Cold sensitivity & Homeopathy

Cold Weather Sensitivity and Homeopathy

With the advent of winters, most of us are happy to ’see off’ those sweltering hot days of summer. But for some, cold weather brings in, its own set of woes and miseries. People who are sensitive to cold temperature are majorly affected by this season. Recurrent Cough, colds and sinusitis are the most common ailments for those who are sensitive. For some the sensitivity to cold weather is so high that even a whiff of cold air is enough to trigger an attack, which could last for weeks or months. If you are one of those who suffer from months of miseries with cough cold, and sinusitis every winter, Then Homeopathy offers a great hope for you. Homeopathy understands and cures this idiosyncratic combination of your cold sensitivity and body’s propensity to develop such stuffy colds.

This cold sensitivity can affect one in many ways. It can range from simply feeling colder than others to respiratory issues like stuffy colds, sinusitis, chronic cough, bronchitis and asthma. Just a mild exposure to cold can trigger a complete sequence of events. There are patients that even at the least exposure to cold air e.g. moving the hand out of the quilt at night or sleeping without a warm head cap at night can lead to weeks of incapacitation. Well, the extent to which one is affected varies a lot. It depends on their level of intolerance and other factors such as genetic tendencies, age, nature of jobs, etc.

Homeopathy has a great armory to deal with cold weather sensitivity. To start off ,Aconitum Napelus commonly known as Aconite is great homeopathic medicine to treat all affections that start with after an exposure to cold air .My advice for all those who suffer from this cold weather sensitivity would be to carry this medicine in your pocket. It is very useful in the first few hours of the exposure when the symptoms have just started e.g. runny nose, headaches shivering etc. Few doses of aconite would be sufficient enough to completely abort the attack of cold. Chronic stuffy colds and sinusitis are also very effectively treated with homeopathy. Silicea kali Bichrome and Pulsatilla are few of the medicines that are very useful in treating these forms. Barking type of cough that starts in kids suddenly after an exposure in kids is best treated with Hepar Sulp and Spongia. People who have their feet sensitive to cold and can never seem to get them warm , homeopathic medicines Calcarea Carb and Silicea can do wonders for them.

The best part of homeopathy is that it can cure ones constitutionally sensitivity to cold weather. In this form of treatment (which is often called as constitutional treatment ) prescription is based on the study of ones complete constitution which includes the physical and the mental makeup .This usually is a prolonged treatment and would require a season or two before any sustainable results are achieved. The most important homeopathic medicines that are used in this form of constitutional treatment are Tuberculinum, Silicea, Calcarea Carb and Psorinum. As Constitutional treatment requires a detailed study of the various aspects of the constitution and uses deep acting medicines it is advisable to take the help of a professional homeopath.

First Aid In Winters

In winters, ailments like chilblains, cold, headache and fever usually catch us all of a sudden. In such situations, the right homoeopathic medicine, that too prescribed well in time, can be of great help. So, why do we not have our own first-aid homoeopathic kit at home? Here are three important medicines that can be used as first aid in winters when proper medical help is not possible.

Aconite the first choice

Well, if ever there can be a real antidote to the ill-effects of cold, aconite is the one.

After an exposure to cold, when the first symptoms show up, is the time to use aconite (runny nose, sneezing, itchiness in the throat or nose, shivering, etc). It is also very effective in controlling breathing difficulties after such a cause. Believe it or not, if you are quick enough to antidote your exposure within the first hour or so, aconite can abort the attack within no time.

Aconite is indicated after an exposure to dry cold weather, cold air, etc. It is also very useful when the symptoms are noticed due to perspiration having been checked by sudden exposure to cold. Remember that aconite is only indicated in the first few hours of exposure when the symptoms have just started occurring. Three doses of aconitum napelus 30c spaced at an interval of 10 minutes should serve as a proverbial stitch in time.

How to stay warm

The simple principle: Never go out without adequate clothing, however briefly. Avoid your clothing getting wet, through sweat or water. Dry it as soon as possible if this happens

Dress up in layers: Dressing up in several layers of clothes (preferably woollens) can significantly help in reducing the loss of heat. Remember that three light shirts are warmer than one thick one Double or triple your pair of socks if you suffer from cold feet.

Cover your nose: We lose one-thirds of our body heat by our head and 50 per cent of that is actually lost by the nose.

So cover your nose and you will really feel the difference. Don’t forget covering your head too.

Belladonna the surest bet

All those who have used or studied homoeopathy know how sure one is while using belladonna when symptoms of inflammation set in after an exposure.

Although its stage comes after aconite, it can be used directly if one hasn’t had the opportunity to use aconite. Belladonna is indicated when inflammation sets in. Cardinal symptoms of inflammation, as we are taught, are heat, redness, swelling and pain. For example, it is indicated in conditions such as fever after exposure, sore throat (congested, painful and red on examination), headache and all other inflammatory conditions that occur due to exposure. Three doses of 30c potency of belladonna repeated after an interval of every hour should suffice.

