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Homeopathy Definition, Medicines, & Remedies

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Homeopathy definition

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy and homeopathic medicine is a natural and holistic, alternative medicine system of treatment that originated 200 years ago. The name homeopathy is derived from two Greek words which mean “like disorder.” This is based on the idea that substances that produce symptoms of illness in healthy men and women will have a therapeutic effect when given in very dilute quantities to ill men and women who exhibit those very same symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are thought to stimulate the body’s own healing processes. Homeopaths use the term”allopathy,” or”different disorder,” to describe the use of medication used in conventional medication to counteract or oppose the symptom being treated.

Homeopathy is a natural & holistic form of medication used by over 200 million people worldwide to treat both chronic and acute ailments. It’s founded on the principle of ‘like cures like’. To put it differently, a substance taken in tiny quantities will cure the same symptoms it causes if consumed in large quantities. The holistic nature of homeopathy means every man is treated as a special individual and their own body, mind, soul, and emotions are all considered in the prevention and management of the disease. Taking all these factors into consideration a homeopath will decide on the most appropriate medicine depending on the person’s specific symptoms and personal level of health to stimulate their own healing ability.

It is among the most popular complementary therapies used by people with cancer. Homeopathy is based on the concept of ‘like cures like’ and the ‘law of the tiniest dose’. To deal with a disease, a naturopathic therapist (homeopath) uses tiny doses of a chemical. In large doses, the substance would cause the symptoms of this illness. Followers think that homeopathic medicines work by beginning the body’s self-healing procedure. This occurs through a reaction. Healing happens because the body tries to maintain a stable internal environment.

Producers make homeopathic remedies from plant, animal and mineral substances. They’re diluted in water and shaken until there’s little, if any, of the original substance left. They use the water to create drops, pills or creams. Homeopathic medicines are safe to use since they rarely cause side-effects. This means when used appropriately under the advice of a professional homeopath they may be taken by individuals of all ages, including infants, children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

How does Homeopathy work?

Homeopathy was founded by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, who had been much disturbed by the health care system of the time, believing that its treatments were primitive and a number of its powerful drugs and treatments did more harm than good to patients. Hahnemann performed experiments using Peruvian bark, which contains quinine, a malaria remedy. He reasoned that in a wholesome individual, quinine creates the very same symptoms as malaria, such as fevers and chills, that is why it is successful as a remedy. He then started to examine the remedies available in character by what he called provings. Provings of homeopathic remedies continue to be compiled by dosing healthy adults with many substances and documenting the results, concerning the dose required to produce the signs and the amount of the dose’s effectiveness. The provings are accumulated in large homeopathic references called materia medica or substances of medication.

Hahnemann devised these principles of homeopathy:

• Law of Similars (like cures like)

• Law of the Infinitesimal Dose (The more diluted a remedy is, the more effective it is)

• Infection is particular to the person.

Hahnemann’s Law of Similars was based on thinking that dated back to Hippocrates in the fourth century

The nanomedicine or minute dose

Homeopathy treatment occurs in minute doses, so medications have active ingredients in nanogram amounts. Sometimes just a couple of nano-bubbles or nano-tubules or unique formations of nano-particles which enhances the surface area. Because of this, less of the material must get the desired action.

Additionally, different nano-particles and mono-atoms of material have diverse characteristics in contrast to its initial substance. Also, they act differently and dynamically. So we get a broad assortment of actions which are faster compared to only the first material.

Homeopathy principles

Principle of Similimum – Like cures Like

Unlike allopathy, using high material doses of substances with opposite symptoms (e.g., administering substance causing constipation into a loose movement patient or administering a chemical causing loose movement to a constipation individual).

The Homeopathic philosophy and strategy is somewhat counterintuitive. Homeopathy administers a very tiny dose of a chemical having “Similar Symptoms” which can trigger the body to help recognize the issue and therefore forcing the body to learn how to fight it out by itself, exactly like vaccines but without side effects.

