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CURING-IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

ALMOST everyone experiences an occasional bout of abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea or constipation. However, if you are having either of these problems very frequently or if it has become chronic, chances are that you may be suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is one of the most common gastro-intestinal disorders and although it is not a serious one, its impact on one’s life can be tremendous. Chronic and recurring symptoms of IBS can disrupt personal and professional activities, upset emotional well-being and limit individual potential.

IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease. It is a functional disorder, which means that the bowel (large intestine) is not functioning properly, though physically there is nothing wrong with it. With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the bowel are extra-sensitive. For example, the muscles may contract too much when you eat. These contractions can cause cramping and diarrhoea during or shortly after a meal.

The exact cause of IBS is not known. Symptoms appear to result from a disturbance in the interaction between the gut, the brain, and the nervous system that alters the regulation of the bowel motor or the sensory function. IBS is not caused by stress. However, because of the connection between the brain and the gut, symptoms can be exacerbated or triggered by stress. Certain things like milk and caffeine are also known to have a disturbing effect on IBS patients.

IBS is characterised by abdominal pain or discomfort and the abnormal bowel function, which may include chronic diarrhoea, chronic constipation, or an alternating pattern of both. Patients may feel the sensation of not being able to fully empty their bowels. Other symptoms may include gas formation, bloating as well as nausea.

IBS is a spectrum disorder, which means that there can be a great variety of symptoms and also that their intensity can range from very mild to severe. Primarily, homeopathy is a method where the individual symptoms of patients are given more preference than the labels of the disease and are matched with those of the drug. Thus, treating diseases like IBS with homeopathy in an effective manner becomes easier. However, it may take a while before appreciable results are achieved. One must keep in mind that the goal is not to have a temporary relief but a permanent one.

Homeopathic medicines like Nux Vomica, Colocynth, Aloes, Sulphur, Carbo Veg, China and Lycopodium are among the very effective ones that are often employed by experts for treating irritable bowel syndrome. However, please make sure that such conditions are not treated without the help of a professional homoeopath

Managing IBS

Experiment with fibre

When you have IBS, fibre can be a mixed blessing. Although it helps reduce constipation, it can also lead to diarrhoea, gas formation and cramping worse. The best approach is to gradually increase the amount of fibre in your diet over a period of weeks.

Avoid problem foods

If certain foods make your symptoms worse, don’t eat them. Common culprits include alcohol, chocolate and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas.

Eat at regular times

Don’t skip meals and try to eat about the same time each day to help regulate the bowel function.

Beware of dairy products

They usually are the biggest culprits in IBS. If you’re lactose-intolerant, try substituting yoghurt for milk.

Exercise regularly

Exercise helps relieve depression and stress, stimulates normal contractions of your intestines and can help you feel better

ANXIETY DISORDER IN KIDS HOMEOPATHY

If your child’s poor performance in the examinations or his changed behavior has left you feeling low, what you really need to do is to evaluate your child’s mental health. Because psychiatrists now believe that many such children could be having a form of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder, although quite common, is most often overlooked or misjudged in children and adolescent .Which otherwise can be treated with medicines and therapies.

An important reason for them to be identified and cured early in life is due to a general consensus among experts that psychiatric disorders in adult life can have their first manifestations in childhood in the form of such anxiety problems.

How can parents come to know if their child is suffering from the anxiety problem?

To an extent, some levels of anxiety are considered normal. Like facing a new situation, talking to a stranger and fearing darkness, thieves, animals, etc. It is when the symptoms take a form of greater magnitude that they are called anxiety disorder. This shows up in different forms and is classified according to the pattern and quality of the symptoms. The most common one is the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD may show up in a variety of symptom patterns: restlessness, being easily fatigued, always worrying, irritability and inability to relax; difficulty in concentrating or having the mind go blank, muscle tension, difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless sleep, specific fears, social phobia, too much worrying before even things happen, too many thoughts and fears about safety, refusal to attend school, frequent stomachaches and headaches and other physical symptoms. Although GAD can hamper the child’s performance in school, some may have this disorder even though they would be doing well in their studies.

Another form of anxiety which is often mild and seen more during the examination days is “exam anxiety or test anxiety”. This can develop during or before the exams with symptoms of anxiety and fear of failure.

What causes anxiety disorder?

