Homeopathy is a safe, natural form of medicine, based on the practice of treating like with like. Homeopathy is derived from the Greek words homoios, meaning similar or similar, and italios, meaning pain.
Homeopathy is concerned with treating the whole person rather than the disease alone. Homeopath considers the patient as a whole, both physically and mentally, taking into account the patient's physical structure, his likes and dislikes, and his temperament. This is a highly individualized form of treatment, so patients who apparently suffer from the same disease may be advised on different medications.
Homeopathy is a well-established form of treatment. Today many leading pharmaceutical companies are researching and mass-producing homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic medicines:-
Homeopathic medicines look much like conventional medicines and are taken in the same way, but they have a completely different way of working.
The medicines are not synthetic and are taken from natural sources. More than 60% of homeopathic remedies are prepared from vegetable or plant materials. Other treatments are prepared from naturally occurring minerals, including metals, nonmetals, and mineral salts. Animal sources of homeopathic remedies include cuttlefish (ink or juice provides Sepia) and honeybees.
Homeopathic medicines are prepared by obtaining the remedy in its most concentrated form, and then, through a lengthy process of dilution, creating a medicine whose potency is sufficient to effect the treatment. The strength describes the dilution of the remedy and is denoted by a number that comes after the name of the medicine itself. The higher the number, the greater the dilution (diluting the solution to one part to one trillion parts).
Homeopathic medicines:-
Homeopathic medicines, commonly known as remedies, may come from the plant, mineral or animal kingdom. Some common remedies include Arnica montana from the leopard's bane plant; Belladonna, from the deadly nightshade plant; Calcarea, calcium carbonate from oyster shells; Sepia, from cuttlefish ink; And the element, sulfur.
Homeopathic remedies today are prepared using the same dilution principles as in Hahnemann's day. In a typical dilution of 1:100, one drop of the homeopathic substance is mixed with 99 drops of water and/or alcohol. The mixture is then pounded by a process called "succussion" – repeated tapping on a hard surface for a specific length of time. The treatment can be diluted up to 1000 times, leaving only a small fraction of the substance. Remedies are typically diluted 10, 100, or 1,000 times, translating into potencies marked with the Roman numerals X, C, and M. Homeopathic remedies range from 6X as the lowest potency to 1M or more as the highest potency.
Treatments may be taken orally as tablets, powders or drops, rubbed topically, or injected. Homeopathic remedies usually do not cause any side effects, but a patient may experience what is called "healing aggravation", which is a temporary exacerbation of symptoms. This is seen as a positive sign that the remedy is working. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a homeopath may choose an antidote, which produces the opposite effect of the remedy. The antidote may be another homeopathic remedy or a stronger substance, such as perfume, camphor, or coffee, which are known to block the effects of a remedy.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized homeopathic medicines as medicines since 1938, working with the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention to produce and update the Homeopathic Medicines Reference Book. Over the years, the FDA has classified homeopathic medicines based on their strength as either prescription or, more commonly, non-prescription (over-the-counter). In the United Kingdom, homeopathic medicine has been part of the National Health Service (NHS) since its introduction in 1948. There are currently 5 homeopathic hospitals in the NHS. Homeopathic medicines are available over the counter or on prescription.
Safety of homeopathic medicines:-
Due to the very, very small doses used in homeopathic treatments, the medicines are completely safe, non-addictive and have no unwanted side effects. The therapeutic properties of the remedy are released even in very high dilutions
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