Agaricus for chilblains

Winters are a menace for those who suffer from chilblains. Chilblains are a painful abnormal reaction of the small blood vessels in the skin when exposed to cold temperatures. Chilblains appear as small itchy, red areas on the skin. These are common on the toes, but can also affect the fingers and the face (especially the nose and the ears). Three doses of agaricus 30c in a day for a period of four days should be sufficient to control the suffering.

If one finds limited or no relief after using the prescribed medicines, make sure that you consult a professional. The above mentioned first-aid medicines should be used only when actual medical help is not readily available

Urticaria

Commonly called as “Chaapa-ki” in our native Hindi, Urticaria is not a very pleasant thing to have. It is marked by raised patches on the skin with redness and a lot itchy feeling. Acute episodes of Urticaria are common and many people do experience this nearly once in their lifetime; this acute short episode goes away on its own and usually requires no medicine. When Urticaria lasts for more than six weeks, it is called as “chronic Urticaria”. Such form of Urticaria can last for months and years together, if left untreated. Homeopathy has a very promising role in the treatment of chronic Urticaria. The long term results with homeopathic medicines are very encouraging and sustainable.

Urticaria rashes can affect any area of the body; they are usually small elevated  red patches and are often called as weals in medical terminology. Weals are usually 1-2 cm across but can vary in sizes. They usually are circular in shape but can be of any shape. Weals usually last upto 24 hours or even longer at times. One area or the whole body can be affected. Feeling of stiffness and stretching along with intense itching are very common symptoms in Urticaria. The rashes may gradually clear only to return sometime later. In about one half of the patients with chronic Urticaria, angio-oedema occurs; this is a swelling caused by leakage of fluid into the deeper tissues of the skin.

What exactly causes is not absolutely clear but auto immune factor is supposed to be the most common trigger for chronic Urticaria. This means that body’s own defense cells attack the cells of the skin to cause Urticaria symptoms. Food allergies, which are often thought to be the culprit ,are in reality not a common reason for chronic Urticaria. Chronic infections, drugs that are used in treating blood pressure and diseases like thyroid disorders often form a reason for Urticaria. A condition which is very commonly present in cases of chronic Urticaria is ‘Physical Urticaria’. The symptoms of Urticaria are triggered by exposure to hot or cold environment, sunlight, physical exertion and pressure on skin. Many patients with chronic Urticaria have sensitive skin and develop raised red lines with any pressure or scratching of the skin.

Homeopathy provides an excellent solution for those who suffer from chronic Urticaria. Although the treatment can take time and it is only gradually that the patient can reach a stage where this problem can be completely cured. Two medicines that I would rank at the top, for treating Urticaria from its base are Sulphur and Astacus Fluviatilis.  Sulphur is a very important homeopathic medicine for treating chronic obstinate Urticaria, but  remember it can be a ‘double edged sword’ and should be used only  under the directions of the  homeopathic physician. Apis mel  ( made from the bee sting) is another homeopathic medicine that is often used with great success in homeopathy for treating chronic as well as acute forms of Urticaria . It is also very effective in treating Urticaria where   angio-oedema (swelling) is also present.

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.

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”.

First aid when cold starts

With the change in the weather, the chances of getting an exposure or a cold-related illness have increased considerably. One medicine that works wonders in saving you in the initial stages from any problem that arises out of an exposure to cold is Aconitum napelus, also commonly known as Aconite. Remember to have it in your pocket if you are trying to venture out on an extremely cold day. This medicine is effective only if it is used when the symptoms are just setting in. After the initial stages are over, it hardly gives any relief but is extremely effective in aborting nearly any kind of cold-related illness - common cold, headache, fever, runny nose, sneezing, etc. This can be taken as a preventive measure if you feel you’ve been exposed to a cold air and feel symptoms are bound to come sooner or later.

Take a few shots of aconite 30c and be rest assured that the attack is going to be aborted. If the first stage has just passed by and symptoms have been there for a while and signs of inflammation, heat and redness and swelling have already set in, Belladonna will work very effectively.

Runny nose: For colds with runny nose that starts off when one suddenly gets chilled or is exposed to cold air while being overheated, homoeopathic medicine Arsenic Album will help.

Sore throat: Sore throat in the winters and rattly cough that is very common is very well treated with Hepar Sulph. For throats and tonsils that, after an exposure, usually end up developing severe inflammation, Hepar Sulph is the best choice. Great pain while swallowing or even on touching the throat from outside is the key indication for Hepar Sulph to be prescribed. Coughs that come after an exposure which are of rattly nature and yield yellowish phlegm respond very well to Hepar Sulph.

Headaches: For people who develop headaches after a little bit of exposure, homoeopathic medicine Silicea will solve the problem immediately.