Stimulating your body’s own immune systems

Unlike allopathy, as opposed to hitting the cause directly with medications. Homeopathy prefers to go through our own body by forcing our body’s defense and self-sustaining circuitry to learn how to fight, reorganize, and restore the balance.

When the body has learned how to fight out the invader, it won’t allow it in again. This approach can help to remove the disease in the body permanently (assuming there are no significant flaws in diet, rest, exercise, and lifestyle).

Body with its parts as an inseparable whole

Homeopathy believes all parts and systems are a whole, which works in harmony. These systems are interrelated. So while treating the disease of any specific part or system, we also take into consideration the entire body and mind together with all its symptoms. So when you are being treated for any minor or major ailments, all other minutest accompanying or current complaints can also be solved out during this procedure.

Homeopathic medicines & Homeopathic remedies

It is a natural and holistic approach that heals a patient using small doses of the natural drug. It works on the model of individualization, i.e., if two people are suffering from migraines, the treatment procedures are different for both, depending on their nature and their different philosophies of life.  Some common remedies are:

Aconite Commonly called monkshood, aconite is extremely toxic. A non-toxic, diluted infusion of aconite is used in homeopathy to treat symptoms like that of poison.

Allium cepa Commonly called red onion, homeopathic doctors use a dilute extract of red onion to deal with symptoms very similar to that of red onion–watery eyes, burning,etc..

Apis Commonly called the honeybee, Apis as a homeopathic remedy is made of the body of the bee. It’s used to treat symptoms very similar to that of a bee sting–redness, swelling, etc..

Arnica

Commonly called the mountain daisy, arnica is used by homeopathic doctors to treat bruises, sprains, and strains.

Arsenicum album

Also called ars alb, the Arsenicum album is a diluted form of arsenic, a metallic poison. It’s used by homeopathic doctors to treat symptoms like the effects of arsenic poisoning–dehydration, burning pain, etc..

Belladonna

Commonly called deadly nightshade, belladonna is used in homeopathy to treat symptoms of dry mouth, nausea, delirium, etc..

Bryonia

Commonly called wild hops, Bryonia is used in homeopathy to treat nausea, diarrhea, inflammation, etc..

Calcarea carbonica

Also called calcium carbonate or calc carb, it’s used in homeopathy to treat symptoms of fatigue, depression, and nervousness.

Cantharis

Commonly called Spanish fly, cantharis is used in homeopathy to treat conditions with symptoms of abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, convulsions, etc..

Chamomilla

Derived from German chamomile, it is used in homeopathy to treat irritability, impatience, etc.. It is most commonly prescribed to children.

Ferrum phosphoricum

Also called Ferrum phos or iron phosphate, it’s used to treat symptoms of low power and anemia.

Gelsemium

Also called yellow jasmine, it’s used to treat conditions that affect vision, balance thought, and locomotion.

Hepar sulphuris

Derived from the inner layer of oyster shells, Hepar sulphuris is used to treat disease.

Hypericum

Commonly called St. John’s wort, hypericum is used in the treatment of nerve damage.

Ignatia

Derived from seeds of a plant, this homeopathic remedy is prescribed to treat conditions with symptoms like nausea, headache, and tremors.

Ipecac

Ipecac causes nausea and causes gastrointestinal distress. Homeopaths prescribe it to treat similar symptoms.

Kali bichromicum popularly called potassium bichromate, kali bichromicum is a toxin used also in textile dyes, wood stain, etc.. Homeopaths use it to deal with localized pain.

Lachesis

This comes from venom of the bushmaster snake and is used to treat conditions for symptoms as the venom itself.

Ledum

Also called marsh tea, Ledum is used to treat infections, most frequently from animal bites, stings, cuts, etc..

Lycopodium Commonly called club moss, lycopodium is used to treat diarrhea, digestive upset, etc..

Mercurius Vivus

Also called quicksilver, it’s used to treat symptoms of sweats, shaking, nausea, etc..

Natrum muriaticum

Popularly called salt, it’s used to treat conditions that cause excessive thirst and salt cravings.

