Homeopathic Medicine Questions

Homeopathic medicine is a widely used form of treating illnesses and disease, next to man-made medications. Many physicians are skeptical of homeopathic treatments because they feel they have more of a placebo affect on patients instead of curing ailments. On the other hand, others feel this type of medication is highly effective and have used treatments for several years to solve health issues. These questions and answers will address homeopathic medicine, shedding a light on what makes this type of healing so popular around the world.

What principles are homeopathic medicines based upon?

Homeopathic medicine has been around for centuries. Nowadays, government regulations have toned down home remedies, but the concept is still the same. Homeopathic remedies are based upon three basic principles. Homeopathic medicines are taken in a "like cures like" methodology. Something that may cause a sickness could be used to cure a different sickness if both illnesses share the same symptoms. Homeopathic medicines are also taken in minimal doses and the remedies are often heavily diluted with water or some other substance. Homeopathic medicines are considered single remedy medicines because patients will take one medicine for several symptoms instead of taking a bunch of medications.

What can affect the use of homeopathic medicines?

Homeopathic medicines have a complexity to them that traditional medications don't carry. This can be a problem when trying to find a homeopathic remedy to cure a symptom because there isn't a standard medication used. Homeopathics are based upon the person, where their ailment is located and how aggressive the pain is for them. After finding out everything about the individual's illness, then one must go through all the homeopathics to discover which one is best matched for the patient. This can be tedious and take an extremely long amount of time. Another issue that arises with this type of remedy is finding homeopathics to cure an illness. Some pharmacies and whole food stores may not carry the specific medication you need, inhibiting your ability to alleviate your sickness.

Is self-diagnosis possible with homeopathic medicine?

There are ways to self-diagnose an illness and find a homeopathic remedy that will cure it. When it comes to self-diagnosing, it's important to listen to your own body. This means taking note of any ache or pain that occurs often or in the same place. Take note of your own state of mind to determine if anxiety or fear could be causing you trouble. Ask yourself is something you do makes a symptom go away or persist. Check the characteristics of your stool, including regularity. Note when a problem begins and when it occurs again to see how often you have it. Even sleep patterns can help you determine a self-diagnosis. Once you understand what your body is doing, then you can begin researching remedies, either online or at a store selling homeopathics. If you try to cure your symptoms with a treatment and nothing changes, then it's important to go see your doctor.

What is the normal dosage for homeopathic medicines?

Like traditional medications, potency of homepathics can vary. When prescribing a dosage, many homeopaths have to look at the patient, the kind of problems they're having medicine they'll be taking. For illnesses that are chronic or severe, higher dosages of homeopathic medicines are needed because they've usually been around for several years. Acute illnesses, which are disease new to a patient, will be treated with lower dosages. Like using traditional antibiotics, some situations require a high dose of medicine to give the body a head start on fighting an illness. Because so many different homeopathic remedies exist for a particular illness, it's important to find the correct medicine before starting any kind of treatment.

How should homeopathic medicines be taken?

Most homeopathic medicines are taken in pill form. When you begin a homeopathic regiment, you need to start with a clean pallet. This requires you to avoid foods that have strong flavors, such as coffee or mint. The pills are placed under the tongue and patients should avoid excessive contact with the medication. Just simply place the dosage in the lid and pour the medicine in your mouth. Not all homeopathic treatments are oral. Depending on the illness, a treatment could be given as an ointment. Unlike some traditional medicines, homeopathic remedies should be taken as long as symptoms occur. When they stop, you should also stop the medicine.

Can homeopathic medicines be combined?

In traditional homeopathic practices, medicines are taken alone, not combined. But in recent years, some remedies are being sold as combinations. Several remedies will be combined into one pill to solve an illness. Some are skeptical about combining remedies because many feel a patient will have more success by using one single medicine. This is because homeopathic treatments are based on how a single remedy can solve a particular illness. The fear is that if you combine too many treatments together, they will end up canceling each other out. The upside to combination remedies is the strength they have as opposed to using a single treatment for an illness.

What is the origin of homeopathic medicine?

Homeopathic medicine was started by Dr. Samuel Christian Hahnemenn, whose experiments and research has been used for over two hundred years. Hahnemenn began his research in 1794 because of his disillusionment with traditional medical treatments of his time. He spent years testing homeopathic medicines on himself and through experiments to determine the effect they would have on a patient. One of the earlier treatments originated with homeopathy was bloodletting, where a patient's blood would be drained in hopes of ridding the body of poisons. Strong laxatives were also given to patients in hopes of cleansing the body from toxins. Hahnemann's findings were recorded and became the basis for homeopathic medicine.

What is the difference between conventional medicine and homeopathic medicine?

Conventional medicine believes that symptoms can be cured with various treatments because the individual organs in the body are causing the problem. Homeopathic medicine is different because practitioners feel that many conventional treatments suppress the body's natural ability to rid itself of a disease. For example, a cough is the lung's ability to get a foreign substance out, and cough medicines are made to suppress this action. Homeopathic focuses on the body as a whole and sees that a remedy needs to cure the entire body instead of just focusing on one specific area. This will help it regain the internal stability needed to keep a person healthy.

Can children be treated with homeopathic medicine?

Children suffer from the usual illnesses such as coughs, colic, vomiting and the common cold. Giving a child antibiotics or cold medications could cause problems with digestion or even lower a child's resistance to other illnesses. Homeopathic medicines avoid doing this, even when taken over longer periods of times. Homeopathic medications can be sweet in taste, making it easy to give to an unwilling child. Homeopathic medicines can also help with behavioral problems and allergies in children. Children respond well to homeopathic treatments because they haven't had time to be exposed to conventional drug therapies.

Who practices homeopathic medicine?

Medical practitioners can legally prescribe homeopathic remedies anywhere in the country because they are licensed professionals. There are even a few states that have homeopathic medical boards. Other licensed professionals, such as dentists, veterinarians, chiropractors and nurse practitioners, often prescribe homeopathic remedies to their patients. The issue arises when lay people try to prescribe remedies without the proper certification. A few courses deal specifically with prescribing these treatments, allowing non-medical professionals the freedom to prescribe, so long as they pass the proper certification tests.

What is "materia medica?"

"Materia Medica" is a Latin phrase meaning "materials of medicine." These "materials" are the treatments used in homeopathic practice. Medicines come from many sources, such as animals, minerals, plants and some chemicals. Homeopathic treatments are listed in Latin so practitioners can easily search for remedies to treat a patient. Homeopaths need to study these medicines in detail because they can be used in so many different ways to treat symptoms. Homeopathy uses smaller doses of materia medica because practitioners believe there is an inverse relationship between the substance used and its ability to cure the symptom.

Technorati Tags: Homeopathy, Homeopathic Medicine Questions

Please enter your name and email to receive your FREE Homeopathy gift. Name:                 Email Address: Your name and email address will not be sold, shared or disclosed to anyone. We promise to respect your privacy.