In nearly 50 per cent of all the anxiety disorder cases, there is a strong genetic factor. Anxiety and fear can also be learned from family members and others who frequently display increased anxiety around the adolescent. For example, a child or an adolescent with a parent who worries too much may also learn to worry too much. Environmental factors such as domestic and social violence can also cause such anxiety problems. A traumatic experience like a death or loss of a loved one can be one of the causes.

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are treatable in homeopathy. The treatment is based on a complete evaluation of the child/adolescent’s symptom pattern and intensity of symptoms.

For homeopathy, every case is an individual case and the medicine is decided on these individual symptoms.

Causative factors are more important than the symptoms. If they are identified clearly and the prescription is based on it, this can lead to a faster clearance of the disorder.

For kids developing symptoms of fear and acute anxiety before the exams homeopathic medicines Gelsemium and Argentum Nitricum can do a real great job in giving instant relief.

CHOLERA HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Come the monsoon and the news of cholera cases get prominently highlighted in the newspapers. Unfortunately, India remains one of the few countries where diseases such as cholera are still widespread. It is mainly due to the unhygienic living conditions and the poor awareness about the spread of the disease. Compared to earlier times we have been able to limit the threat from cholera. It is mainly because we have learned how it spreads and affects our body. Along with prevention and rehydration measures, homoeopathic medicines can be very effective in controlling and even preventing this disease.

What exactly is cholera and how does it affect our human system ? Why is it so potentially serious?

Cholera is the illness caused by a bacterium called vibria cholerae. It infects people’s intestines, causing diarrhoea, vomiting and leg cramps. The mode of action by which the bacteria produces these symptoms is this that it releases a toxin which starts absorbing water and electrolytes from the body through the intestines, producing severe diarrhoea.

Cholera can be mild or even without symptoms, but a severe case can lead to death without immediate treatment. The diarrhoea and vomiting brought on by the infection quickly leaves the body without enough fluid. Dehydration and shock can kill a person within hours.

How does one get infected with cholera? Mostly one gets infected by drinking or eating foods and drinks that are contaminated with the cholera bacteria. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the faeces of an infected person. Cholera spreads rapidly in areas where there is inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

What are the sings and symptoms of cholera? Medically speaking, the cholera bacterium has an incubation period of one to three days, which means that the symptoms can take from one to three days to show up from the time the infection entered the body. Cholera can be a mild uncomplicated episode of diarrhoea; or a potentially lethal disease. In the classical case of cholera, sudden painless diarrhoea and vomiting are the initial symptoms.

What are the ways in which cholera can be treated? Uncomplicated cases of cholera are self-limiting in nature and the patient recovers within three to six days. The fatalities are more than 50 per cent in untreated cases, and less than 1 per cent in cases that receive treatment.

The main aim of the treatment is to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes in the body. Initially in mild-to-moderate cases, oral rehydration is advised with the WHO recommended oral rehydration solution or with a mixture of sugar and salt in water. In advanced cases, when the patient is not in a condition to take oral rehydration, intravenous rehydration is recommended. Homoeopathic medicine Veratrum Album leads the homoeopathic table in treating cholera. It is suggested to be used in cases where there is excessive vomiting and diarrhoea with excessive thirst and weakness. Veratrum album can also be used as a preventive measure for those attending the patient or living in areas where there is an outbreak of cholera. Veratrum Album in 30 C potency can be used every half hourly in an acute situation where professional medical help is not readily available.

Preventing cholera

* Follow this rule of the thumb: for eating anything “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.”

* Drink only water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine. Other safe beverages include tea and coffee made with boiled water and carbonated, bottled beverages without ice.

* Eat only foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot, or fruit that you have peeled yourself.

* Avoid undercooked or raw fish. Make sure that all vegetables are cooked. Avoid salads.

* Avoid eating foods and drinks from street vendors.

CERVICAL PROBLEM & HOMEOPATHY

As the modern civilisation advances, it finds itself in the grip of new stress-related diseases. Stress, whether physical or mental, has its toll on our body.

Long working hours, miles of driving and working excessively on computers are some of the factors causing a rise in stress-related cervical problems.

The most common problem of this nature is cervical spondylosis (cervical osteoarthritis). Cervical spondylosis results from chronic degeneration of the cervical spine, including the cushions between the neck vertebrae (cervical disks) and the joints between the bones of the cervical spine. There may be abnormal growths or “spurs” on the vertebrae (the bones of the spine).

