There are a large number of people who believe that homeopathy is not useful in acute diseases like fever, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, excessive bleeding during menstruation etc. but only for chronic diseases that have not responded to any other system of medicine. This is not only a huge misconception but belies the excellent results and complete cure provided by homeopathy in conditions that were given up as hopeless by traditional systems of medicine.
People come for homeopathic treatment at a very late stage. By the time they come in, ailments have become chronic cases. This requires more time to first stabilise the disease, reverse the effects of earlier medicines consumed by the patient and later for the homeopathic medicines to start their effect. Hence, the earlier you opt for homeopathic treatment, the less days of treatment required but the later you opt for it, longer will it take to treat the disease.
Homeopathy not only helps in early recovery but it provides complete healing by removing the root cause of the disease and boosts the internal immunity of a person so that the chances of recurrence of the same are reduced to negligible.
This misconception related to homeopathy stems from the fact that homeopathy as a treatment is resorted to by patients only in chronic cases and as a last resort, like I brought out above.
Chronic cases, by virtue of their spread in the body and the side effects of medicines already consumed by the patient increase the time required by homeopathic medicines to stop the process, eliminate the ill effects of traditional medicines and then cure the disease.
Certain cases like, arthritis, asthma, skin diseases take time to cure depending on the severity of the symptoms and other physiological factors. However, in cases of fever, cough, cold etc. the healing time taken by homeopathic medicines is the same as that of traditional medicines. There are no side effects and the disease is removed from the root.
Isn't it better that the disease is completely removed from its root and not merely suppressed as in traditional medicine, albeit quickly, and later re-surface in a more virulent form thus rendering the whole exercise futile.
Certain common misconception about the dietary restrictions stem from the fact that some commonly consumed items like coffee, certain fruits of the citrus class and food items are prohibited in homeopathy. These are mostly medical restrictions and not dietary restrictions as commonly misunderstood.
At HTHMC, I try to combine the best of various systems of medicines, common knowledge and my own clinical experience. There are certain ailment specific restrictions, like for example, some items are contra-indicated for certain types of diseases like arthritis (sour food like tamarind) and diabetes (sugar).
It is usually recommended that patients must refrain from eating or drinking anything 30 minutes before or after partaking consumption of homeopathic medicine. The reason lies in how homeopathic medicine works. homeopathic medicine is absorbed through the tongue and the inner lining of the mouth (called the Buccal Mucosa, in medical parlance). To ensure best absorption and hence, optimum treatment, it is recommended that homeopathic medicines should be consumed on a clean pallet.
While on a course of homeopathic treatment, patients should avoid strong flavours such as mint (including toothpaste), coffee or camphor. Black coffee, without milk, acts as an antidote to homeopathic medicines. Citrus fruits, bananas and ice creams should not be consumed in case a person is suffering from common cold.
That's all. There are no other across-the-board dietary restrictions in homeopathic treatment. You can continue your normal lifestyle, consume what you like and regain health the painless way through homeopathy without bothering about any dietary restrictions.
Most of the patients suffering from chronic ailments resort to homeopathy after having exhausted all other options. Certain allopathic medicines (for Diabetes, Hypertension, and Epilepsy etc.) cannot be stopped suddenly as it may result in severe side effects. The dosage of these medicines has to be slowly tapered and then eventually stopped to prevent sudden deterioration of condition.
Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine. The basic difference between homeopathy and allopathy is the manner in which the two approach a disease. Hence, there could be a problem of side effects if both medicines are taken concurrently because of a clash in healing processes initiated by these medicines within the human body which is only natural.
Because of the specific way each of these medicines approach the disease and target it, it is advisable that neither of the medicines be taken without consulting your physician.
Certain medicines used by dental patients act as antidotes to homeopathic medicines. It is therefore advised that patients undergoing dental treatment should either finish their complete dental treatment before starting any homeopathic medicine or re-schedule it after completion of homeopathic treatment. Your homeopath should be able to guide you on this.
This is one of the biggest fallacies about homeopathy and is farthest from truth.
Human body is like a complicated machine. Each part, which in itself is a complicated component, interacts with other equally complicated body parts to make up one whole human body. It is thus necessary that the person treating you is aware of this complex machine and inter-relationship between its sub-components. A professional homeopath has to spend six years of formal education to attain a medical qualification and years of practice to master this science.
