a patient of asthma, his or her major aim mostly is to wean the patient off the drugs that he is on to avoid long term side effects. Yes, it is a known fact among conventionalists too that certain conventional asthma medications like steroid inhalers put the patient at great risk of developing some long term complications.

Homeopathy is mild yet potent!

However, homeopathy is quite the milder form of therapy that can put the patient at ease and avoid the future asthma attacks by giving him preventive medicines to avoid recurrences too. It is a terrible site if you have seen an asthma patient whining with restlessness and breathlessness. The cough is unbearable and his anxiety is horrific. One wonders if homeopathic medicines are capable of giving the patient lasting relief as well as acute relief.

But the answer to this question is a big yes! Even in acute attacks of asthma, when correctly chosen, homeopathic medicines can impart immediate relief for the sufferer. Exact matching of symptoms of the patient and that of the drugs is what’s needed. The homeopath that succeeds doing this matching correctly, along with correlating the clinical vital parameters, is able to treat asthma well.

Checking the vital parameters of asthma patient is must!

It is absolutely must during acute attacks that the doctor keeps track of vital parameters of the patient including heart rate and respiratory rate. That’s why it is stressed that to treat asthma only an expert homeopath that is trained clinically too is required. It is surely advised to patients to avoid going to self-made homeopaths who vow curing many such cases. The problem is that they are not well-versed clinically. And if they say, clinical knowledge is not needed to treat with homeopathy, they are lying. Homeopathy is also a science that revolves around vital force of the patient. And the measurement of vital force of the patient during acute illnesses or even chronic ones can be judged with the help of certain clinical examinations and investigations. Therefore, if the doctor needs to treat efficiently, he must be aware of the loopholes of any asthma case that may develop into sudden complications.

No alternative to constitutional homeopathy!

However, a homeopath who is able to judge these things correctly and match the drug symptoms with disease symptoms should manage any asthma case well. One more thing to be noted here is that there is no alternative to constitutional prescribing when it comes to homeopathy. When a homeopathic medicine is zeroed on considering the physical and mental characteristic symptoms, one usually cannot go wrong in treating asthma.

One also needs to tell auxiliary treatment to the patients suffering from asthma. As we always say, the complete asthma regime involves apt prescription, auxiliary treatment options, preventive line of therapy, and counseling if required any. Surely this puts the patient on the way of permanent cure from the nasty asthma! What more do we desire?

An Infertility Case Due to Endometriosis-

A female aged 32 had approached with primary infertility. She had never conceived, after getting married 8 years back. The problem quoted by fertility specialists was endometriosis. Husband’s semen reports were all normal with normal sperm count and sperm motility.

After her case history was taken, following points we found were important-

-      menarche at 13 years of age

-      menses quite normal since beginning, had a cycle of 27-28 days, with normal yet blackish flow

-      there were symptoms of PMS like irritability aggravated prior to menses and mild breast tenderness

-      after marriage, after about 3-6 months, started developing pain in abdomen during menses that was lacking earlier

-      backache during menses

-      maternal aunt has history of infertility

-      after undergoing different hormonal treatments for dysmenorrheal, she had put on weight (according to her) that was hard to shed now

-      all complaints including her mental anguish were aggravated even by slightest exertion

-      Said she just cannot stand in front of cooking oven for long. It adds to irritation and she just cannot bear the heat

-      has irregular eating habits, tries a lot to avoid fatty stuff, even does so in case of ghee, butter etc but despite trying hard, just cannot leave potato

-      in generally better in cold weather, cannot stand heat

-      rough hands

-      small red pimply eruptions on face

The remedy prescribed after the first interview was Natrum carb.

After a month, she reported to have reduced pain during menses and backache almost gone.

Slowly but surely she was improving on all other planes after this and she was prescribed acute remedies like Kali phos, Ipecac, Causticum, etc during the course, not to repeat too often.

The dose of Natrum carb was slowly increased through LM potency.

Timely ultrasonography was performed to reveal the status of uterine wall and also endometriosis. It took time but slowly the extensive endometriosis reduced and one day she gave the good news that her pregnancy test came positive!

With the aptly selected homeopathic medicines like Arnica, Cimicifuga, Caulophyllum, as and when required during the pregnancy, she carried till the term and delivered a baby girl normally! 

Homeopathic Principles- Need of the Hour!