These accumulated changes caused by degeneration can gradually compress one or more of the nerve roots. This can lead to increasing pain in the neck and arm, weakness and changes in sensation. In advanced cases, the spinal cord becomes involved. This can affect not just the arms, but the legs as well.

Progressive neck pain is a key indication of cervical spondylosis. It may be the only symptom in many cases.

An examination often shows limited ability to flex the head toward the side (bend the head toward the shoulders) and limited ability to rotate the head. Weakness or sensation losses indicate damage to specific nerve roots or to the spinal cord.

Homeopathic treatment is effective in both situations whether it is a mild cervical strain or cervical spondylosis. There is no single specific medicine for this problem; the treatment is purely symptomatic. In milder cases where no damage has been done to the vertebras and only the muscles are involved, medicines such as guaicum, lachnanthes and cimicfuga are of great help. They are usually indicated when the patients complain of stiffness about the cervical muscles and also when there are no signs of nerve involvement. When there are signs of nerve involvement (numbness, loss of sensation, etc) as in advance cases, kalmia latifolia, paris quadrifolia and colocynth are often the most effective homoeopathic medicines. In advanced cases of degeneration, acidic phosphoric is of great value. Calc phos works very effectively for bony overgrowths. Medicines mentioned above are only for the purpose of self-assessment. Consult your homoeopathic physician for an appropriate dosage. Avoid self-medication.

Some good habits

Take frequent breaks: Don’t sit in one place for a long time, such as your car or at your desk. Arrange some of the items in your office in a manner so that you are forced to get up, stretch yourself or walk around After some time.

Maintain good neck posture:

Adjust the seat of your computer or desk chair so that your hips are slightly higher than your knees - your head and neck will naturally follow in the correct position.

Travelling in a car, airplane or train? Place a small pillow or rolled towel between your neck and a headrest to keep the normal curve in your neck.

How are you sleeping? Avoid sleeping with too many pillows.

When on the phone: Use a speakerphone or headsets - do not cradle the phone in your neck.

Exercise: Treat your body to a consistent regimen of stretching and strengthening to balance your muscle groups. This protects your neck as well as helps your whole body. Walking at any pace is an excellent exercise for your neck. The rotation of the spine provides a great natural workout for the neck muscles.

Eat smart and drink water: Good nutrition and staying well-hydrated are not only important to stay healthy, but also vital for the healing process

SUMMER DIARRHEA

SUMMER-time woes get the better of the best of us. It needs no mention how horrifying summer diarrhoeas can be. Thankfully, homoeopathic medicines are of a great help in such cases. Here are some of the best bets available for treating summer diarrhoeas fast and effectively.

Veratrum album is one of the most frequently prescribed homoeopathic medicines in violent cases of gastroenteritis. Sudden diarrhoeas with large evacuations and profuse, violent vomiting associated with great weakness and coldness in the body is most characteristic of veratrum album. When such symptoms develop after eating watery fruits (melons), veratrum is the best bet. It also works well in the treatment of severe cases of cholera.

If diarrhoea is caused by sudden chilling of the stomach with ice water or ice-cream, arsenic album is the right choice. In such conditions stools are attended by very distressing heartburn, burning pain and sometimes burning in the stomach. These are followed by great weakness and coldness. There is a feeling of intense thirst. The patient’s condition worsens after midnight.

Podophyllum is a very frequently used medicine for summer diarrhoeas. It helps greatly in cases of gushing diarrhoea, wh en stool comes out like water from a hydrant, hurrying the patient out of the bed early in the morning.

When diarrhoeas are attended by gripping, cutting pains in the abdomen area while passing stool, colocynth is the right medicine. Taking food or a drink, even in a small measure provokes evacuations as also pains.

Summer diarrhoeas can be very distressing. So, if the symptoms correspond, three doses of 30c potency of the indicated medicine can be taken. Although a repetition will depend on the intensity the disease, the safest way is to take a dose after every hour. It is always better to consult a physician.

Skin allergy & homeopathy

It is now an accepted fact that homeopathy works miraculously for skin disorders, and skin allergies are very effectively treatable with homeopathic medicines. Even if the skin disorder is chronic and has been in the body for many years, the biggest advantage that homeopathic treatment has is that it can completely eliminate the allergy from the body, so that the symptoms do not keep coming back again.

The big question, however, is: “Why it is so that homeopathy is successful in treating skin allergies?” The answer lies in the medical fact that in skin allergies the problem does not lie in the skin but in the body’s immune system which becomes overactive.

