Homoeopathic system of medicine
by Dr Deepak Sharma 

Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Tina Turner, The Royal Family of Great Britain, Tony Blair, John D.Rockfeller and many other great personalities have one thing in common, they all have been strong supporters of Homoeopathy. There is one simple, single reason that these and other respected individuals the world over have supported Homoeopathy: It Works.
During the last few decades the number of people using Homoeopathy has increased enormously. Nonetheless, there are still many misunderstandings about this system and its principles.

What is Homoeopathy?

Homoeopathy is a therapeutic system of medicine which clinically applies the nature's Law of Cure, namely "Like Cures Likes" and uses medically active substances in infinitesimal doses. Although this Law of Similars was previously observed and described by Hippocrates and Paracelsus in the 5th century B.C. and was utilized by many cultures, including the Mayans, Chinese, Greeks, and Indians it was an 18th century German Doctor, Dr Samuel Hahnemann, who codified the Law of Similars into a systematic medical science.
Homoeopathy is a natural pharmaceutical science that uses various plants and minerals in very small doses to stimulate a sick person's natural defenses. It consists of giving the patient, in weak or infinitesimal doses the substance, which if administered to a healthy subject, would cause symptoms similar to the patient's own pathological symptoms. 
The "Law of Similars", the basic principle of Homoeopathy, is even used in some conventional medical therapies, such as immunization and allergy treatments. These treatments are however not Homoeopathic since homoeopathic medicines are more individually prescribed and given in smaller, dynamic doses to treat as well as to prevent diseases. 

Homoeopathy: The Holistic Medicine

In treating an illness a Homoeopath takes into account the physical as well as the emotional symptoms of the patient. The concept of disease in Homoeopathy is that disease is a total affection of mind and body, the disturbance of the whole organism. Homoeopathy treats the patient as a whole. For example, in other systems of medicine, several people suffering from, say common cold or say urticaria will receive the same treatment, even though they may not have exactly the same symptoms: one person's cold may be worse in a warm room and the other's in open air. One may complain of urticaria in winters the other's may be getting better in winters and worse in summer or spring. One may be irritable, the other tearful and yet another finds it difficult to concentrate during an illness.
In Homoeopathy, the remedy for a sick person is chosen to match his symptoms as closely as possible. Each patient is treated individually and receives a medicine that treats all his symptoms and thus a cure is effected in a gentle and harmless way, whatever the diagnostic name given to the disease.

Homoeopathy: Magic of the Minimum Dose

Homoeopathy has a unique approach of the method of preparation of the drugs in which the end result will contain only the 'dynamic curative power ' of the drug substance, devoid of any original crude substance. By a special mode of preparation, called 'potentization', medicines are prepared from sources such as vegetables, minerals, animals and chemicals. Hence the medicines with this ultra minute doses are nontoxic absolutely harmless and curative in the safest and surest way.
Homoeopathic therapeutics works in the same way as the organism's reaction. It stimulates these reactions in order to make them more effective. It works with them. This is the reason why only infinitesimal doses are required.

Homoeopathy: What can it treat?

Although Homoeopathy works very quickly in common, everyday complaints, it is not the treatment of choice for those looking for an instant cure especially in chronic diseases. It requires a careful self-observation and will power to stick to a plan of action. The reward is a greater sense of well being, energy and resistance to disease. Any illness with a reversible pathology can be treated successfully with homoeopathy.

1. Ideal for Children and Infants: Most of the children's ailments like Cold, Cough, Tonsillitis, Bronchitis, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Dentition problems, temperament and behavior problems seen in children like irritability, tantrums, obstinacy, fears, destructiveness, etc., can be very effectively treated without producing any side effects whatsoever. This medicine does not hamper the digestion, nor cause any allergy. They do not cause any side effect even if taken over a long period. Being sweet in taste homoeopathic medicines are easily accepted by the children. 

2. As a substitute to antibiotics: especially in cases resistant to the action of antibiotics due to repeated use. We see numerous such cases in clinical practice. Homoeopathic medicines act well in many infectious diseases producing no toxic effects and bringing about a rapid recovery.
Homoeopathy has definite treatment for most of infectious diseases like: Sinusitis, Tonsillitis, Bronchitis, Acute and Chronic Ottitis Media Gastroenteritis, Urinary tract infections etc.

3.Viral infections: Homoeopathy is the best answer for the treatment of many Viral infections as Common Colds, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Herpes etc., where other systems have not much to offer without undue side effects.

