A: Homeopathy
treats illness by stimulating your body's own natural healing
powers. A Homeopath administers medicines according to the
law of similars i.e. LET LIKES BE TREATED BY LIKES. Whatever
a drug will cause in a healthy person, it will cure in an
ill person. This cure law indicates that two very similar
illnesses cannot coexist in a living organism at the same
time. The Homeopath prescribes treatment for you as an individual
as a whole and not simply for your complaint.
Q: How does it
work?
A: It works by the cure law - law of similars. When you have symptoms
of illness, the Homeopath will give you a remedy which would produce
similar symptoms if taken when you were healthy. Here the remedy
is given in minute quantities to trigger your body's resistance
which in turn acts against the disease force.
Q: What does
Homeopathic treatment involve?
A: The Homeopath will
want to know not only about your illness but also about you. How
you are affected by environmental factors such as temperature and
the weather, the kinds of food you eat or the food you avoid, your
moods and feelings, and your medical history will all help to establish
a complete picture of you as a person.
The Homeopath then relates
the description of your current symptoms to all this background
knowledge in order to prescribe the correct remedy. Choice of remedy
is, therefore, based on you and your condition, not just on your
symptoms.
Q: How should
I take the remedy?
A: Unlike other systems
of medicines, it doesn't act through blood after digestion of drug
materials. It acts through the nerves endings in the tongue. It
reaches the brain and works it profile from a higher level.
So avoid eating anything
10 minutes before and after taking your medicine i.e. you should
take medicine on a clean tongue. (Clean tongue does not mean you
need to wash your mouth but simply that it should be devoid of any
taste. For example - if you take coffee or tea, the taste will remain
for 15-20 minutes. So, avoid taking medicines for that period of
time.)
Q: How should
I store the remedies?
A: Most medicines are
fairly delicate and need to be treated quite carefully. Homeopathic
remedies should be stored away from strong light, strong temperature
variations and strong smells. All three can inactivate them. Also
it should be stored out of reach of children.
Q: Who benefits
from Homeopathy?
A: Homeopathy can be
of benefit to people at any age, including the newborn. Pregnant
women can also use most of the Homeopathic medications without risk
to the foetus. Children respond particularly well to these remedies
because their reactive powers are often stronger than those of adults.
Q: Can Homeopathy
cure everything?
A: Each and every system
has its own limitations and merits. This is applicable to Homeopathy
also. All functional troubles can be cured. Irreversible or degenerative
conditions, where structural damage is more marked, cannot be completely
cured by Homeopathy. However, homeopathy can play an important role
in such cases by providing physical as well as psychological support
which will aid the body in defending itself against the disease
and further degeneration.
Q: Should other
treatments be stopped?
A: Not necessary. Homeopathic
medicines can be safely taken along with Allopathic medicines in
needful cases.
Q: Are Homeopathic
medicines well-proven?
A: Homeopathic medicines
are well-proven in healthy human beings (in Allopathy, drugs are
proven in diseased individuals after being tested on animals) and
also clinically proven on diseased individuals.
Q: Does Homeopathic
treatment work quickly?
A: Homeopathic remedies
work as quickly, if not faster than conventional medications in
most acute ailments, whether they are infectious or non-infectious,
due to their effectiveness. In chronic disorders, however, it is
necessary to provide a person's body with in-depth treatment to
avoid relapse and the treatment can be stretched out over several
weeks or months. The length of time a person has to be treated by
Homeopathy for a chronic problem depends on the length of time he/she
has suffered from the disorder, the nature of the disorder and the
inherent reaction of each individual to the disease. The real advantage
of Homeopathic medicine is that it works safely to heal the whole
body.
Q: Are there
any side-effects?
A: As per Newton's universal
law 'every action has its own reaction'. Since Homeopathic medicines
are administered in very minimal doses, you cannot notice any adverse
reactions, if any.
Q: Are there
any precautions to be taken?
A: It
is better to avoid prolonged use of alcohol and strong stimulants
(coffee, tea) while taking Homeopathic remedies. Otherwise it is
better to avoid them at least half-an-hour before and after taking
Homeopathy medicines.