The efficacy of homeopathy is due to the fact that it takes a holistic view of our body and does not treat the skin as a single organ. It believes that such skin allergies are a part of our disturbed internal state and allergies on the skin are a representation of the disturbed state. The medication is aimed at removing the internal cause or the internal pollution which has resulted in the skin becoming hypersensitive.

Homeopathic philosophy strongly believes that the treatment of skin disorders by applying ointments, creams, etc, is suppressive in nature and that the disease needs to be treated from within the body, or else it will reoccur or change its shape and appear in some other form.

Skin allergies can vary greatly in the type and intensity of symptoms. They can range from a simple rash to a condition where the skin all over the body is intensely inflamed, with severe itching all over and the oozing of watery fluid. Skin allergies broadly incorporate two types of problems: atopic dermatitis. and contact dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disorder categorised by rashes that itch and are of a scaly nature. People with this kind of skin allergy often have a family history of allergic conditions like asthma, nasal allergy, or eczema. It is more common in infants, and 50 per cent of all cases are all-right okay by the age of three years. In adults it is a chronic problem that keeps coming back. The symptoms include intense itching, blisters, rashes more on face, behind the knees, folds of the skin, etc. The most common allergens are eggs, peanuts, milk, fish, soy products, and wheat, dust mites, mold and pollen.

Contact dermatitis is a kind of skin allergy where the reaction develops when the skin comes in contact with the allergens (allergy causing substances) or the irritants.

Winter Depression - homeopathy cure

We all know what depression is, and are also aware of the major reasons for it like stress and hereditary disposition, but what is not so commonly understood is that medical researchers have identified a kind of depression that gets triggered in a particular weather. SAD or seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that follows the seasons. The most common type of SAD is called winter depression. It usually begins in late fall or early winter and goes away by summer. A less common type of SAD, known as summer depression, usually begins in late spring or early summer. It goes away by winter. SAD may be related to changes in the amount of daylight during different times of the year. Although symptoms are clues to the diagnosis, not everyone with SAD has the same symptoms.

Common symptoms of winter depression include the following: a change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods, weight gain a heavy feeling in the arms or legs, drop in the energy level, fatigue, tendency to oversleep, difficulty in concentrating, irritability, increased sensitivity to social rejection, avoidance of social situations, etc.

Symptoms of summer depression include poor appetite, weight loss and insomnia. Either type of SAD may also include some of the symptoms that are present in other forms of depression. These symptoms include feelings of guilt, a loss of interest or pleasure in the activities you used to enjoy, feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems such as headache. Symptoms of SAD keep coming back year after year, and they tend to go about the same time every year.

The exact cause of this condition is not known, but the influence of latitude on SAD strongly suggests that it is caused by changes in the availability of sunlight. One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock.

Another theory is that the brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances.

Homoeopathy can be of great help in these cases provided it is applied scrupulously, as symptom matching is the key factor. Medicines should, however, be used only with professional help.

Sunlight is essential

Those who suffer from this kind of depression should spend more time in the sun.

Even daylight can help

Try to spend some time outside everyday, even when it’s very cloudy. The effects of daylight are still beneficial.

Light therapy

Light therapy can be very beneficial in addition to the homoeopathic treatment.

Diet and exercise

Eat a well-balanced diet, including sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals. This will help you have more energy even though your body is craving for starchy and sweet foods. Try exercising for 30 minutes a day, at least three times a week.

Active social life

Stay involved with your social circle and regular activities. This can be a tremendous means of support during winter months.

loose stools Diarrhea homeo treatment

Diarrhea is perhaps the most dreaded disease in this weather. It needs no mention how horrifying it can be. It can suddenly strike without much warning and leave one in a very bad state. Acute summer diarrhoeas can be even life-threatening for small children and old people.

Acute diarrhea is a disorder which leads to a person passing a number of watery stools. It may be accompanied by cramping pain in the abdomen and at times fever too. Food and water-borne bacteria, parasites and viruses cause such problems.

Rapid loss of water in the form of watery stool can cause a situation known as dehydration which can disrupt the normal functioning of the body. Along with it, the essential salts (electrolytes) of the body are also lost. A combined loss of both water and electrolytes can lead to serious consequences.    

How to identify dehydration?