Nux vomica

it’s used to treat symptoms brought on by overeating and a lot of alcohol or caffeine.

Phosphorus

it’s used to treat symptoms of excessive thirst, fatigue, and nervousness.

Pulsatilla

It is used to treat conditions that are accompanied by release, such as bedwetting, sinusitis, etc..

Rhus Toxicodendron

Commonly called poison ivy, homeopaths use it to treat conditions with symptoms of fever, swollen glands, and restlessness.

Ruta

It is used to treat ailments with swelling, such as tennis elbow, sciatica, etc..

Sepia

Sepia is the release utilized by the cuttlefish to disappear from a predator. Homeopaths use sepia to treat symptoms of apathy and fatigue.

Silica

Also called flint, silica is used by homeopaths to deal with conditions that cause fatigue, perspiration, and sensitivity to cold.

Sulfur

It is used to treat conditions with symptoms of itching, burning pains, and odor.

Using tiny quantities is the same thinking that provided the foundation for the vaccines found by Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur. These vaccines provoke a response in the person that protects against the true disease. Allergy treatments work exactly the same way. By exposing a person to minute amounts of the allergen, the individual’s tolerance levels are raised.

The Law of the Infinitesimal Dose has been always questioned by critics. Hahnemann claimed that as he diluted his remedies with alcohol and water and succussed, or shook, them, the remedies really worked more effectively. In actuality, diluted homeopathic remedies might have no chemical trace of the original substance. Practitioners believe that the electromagnetic energy of the first substance is kept from the dilution, but the toxic side effects of the remedy aren’t. It’s this electrochemical”message” that stimulates the body to cure itself.

Homeopathic practitioners think that illness is specific to an individual. In other words, two individuals with severe headaches might not get the exact remedies. The professional will ask the patient questions about lifestyle, dietary habits, and character traits, in addition to specific questions about the nature of the headache and when it happens. This information gathering is known as profiling or case-taking.

What are benefits of homeopathy?

This treatment therapy can help people suffering from the toxic effects of infectious diseases, viral infections, skin ailments, and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, intestinal conditions, sinusitis, tonsillitis, asthma, coughs, and other respiratory problems. Emotional problems like stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and even menstrual disorders, morning sickness, infertility, liver and cardiovascular disorders can be treated by this form of therapy.

Homeopathic physicians want to treat their patients on the physical, mental and emotional levels, and each treatment is tailored to a patient’s individual needs. Homeopathy is typically a safe therapy, as it utilizes medicines in extremely diluted amounts, and there are usually minimal side effects. Its non-toxicity makes some believe that it a fantastic selection for treating children. Another advantage of homeopathy is the price of remedies; homeopathic remedies are cheap, often a fraction of the expense of conventional drugs.

Homeopathic treatment has been proven to be effective in treating many ailments. Colds and flu might be effectively treated with aconite and Bryonia. Influenza sufferers in a double-blind study found they were twice as likely to recoup in 48 hours when they took homeopathic remedies. Studies are published in British medical journals confirming the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Homeopathic remedies are considered effective in treating ailments, circulatory problems, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, depression and nervous disorders, migraine headaches, allergies, arthritis, and diabetes. Homeopathy is a remedy to research for acute and chronic diseases, especially if those are found at the early stages and in which there isn’t severe damage. Homeopathy can be used to aid the healing process after surgery or chemotherapy.

When prescribing a remedy, homeopaths will match a patient’s symptoms with the appropriate remedy in a repertory or materia medica which was compiled throughout the history of homeopathy. Classical homeopaths prescribe just one remedy at a time. However, it’s becoming more common, particularly in Europe, to use combination formulas of many remedies for treating several combinations of symptoms.

When homeopaths are licensed professionals, most insurance companies will cover their fees. Consumers should consult their insurance policies to determine individual regulations. Insurance usually won’t cover homeopathic medication, since it’s sold over the counter.