Each case has to be evaluated for its own worth before administering any medicine. In homeopathy, there could be two different medicines for the same symptoms in two different people.
That is the reason to avoid Over The Counter (OTC) medicines which have catchy names and often combine two or three drugs in one pack (bottle) of medicine. It is only one of the drugs which is actually required for the disease and the balance of them only create their own side effects which may be milder in the short run but have potential side effects if consumed for a longer time.
Remember, self diagnosis is not a substitute for visiting a professional homeopath or physician. Avoid self medication at all costs.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine based on nature's simple principle of 'what can cause can cure' - SIMILIA SIMILIBUS CURANTUR. Thus, a homeopath deliberately gives medicines that will slowly aggravate the condition and at the same time boost the immune system of the body in such a way that it produces more antibodies to fight the disease and eventually cure it.
A certain amount of initial aggravation of symptoms is thus a welcome sign for a homeopath. It indicates that the body is responding to the medicine. This aggravation remains for a very short time and hence there is no need for worry.
Another reason for initial aggravation of disease is that once homeopathic medicines are started, the homeopathic physician will generally advice you to taper down the doses of other types of medicines. This will certainly cause an initial aggravation of disease but will usually subside within a day or two.
Remember, homeopathy cures a disease from its roots. Certain diseases or symptoms that were being suppressed by other systems of medicine may manifest themselves for a short while before homeopathic medicines start their effect. These transient symptoms should not be a cause of worry and will subside on their own.
Homeopathic medicines are dispensed in the form of pills that are made of sacrum lactose. They do not contain sugar that we use in everyday life. The total number of sugar pills consumed as medicine will not even add up to a small tea-spoon. So do not worry as they do not add to the blood sugar levels.
Homeopathic medicines are the safest way of treating children. They are gentle, sweet, safe and without any side effects whatsoever. Children like the medicine because it is sweet, parents find it easy to administer and a Homeopath is confident of the medicine because it does not harm the child in any way and boosts the immunity of the child from within.
Homeopathy is very effective and "safe" for children especially those suffering with "developmental" problems (delayed milestones like cutting teeth, walking, talking, inability to gain weight etc.) and "low immunity" (frequent colds, coughs, respiratory problems, digestive problems, food sensitivities etc.).
However, there is a flip side to this. Since the medicines are easy to dispense, many parents resort to self-diagnosis and medication. The most important thing when attempting to diagnose and treat illnesses at home is to know when to stop. If symptoms persist, go and see your doctor; even if you feel your symptoms seem unworthy of professional help, minor symptoms can often be a sign of something more serious.
Homeopathic medicines at higher potencies (strengths) contain little or no medicine that can be detected by any scientific means possible. The medicines are prepared using several simple mathematical scales. As there is no "actual" medicinal substance in the higher potencies, Homeopathy has been derogatorily called as placebo therapy.
Scientific double blind randomised clinical trials & carefully conducted clinical provings of these dilutions (Homeopathic medicines) prove their effectiveness. These trials have been duly recorded & can be repeated.
People expect homeopathic medicines to act slowly due to previously mentioned misconceptions. Contrary to their beliefs, when Homeopathic medicines act fast & help acute conditions, they are taken by surprise and they assume that the physician is using steroids in the garb of homeopathy for quick results. Nothing could be farther from truth.
A good homeopathic medicine stimulates by helping the body's immune system to work effectively. The weakened immune system responds to this stimulation thus enhancing the effects of the medicine.
Homeopathic remedies are basically made from extracts from various medicinal plants. These traditional medicines have been used effectively for their therapeutic properties since ages. Some of these plants contain certain alkaloids that are as effective as steroids. These are extracted & made into Homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic medicines are made from extracts of medicinal plants. Being natural in origin, they do not have adverse side effects like most conventional prescription medication. Yet, they are a potent class of medicines which should only be used under expert medical supervision.
Patients should avoid medicines purchased Over The Counter which are a combination of multiple homeopathic medicines and offered as "Cure All" for multifarious diseases. Remember, homeopathic medicines are prescribed after analysis of sum total of all mental and physical symptoms exhibited by each individual patient. After carefully arriving at three to four drugs that can be used as a cure for a particular disease, the doctor narrows down to one specific medicine that is the most suited for that particular disease. The success of homeopathic medicine lies in the correct identification of this single drug which depends on the skills and clinical experience of your homeopathic physician and cannot be given by Over The Counter Drugs.