Signs of dehydration are increased thirst, decreased output of urine, dry skin (a simple pinch on the skin can show the dehydration of the skin), extreme fatigue, light-headedness and the colour of the urine turning dark.

In small children dehydration might show up in a slightly different form - absence of urine for more than three hours, absence of tears when crying, irritability or complete listlessness, dryness of the mouth and the tongue, and skin that does not flatten when pinched.

Homoeopathy for acute diarrhoeas

While the oral rehydration salts and fluids significantly reduce fatalities from dehydration, they do not treat the underlying infection that is causing diarrhoea. Homeopathic medicines Veratrum Album, Arsenic Album, Podophyllum lead the homeopathic table for treating diarrhoeas and provide quick relief to patients by eliminating the infection.

Veratrum Album is very useful when there is frequent and violent diarrhoea which is very profuse and painful. It is also indicated in cases in which signs of dehydration have started to appear and the patient seems to be in a collapsed state.

Arsenic Album is a leading remedy for diarrhoea caused by food poisoning. It suits in the cases where diarrhoea is worse after eating or drinking.

Podophyllum is indicated when sudden urgency for passing stool is a marked symptom also when profuse, offensive-smelling stools are preceded by great rumbling and gurgling in the abdomen. It is very useful for acute diarrhoeas in infants and small children.

Four to five doses of 30 c potency of the indicated medicine can be taken every hour at the onset of diarrhea. Meanwhile, also consult a physician.

Prevention, management

Clean water and food: As water-and-food-borne infections are the biggest culprits in the spread of summer diarrhoeas, the most effective way of prevention is to have safe water and food. Do not eat food from street vendors or have water from unclean places. Already cut fruits and vegetables from outside should be strictly avoided. When away from home, prefer sealed water bottles or aerated drinks.

Preventing dehydration

The best way to prevent dehydration during an acute episode diarrhoea is to have plenty of water. To replenish the electrolytes that are lost along with, one can have sugar (eight parts) and salt (one part) mixed in one litre of boiled and then cooled water or have pre-packed oral rehydration salt (ORS) available with chemists. Three litres of it should be taken by adults and big children in a day. Breast-feed for infants is also a source of electrolytes.

From A Homeopath’s Viewfinder

IN a given situation, where one finds a hair in a bowl of soup, broadly four different types of human reactions occur. The first flies into a rage and throws the soup at the waiter. The second expresses disgust, shrugs it off, and leaves the restaurant. The third begins crying because bad things always happen to him. The fourth looks at the hair, picks it out and goes on eating. For many it may look like a humorous pantomime but for a skilled homeopath they are typologies - characters that fit into certain remedies.

Remedies, as homeopaths learn to realise them, step forth as personalities. For a homeopath this constellation of “body and mind types” haunts them everywhere they go - restaurants, trains, queues. They become creatures of temperaments - mental or physical. They have likes and dislikes craving and aversions, sensitiveness to meteoric conditions as well as to human interaction. They realise their terrors, real or imaginary - their strange obsessions.

Homeopaths acknowledge certain groupings of bodymind symptom patterns that a person has and which correspond with the sensitivity of a particular homeopathic medicine. The word “symptom” here is most broadly defined as any sensation that is discomforting or that limits a person’s physical or psychological functions. Homeopaths also enquire into factors (which homeopaths call “modalities”) that seem to aggravate or ameliorate these sensations. In addition to prescribing on these factors, a homeopath may utilise information about the person’s body type, temperament and disposition, and behavioural tendencies to determine the appropriate medicine.

There is, for instance, the “phosphorous type,” the “sulphur type”, the “arsenic type,” and the “natrum mur type”. Each of these typologies refers not only to a type of medical problem, for instance, but also to those factors that make it better or worse, other physical symptoms which may be related to it, various past or present symptoms and diseases, food cravings or aversions, sensitivity to temperature and weather, energy levels at varying times of the day.

Over the years many schools of homeopathic practice have come into existence. Some adhere strictly to the original principles laid down by Hahnemann while others have explored different methods of utilising homeopathic remedies Homeopathy is a rigorous discipline that demands both years of immersion and a commitment to its philosophy. Choosing a single remedy that is the most appropriate in any given situation can be very difficult. It depends on the practitioner’s understanding of which symptoms are the most significant.

Through a homoeopath’s viewfinder the set of most distinct, individual symptoms and also that are truly characteristic of the patient, form the basis of “constitutional prescribing”.