Precautions

Although homeopathic treatments occasionally use substances that are poisonous, they are diluted and prescribed in non-toxic doses. Treatments should be prescribed by a homeopathic practitioner. Those preparing to take homeopathic remedies should also avoid taking antidotes, which are chemicals that homeopathic physicians believe cancel the effects of the remedies. These compounds include alcohol, java, prescription medications, peppermint (in toothpaste and mouthwash), camphor (in salves and creams ), and very spicy foods. Homeopathic medication should also be managed with caution, and shouldn’t be touched with the hands or fingers, which might contaminate it.

Are there any side effects of homeopathy?

A homeopathic aggravation sometimes happens during the first treatment with homeopathic remedies. This means that symptoms can temporarily worsen throughout the process of recovery. Even though this is usually mild, the aggravation can occasionally be severe. Homeopaths see aggravation as a positive indication that the remedy is a fantastic fit for the patient’s symptoms. The healing crisis, which occurs when the patient is undergoing treatment for layers of symptoms, may also cause the individual to feel worse before feeling better. Some patients may experience psychological disturbances such as weeping or depression if suppressed psychological problems resulted in the illness in the first location.

Do not touch the medicines with your hand, as this can reduce the efficacy of the medicine. You have to remember the ‘half an hour rule’ i.e., you cannot eat anything half an hour before or after your time point. Onion, garlic, ginger, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol should not be consumed when you are taking homeopathic medicines.

Research in homeopathy

Homeopathy has attracted a lot of criticism in recent times. To counter that, a database was created which contained clinical trials that were conducted in homeopathy. Core-Hom, contains 1048 entries, out of which 200 entries were published in peer-reviewed journals (Clausen et. al. 2014). Also, a very high percentage of people who had undergone traditional allopathic treatment and then switched to homeopathic treatment experienced a higher satisfaction with homeopathy and improved quality of life (Van Wassenhoven et. al. 2014).

Research

Since the early 1900s, when the American Medical Association and pharmacists waged a struggle against it, homeopathy was failed and sometimes ridiculed by mainstream medicine. Apart from politics, part of the reason behind this hostility is that there are a few aspects of homeopathy that have never been completely explained scientifically. As an example, homeopaths have found that the longer they dilute and succuss a remedy, the greater impact it seems to have on the human body. Some homeopathic remedies are so diluted that not even one molecule of the active agent stays in a solution, yet it still works; studies have shown that this paradox, yet can not explain it. Additionally, antidepressant puts an emphasis on assessing symptoms and then implementing remedies to those symptoms, as opposed to working by classifying diseases. Thus, some individuals with the exact same disease may require different homeopathic medicines and remedies. Additional conventional medicine strives to figure out how medications work in the body before they use them. Homeopathy is not as concerned with the intricate biochemistry involved than with whether a remedy ultimately functions and heals holistically. For these reasons, traditional medicine claims that homeopathy isn’t scientific, but homeopaths are quick to answer that homeopathy has been clinically developed and studied for centuries, with much success and documentation.

There are still numerous studies that affirm the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. One of the most celebrated, the British Medical Journal in 1991 published a big analysis of homeopathic treatments that were given over the course of 25 years. This project involved over a hundred studies of patients with problems ranging from cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, infections, stomach problems, allergies, recovery from arthritis, surgeries, injury, emotional problems, diabetes, and many others. The study found improvement with homeopathic treatment in many categories of issues, and concluded that the evidence was”sufficient for establishing homeopathy as a regular treatment for certain indications.”

A study in early 2002 was reported in a pediatric journal which showed symptom improvement for children with uncomplicated acute otitis media (ear infection) who received individualized homeopathic remedies. Even though the authors concluded that more research was needed, results were positive enough to warrant a larger study.

Randomized controlled trials

Up to the end of 2014, a total of 104 newspapers reporting good-quality placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in homeopathy (on 61 different medical conditions) have been printed in peer-reviewed journals. 41 percent of those RCTs have reported a balance of favorable proof, 5 percent a balance of negative signs, and 54 percent have yet to be conclusively negative or positive.

