The Elderly And Homeopathy

As people grow older, our bodies become weaker. The immune systems starts to weaken, the body undergoes degeneration. The elderly would often times experience limitations with their vitality and overall body functionality. With homeopathy, the overall health condition of an elderly could improve it could even address conditions associated with aging.

• Alzheimer’ Disease

Statistics showed that about 2 to 4 % of 65 year olds would be at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In this condition, brain cells are gradually lost. This could eventually lead to dementia, which refers to the decline or deterioration of the brain’s performance. Homeopathy aims to control the disease before it could inflict more damage to the brain and at thee same time improve communication skills and memory retention. However, homeopathic remedies for Alzheimer’s disease are not the same, it would depend on the evaluation of each patient.

• Hair loss

Another common problem that occurs with aging is hair loss. One thing to understand is that homeopathy would not be treating hair loss from the scalp. It would treat hair loss from within or internally.

• Arthritis

There are a lot of homeopathic remedies for arthritis. There are remedies which could remove immediate pain and stiffness of the joints. In the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 82 % of elderly patients suffering from arthritis were able to get pain relief by using homeopathic medicines. Some of the remedies would be Aconitum, Actea spic, Arnica Montana, Belladona, Chamomilla, Sulphuricum, Pulsatilla nigricans, etc. The list could go on and on. When using homeopathic remedies for arthritis for the fist time, consult a practitioner to first to give you prescription based on what kind of pain you frequently feel.

• Gout

Gout happens when there is a build-up of uric acid. It could be extremely painful. Its causes could be diet, genetics and even medications that a person is currently taking. Homeopathic medicines could provide pain relief when there is join inflammation and pain happening due to gout. There are different substances which could be take for pain relief, always check with your practitioner or with your health care provider.

• Heart disease

Another common problem along aging would be heart disease. It is important to be clear that heart disease is a condition that CANNOT be treated by homeopathy alone. Homeopathic remedies used with this condition are complimentary medication. During heart attack incidents, it is important to bring the patient to a medical facility immediately. When taking homeopathic remedies for heart disease, there are some medication that should not be taken in the event of a heart attack.

• Osteoporosis

As we grow older, the body fully absorb the necessary vitamins. Bones are less porous, therefore it could not absorb the needed amount of calcium. Taking homeopathic medicines will not reverse any kind of calcium and bone loss. What homeopathic medicines could do is help the body in maximizing and utilizing its minerals and nutrients.

• Parkinson’s disease

When suffering from Parkinson’s disease and you would like to treat it with homeopathy then it is important to have an evaluation first with the expert homeopath. The homeopath would be recommending the medications that should be taken and how often it should be ingested.

The Pros and Cons of Homeopathy

The second most commonly used medical system in the world, homeopathy has gained much popularity in the United States for the last 10 years. This alternative to traditional medicine is founded on the principle called “like cures like,” which means that an illness can be cured with a low dose of substance that produces similar symptoms to healthy individuals.

The success of homeopathic medicine over the years can be attributed to the many advantages that it offers. On the other hand, some people cast doubts on the effectiveness of this therapeutic system. Are you considering homeopathic treatment to cure your disease? It’s best to know the pros and cons of using this alternative medical system.

Pros:

1. Homeopathic medicine is 100% safe. There are no side effects when you use this therapeutic method of treating an illness. Even pregnant women and babies can take homeopathic remedies without fear of getting side effects. These remedies can be taken safely with other medications. Because homeopathic remedies are prepared using only natural substances, you can be sure that it won’t harm your health.

2. It is very effective. As long as the right remedy is taken and the prescribed diet and diet changes are followed, one can expect quick, complete, and long-term results.

3. It is easy to take. Parents would be glad to know that homeopathic medications can be easily administered even to children who dislike bitter medicines. Most medications come in sweet drops, tiny tablets, or powders.

4. It is not addictive. Once you feel relief after taking the remedy, then you must stop taking it. However, if you felt no relief, then you might be taking the wrong remedy.

5. It does not suppress the immune system. This is a big advantage since most traditional medications work by suppressing the body’s immune defenses. For instance, cough medications suppress your cough reflex, which is the body’s mechanism to clear the lungs.

6. It is holistic. Because it considers all symptoms as one, it zeroes in on the cause instead of the symptoms of a disease. Thus, with homeopathic treatments, symptoms will never occur again.

Cons:

1. The right remedy may not be available at any pharmacy. The great number of remedies used in homeopathic medicine may pose availability problems. That means the correct medication may be difficult to get from a drug store, especially if it is not so commonly used.

2. Finding out the right remedy takes a bit longer than traditional medicine. This is because there is no single remedy for a certain disease or medical condition—the remedy has to match the symptoms unique to a person. The factors that homeopaths look into, say a headache, include the type of pain, the situation where it occurs, and the things that worsen the pain.

3. Although there are many homeopathic practitioners, only a few are experts on the field. Researches are few and far in between as well.

Deciding whether to adopt homeopathy as your way to prevent and cure diseases can be a tricky one. But since it is safe, why not give it a shot?

Homeopathy: Its Early Days and Evolution

German chemist and physician Samuel Hahnemann takes the credit for founding an alternative to conventional medicine. More than 200 years ago, Dr. Hahnemann developed a medical system known today as homeopathy. In 1779, Dr. Hahnemann finished his medicine course and started his own practice. He started performing his homeopathic experiments 11 years later, with a humane medical approach in mind. Hahnemann’s disenchantment with some of the inhumane aspects of traditional medicine, such as using toxic substances, blood transfusion, and purging, pushed him to develop an alternative way to treat various illnesses. According to Dr. Hahnemann, the ideal way to cure diseases is to perform it quickly and mildly with permanent and safe results.

Dr. Hahnemann almost ended his medical practice in favor of practicing chemistry and medical translation. He started his efforts in giving better healthcare through the homeopathic principle of similars (or “like cures like”) when he worked on a translation project involving Materia Medica by William Cullen. As he was working on the project, a tree bark called cinchona (which originated from South America) that was used as a remedy for fever induced by malaria sparked his curiosity. Hahnemann discovered later that the bark produced the same symptoms with malaria, and he kept his studies on the idea of similar suffering and cures. Hahnemann’s findings gave birth to the principle similia similibus curentur or like cures like.

In the late 1800s, Hahnemann’s students established the first homeopathic school in the United States. The school earned a good reputation because it succeeded in curing a wide range of diseases that were prevalent during those times such as yellow fever, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and cholera. It was not until almost a century later that the way of treatment advocated by homeopathic medical schools gained much popularity. In the 20th century, homeopathic medicine had become widely used. There were already 100 homeopathic hospitals, 22 homeopathic schools, and over 1,000 homeopathic drug stores during that time. Some of the premiere educational institutions such as New York Medical College, Boston University, and Stanford University also started to teach homeopathic medicine.

However, the popularity of this alternative medical system declined too soon because of the opposition by the American Medical Association. In the early 1920s, modern pharmaceutical companies started manufacturing drugs that are easy to use. Many homeopathic schools closed down as well. These two events led to the declining interest of people in homeopathic medicine, especially in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Despite that, homeopathic medicine still keeps on growing these days. Nowadays, this medical system is widely used in India, Germany, Russia, South America, Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Italy, and Mexico. In France, most drug stores provide homeopathic medicines and remedies.

Likewise, homeopathic medicines have been reclaiming its former glory in the United States. According to a research conducted by the Virginia-based National Center for Homeopathy, sales of homeopathic remedies increase at about 12 to 15 percent every year. Trainings for would-be homeopathic practitioners are rising in the United States as well.