Today when the whole world is fighting against the oppressive impact of intractable diseases, there are some people truly relishing the fruit of natural medicine like homeopathy. These are the people who firmly believe in the homeopathic principles. Some people believe in the therapeutic action of homeopathic medicines and some people just cannot live without homeopathy.

Well, the fact is that the principle that governs this wonderful art and science of medicine is true through the changing years of world medicine. Though there have been changes in the perception of various sects of medicine through these years, homeopathic principle remains the same for which the homeopaths will continue to advocate!

As one can judge, there has been tremendous increase in the fan following of such natural medicine nowadays. The reason behind is simple. People now are aware of the nasty effects of strong medication that might remain in the form of dormant disorder itself in their bodies. They don’t want to carry the remnants of their past maladies with them for the rest of their life. Instead they are interested in improving their natural immunity with the medicine that boosts their confidence multifold in homeopathy.

No wonder various people advocating homeopathy always believed in this wonderful science and made it a point to nurture its positive benefits over the years. The basic principle is derived from the nature and as the nature doesn’t change its charm for anything, so do these medicinal actions. The principle of “like cures like” is known since centuries. Dr Samuel Hahnemann just re-discovered it and converted it into a marvelous healing art.

Hahnemannian classical homeopathy revolves around tapping the innermost detail of an individual that is sick. It never treats just the disease but the person who has it. This holistic approach is what makes Hahnemannian homeopathy need of the hour. We always see that despite all the tests being negative, many people keep suffering from symptoms that are quite indescribable. For example, a person with typhoid test negative continues to suffer from febrile paroxysms and feels extremely weak. The modern medicine will prescribe just an anti-pyretic and some food supplements to get through this. But many times this doesn’t help too and the person continues to suffer. But a homeopathic physician will give importance to the characteristic physical and mental symptoms of this person and prescribe accordingly. No doubt he will feel better subjectively, only to be relieved of physical symptoms concurrently.

Thus, propagation of homeopathy will make us stronger as a human race. We can face adversities, seek pleasure in natural immunity, and fight diseases ourselves without the need of strong medication. Don’t you want it? 

Vital Force- What Is It and How Is It The Significant Aspect of Homeopathic Prescribing?

The simplest definition of vital force can be “Life Force”! Vital force is what constitutes you and me. Above the material existence, every human being is capable of higher functions untraceable by existing scientific parameters. Vital force is the entity that makes it happen. It is THE difference between living and dead animals. It is the combination of physical, mental, and spiritual existence of living beings.

Dr Hahnemann the founder of Homeopathy introduced the world this Vital Principle (as termed in the 6^th edition of Organon of Medicine). It is the unintelligible, dynamic, spiritual, and instinctive force that animates the material body.

In the 9^th aphorism of Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann says, “In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operations, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.”

Thus, to maintain the harmony of life, we must have healthy vital force. It enables the reason-gifted mind to perceive all the things clearly and utilize them for better purposes. Vital force has the innate ability to resist the disease and preserve health. All our bodily functions are controlled by vital force.

In the healthy states, there is perfect balance between body, mind, and spirit; that’s the reason vital force enjoys harmonious state. Or we can say vital force is healthy and so the body enjoys the perfect harmony. It is this force that prevents dangerous diseases when in health.

However, when this vital force is affected by external and/or internal factors producing disease state, it gets deranged. In acute maladies, when the morbid agents are not violent, vital force can overcome them by its sheer resistance and no outside help (in the form of medicine) is needed. However, when the attack by external agents is severe, vital force needs assistance from agents that can re-establish the harmony of vital force by acting according to the nature’s principle “Like cures like”. This stimulates the vital force and helps him get rid of the morbific agents on its own.

In chronic diseases, many times, the morbific agent lies inside the body deep within the built up of a man or woman. According to homeopathic principles, one of the miasms dominate, the four major being Psora, syphilis Sycosis, and tubercular. Often they lie in overlapping format and one of them dominates in one particular instance. Recognizing them is one of the crucial aspects before a homeopathic physician brings back the equilibrium in the vital force. Only after comprehending the dominant miasm and treating the individual as per it enables the physician to stimulate the dormant vital force and employ its enhanced energy to repel the disease process rooted deep within.

Here it is important that “Vital Force” is not merely a concept in homeopathy but it is the soul of homeopathic prescribing when each and every aspect of the individual is considered with an absolutely individualistic attitude and given apt consideration while stimulating this force with aptly chosen homeopathic remedies.