4. Allergic Disorders: The modern time has seen an enormous increase in allergic disorders. At least 35 to 50 percent of all cases brought for consultation to my clinic are having allergies to different substances manifesting in some or the other forms. Homoeopathy offers very effective treatment in most of the allergic diseases like Urticaria, Atopic Eczema, Contact Dermatitis, recurrent Allergic Rhinitis as well as gives unbelievably miraculous results in Asthmatic Bronchitis.

5. Psychosomatic Illness: Homoeopathy has long recognized the psychological origin of somatic (of body) symptoms. It always examines patient's mental makeup in all cases and remedies are given acting on the level of mind and body together, thus eradicating the disease. Perhaps there is no other system of medicine which has such a complete and holistic approach of dealing with mind-body disorders with definite therapeutic agents. Few Psychosomatic disorders, which can be successfully treated with Homoeopathy are-Migraine, Asthma, Peptic acid disease, Ulcerative colitis etc. Homoeopathic remedies are capable of influencing the state of mind and can specifically act to alleviate emotional disturbances such as excessive anxiety, anger, irritability, insecurity, obsessions, undue jealousy, fears, depression, suspicion etc.
By relieving such altered emotions Homoeopathy brings about a harmonious state of health.

Frequently asked Questions about Homoeopathy:

1. Is Homoeopathy Safe?

The small doses used in Homoeopathic medicines make them extremely safe. It is important to know how to prescribe the medicines, which is on the totality of symptoms presented by the patient, mentioned by his relatives and attendants and the observations made by the physician at the time of consultation.

2. Can a person using Homoeopathic medicine also use conventional drugs at the same time?

Homoeopathic medicines can be taken together with other medicines. Although Homoeopathic system is a complete system of medicine and the medicines work fast and well enough that the person does not need to take conventional drugs, Homoeopathy can work as a complementary medicine with any other.

3. Where is Homoeopathy most popular?

Homoeopathy is particularly popular in England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Pakistan, Brazil Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, USSR and the USA. It is slowly gaining its due popularity in almost all the countries of the world.
According to a survey, approximately 40% of the French public has used Homoeopathic medicine, and 39% of French physicians have prescribed the medicines.
Another survey by British Medical journal (June 7th 1986) shows that 42% of British physicians surveyed refer patients for Homoeopathic consultation.
Market research shows that the sale of Homoeopathic medicines in the USA has grown at a rate of 25-50% per year during the last 10 years.
Despite these impressive statistics Homoeopathy is particularly popular in India with a big support by the Government. Today Homoeopathy is included in the national health scheme of the Government with many Colleges, Hospitals and Dispensaries run by the central and State Governments. There are more than 120 colleges imparting 5 ½ Yrs degree and 2 Yrs post graduate courses in Homoeopathy. 
Sultanate of Oman is the first Gulf country to have officially recognize Homoeopathy in the year 1995 and today it is very popular not only with the expatriates but also with the local population.

4. Limitations of Homoeopathy

Like any other system of medicine Homoeopathy also has its limitations and it may not be effective in treating all disease states. 
Some conditions do not respond to the Homoeopathic micro doses because they require surgical intervention, others require immediate and certain relief of symptoms, others are addressed by simple nutritional and lifestyle changes, still others are relieved only upon reduced exposure to certain environment stresses- and then there are those who do not experience improvement from indicated medicines for unknown reasons. In conditions which require simple nutrition and lifestyle changes, e.g. Iron deficiency Anaemia, homoeopathic medicines may be prescribed to deal with some of the symptoms and may even be helpful to assimilate iron from the food, but iron supplements will be required.
Diseases with advanced pathology with irreversible changes become incurable once they have progressed to a certain stage. Homoeopathic medicines may then alleviate pain and discomfort and may slow down the pathological process, but it is questionable if cure is possible under any kind of treatment. 

Summary

In this scientific era of health consciousness, the time has come that for the treatment of any disease, which does not respond to any particular line of treatment, one must take a homoeopathic opinion immediately. Often patients lose their early time going from one specialist to another, without permanent relief, and approach Homoeopathy only when other medicines fail. To obtain the best results and full benefit of Homoeopathy, one must come in the early phases of sickness and not just when the disease process has advanced to an incurable stage.

Timely given Homoeopathic treatment could be a blessing to the ailing humanity and should be considered as one of the various approaches to healing which are all necessary to build a comprehensive and effective health care system.
 

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