As evidenced by the proliferating volume of books, magazines, TV programs and articles on health subjects, an increasing number of people want to take more responsibility for their health. With a constant stream of reports appearing in the press about the dangers of commonly prescribed drugs people are becoming wary of the risk of side effects.
There is also a culture of taking something for every ill – medicines for a cold, headache, indigestion, insomnia and so on. These commonly used medications often merely mask symptoms, and there is growing evidence that they interfere with the body’s self-healing mechanisms.
The homeopath believes that the body is always striving to keep itself healthy, or in balance, just as a keel boat attempts to right itself in the water.
We are always surrounded by germs, inside our body, in our food, in the air we breathe. In the battle raging between the body and invading forces, the homeopath is not primarily concerned with identifying the enemy- the type of bacteria or virus. The aim is to strengthen the body so it can resist these potentially harmful organisms.
When the body is threatened by harmful external forces, its defense mechanism produces symptoms such as pain, fever, mucus, cough and others. These symptoms, although unpleasant, have a purpose to restore harmony or balance. Pain is a warning that something is wrong. Fever inactivates many viruses that attack the body. Mucus is produced to surround and carry off irritating material. The cough expels mucus that would otherwise hinder breathing.
The homeopath regards symptoms as a healthy reaction of the body’s immune system to harmful forces; such symptoms need to be supported rather than interfered with. Standard medicine takes a different view; it regards symptoms as manifestations of the disease, to be opposed or suppressed. Aspirin or other anti-fever drugs are given to lower fever, antihistamine to dry up nasal secretions, cough syrup to suppress a cough.
As we go into the holiday season there can be additional load on our immune system. Winter in general can expose us to more bugs with more indoor activities, social contact and perhaps less exercise. Excess alcohol consumption can weaken the immune response as can lack of sleep and rest. Attitudes can have a significant impact on immune response efficiency; a pessimistic view on life and, bottled up negative emotions are known to weaken the immune system. Chronic stress can also have a very damaging effect on immunity; some people find the holiday season can be particularly stressful.
When the immune system is not working at optimum levels the body’s response to pathogens is affected and can succumb to dis-ease. Homeopathy treats disease based on a fundamental law known as the ‘Law of Similars’.
The law of similars states that, ‘a homeopathic remedy can cure a disease if it produces in a healthy person symptoms similar to those of the disease’. For example, a person develops a fever, with flushed face, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of restlessness. The homeopath based on these symptoms searches for a remedy that, under scientifically controlled conditions, produced these symptoms in a healthy person. With a correctly selected remedy the fever is reduced within a short time and the person again feels well. Homeopathy has been successfully treating disease for over 200 years.
For people wanting to take more responsibility for their health, Homeopathy offers an alternative. With minimal knowledge you can learn to treat at home those minor acute illnesses in an inexpensive and safe manner. The remedies are mainly made from natural products (plants, minerals and animal products) and are highly diluted and potentised to regulated standards. They are safe, non-addictive and work with the body at an energy rather than chemical level. Homeopathic treatment of chronic diseases should be left to a professional.
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