Body pain: For pains that may occur in joints and other parts of the body after an exposure to cold air, few doses of Rhus Tox can be of great help.

Chilblains: Low humidity levels and cold weather lead to the loss of moisture from the skin, resulting in a condition called “xerosis” or chapped skin. The skin becomes dry cracked and itchy. Homoeopathic medicine Petroleum is extremely effective in healing chapped skin and cuts in heels that arise in winters.

Chilblains occur due to an overexposure to cold. Some individuals develop it otherwise also in winter. They form due to the inflammation of the small blood vessels in fingers, toes, tip of ear, nose, etc. The skin gets red swollen and itchy and has a burning sensation which may even progress to form ulcers. Homoeopathic medicine Agaricus leads the table in treating chilblains very effectively.

Cervical ,Neck pain cure- Homeopathy

Neck pain or cervical pain is perhaps one of the most common disorders that are caused by the modern life-style. Lack of exercise, poor posture, prolonged working hours and long driving hours are the primary factors that lead to neck-related disorders. And for some who suffer from chronic neck pain, cold weather adds to their woes.

Homoeopathic treatment of neck pain or cervical pain can provide great relief to the patients as it not only treats the pain but also cures the underlying causes to make sure that pain does not recur.

Although neck pain may be caused by many factors, cervical strain is the most frequent diagnosis. The pain can be severe and can temporarily limit the patient’s everyday activities. This condition is very often (by mistake) thought of as spondylosis. Although both the conditions - strain and spondylosis - are different from each other, their symptoms resemble closely.

Cervical strain affects the muscles of the neck, particularly those at the back of the neck. This straining occurs after an overuse of the muscles - prolonged studying, driving, awkward positions such as cradling the phone between the ear and the shoulder, sitting in a chair that offers no support, or working at an ill-designed computer station or any activity where one has to hold the head in one position for hours.

This actually causes the muscles at the back of the neck to get tired, resulting in pain and stiffness in the back of the neck and at times this pain can also be felt in the shoulders and the back part of the head. When this overuse of muscles is repeated again and again, the pain becomes chronic. This is also called as “repetitive stress injuries”. Pain can also occur due to cervical sprain. Sprain occurs due to trauma to the neck as in whiplash (when the head is suddenly and quickly forced forward and backward) injuries in car accidents, falls and sport injuries.

Another major cause for neck pain is cervical spondylosis. Like other joints, cervical joints tend to deteriorate with age. This includes the wear and tear of the vertebrae, degeneration and herniation of the cushions between the vertebrae (also commonly called as disks). Abnormal growth of the bones also occurs on the vertebrae (cervical bones). These accumulated changes (cervical spondylosis) result in pressure on the nerve root. This results in the symptoms that are produced in spondylosis - neck pain, loss of sensation or abnormal sensation in arms and shoulder, stiffness in neck, episodes of loss of balance, headache at the back side of the head.

The treatment of neck pain with homoeopathy has distinct advantages unlike the conventional system of medicine, it does not suppress the pain symptoms. Homoeopathy treats the underlying condition that is causing pain. For example, if one suffers from pain due to spondylosis, the treatment will be aimed at treating the degenerative changes. Medicine for pain due to the straining of cervical muscles are different from the ones that will treat spondylosis. Further differentiation is also made on the individual variations of symptoms.

Thus homoeopathy customises the treatment based on individuals underlying disorder and symptom. This high level of customisation is what provides homoeopathy an edge in stopping the recurrence by curing the disease. Cervical strain can be very effectively and speedily treated with homoeopathy. The treatment of cervical spondylosis require more time as the changes are at the physical level and also have occurred over a long period. The treatment in cervical spondylosis depends upon the extent of damage.

Quackery At Its Best

OF all the medical practitioners that I have met, this gentleman left the gravest of all impressions. And, perhaps, this meeting was the briefest of all, lasted not even a minute.

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COUGH VARIANT ASTHMA

Two homeopathic medicines that I have found are very useful in treating cough variant asthma are Drosera and Coccus cacti. Drosera stands at the top of the  table for treating this recurrent cough episodes ;the main symptoms for its use are cough that aggravates at night and is also aggravated in the morning. Coccus Cacti is useful when the child vomits every time a spasm of cough comes on. I have used both the medicines with great success in treating many cases of cough variant asthma. Although there are other medicnes like Antim Tart and Ipecac ; but for my patients  Drosera and Coccus cacti have worked wonders.

Migraine headaches treatment

I am talking of a a little heard medicine in homeopathy ‘Epiphegus’ . It has a wonderful role in treating migraine headaches. I have personally seen a great number of chronic migraines being totally cured with this medicine within months.the key indication for the use of epiphegus are headaches that are brought on by least exertion wether mental or physical; Any deviation from normal routine can start a headache. It is more used when  left side is more predominantly affected. A very important symptom that i have noticed in patients who become better with Epiphegus is that they have a sudden strong urge to eat before the headache starts.