2-summary of proof with complete references

The medical conditions for which positive RCTs of homeopathy have been reported include the following: allergies and upper respiratory tract infections; childhood diarrhea; hay fever; flu; sleeplessness; rheumatic disease; sinusitis; vertigo.

Patient outcome studies

Bristol Homeopathic Hospital, 2005

In 2005, the most significant service analysis of homeopathic treatment reported that 70 percent of 6,500 follow-up patients experienced an improvement in their health. Eczema, asthma, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome — difficult chronic problems endured by most people — all enhanced. 

The five-hospital study, 2008

The latest hospitals result study confirms the findings of earlier studies. A total of 1,602 patients have been seen at followup appointments in all five UK NHS homeopathic hospitals during a month in 2007. The research found that eczema is now the most frequent referral to homeopathy by NHS doctors. Other commonly treated complaints were chronic fatigue, menopausal disease, and osteoarthritis. [4]

Researchers did a systematic review in 2016. It follows that a group of specialists gather all of the evidence about a specific subject. Then they go through it to work out if there’s any evidence to support it. The researchers looked at 41 studies. They discovered that homeopathy had no more side effects than placebos. The researchers said that many studies on homeopathy failed to report side effects.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) in America cautions against specific homeopathic products. Researchers found that some homeopathic products contained heavy metals. They weren’t diluted. These products can cause severe side effects. A 2017 study also cautioned against homeopathy. It said that it may cause people to stop their traditional therapy.

Many clinical trials have looked at how well homeopathy works in treating a variety of illnesses. None of them provide any evidence that homeopathy can cure or prevent any kind of disease. There’s also no reliable evidence to state that homeopathy can cure cancer. Many studies are too small, and the method of research isn’t always of great quality.

There have been studies looking into homeopathy to discover whether it can help with the side effects of some cancer therapies. However, the studies were small and there’s not sufficient evidence to recommend them. 

Science of Homeopathy

Scientists suggest a model that explains how homeopathic remedies act on living systems. [1] Standard science research indicates that classically-prepared homeopathic remedies:

–  contain measurable source nanoparticles (NPs) and/or silica nanoparticles using adsorbed source materials  that are heterogeneously dispersed in colloidal solution; 

–  act by regulating the biological purpose of the allostatic stress response system, such as cytokines, oxidative stress, and heat shock proteins, in addition to immune, endocrine, metabolic, autonomic and central nervous system works ; 

– evoke biphasic activities on the adaptive plasticity of living systems through organism-dependent, endogenously amplified, as opposed to agent-dependent pharmacological, effects. The effects of homeopathic remedy nanoparticles include state- and – time-dependent adaptive changes inside the intricate elastic organism. 

The key clinical outcome is an improvement in systemic resilience to potential environmental stressors and healing back to normal healthy homeostatic functioning. Infection acts as an indirect consequence of changing the system dynamics which had supported its original development, rather than as a direct effect of suppressing end-organ symptoms.

Is  Homeopathy fake?

The regulation of infinitesimal doses runs contrary to chemistry, pharmacology, and thermodynamics. Homeopaths now use dilutions of compounds that basically eliminate all traces of the material from the last dilution. There’s unlikely to be even one molecule of the first drug in the last remedy that’s provided to the patient. Homeopaths conclude from this fact that the material is shifting its essence to the water in which it is diluted. The more it is diluted, the stronger is the water. They provide, but no possible explanation for how easy water molecules can contain the character of far more complicated substances.

Modern homeopaths also have attempted to save the notion of infinitesimals by invoking the idea of water memory. They assert that water molecules can form a structure which has the information of the homeopathic remedy. However, such claims are not proven yet. The water structure is extremely transient and ephemeral. They last moments and couldn’t survive repeated dilution, let alone intake, absorption into the body, and transfer to whatever their alleged site of action is. More scientific evidence is needed for skeptics to believe in this therapy.

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