1. What is homeopathy?
2. How does it work?
3. Homoeopathy medicine is slow to act?
4. What ailment can be treated by Homeopathy?
5. Are homeopathic medicines safe?
6. How do homeopathic medicines work?
7. Homoeopathy is useful only for the chronic conditions and has no role for acute ailments.
8. When it comes to handling infections, nothing can beat antibiotics.
9. Homoeopathy is more placebo effect and faith healing...
10. Homoeopathy can only help functional problems such as pain, weakness, where there are no structural changes in the body.
11. Why should I try homeopathy?
12. What does treatment involve?
13. How often do I have to take the remedy?
14. How should I take the remedy?
15. How should I store the remedies?
16. Can I use homeopathy and aromatherapy at the same time?
17. How should I handle the remedies?
18. Should I stop my other medication?
19. Why have I heard that some homeopaths tell their patients to stop their other drugs?
20. Can homeopathy provide an alternative to vaccination?
21. What are the sources of homoeopathic medicines?
22. How are the homoeopathic medicines prepared?
23. Homoeopathy is practiced by some quacks and those who have no scientific back-ground...
24. Homoeopathy is a miracle medicine and it cures every disease under the sun.
25. What dietary measures and life-style changes are required under homeopathic treatment?
26. Where can I find more information?
27. Do Homoeopathy medicines contain steroids?
28. What are the different aspects of complete treatment?

1. What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine, which was founded by the German physician Dr. Hahnemann in 1790. Dr. Hahnemann was a very famous physician of the then dominant school of medicine. He was a successful practitioner, but deep within he was very troubled by the limited amount of useful medical knowledge of his times. He realized that, very ironically, the 'medical science' is not based on any fundamental scientific laws. And the theories on which the medicine of his time was based were vague and hypothetical. And the treatment often caused more harm than good. So he left his medical practice and started translation work instead.
While translating Cullen's Materia Medica, he decided to probe into the action of Cinchona bark, which was known to have curative power in malarial fevers. To do this, he took some extract of Cinchona bark himself. To his utter surprise, he soon developed symptoms similar to those of malaria. It occurred to him that Cinchona bark can cure malaria because it has the power to produce a similar state in a healthy human being. To test this idea further, he did similar experiments with various substances on himself and others. And he found all his experiments confirming his idea. And so he concluded that this is a general law and called it 'Similia Similibus Curantur' , i.e.; 'Like Cures Like' - the fundamental principle on which Homeopathy is based.
This law has been confirmed by thousands of people since then and has been found to be rock-solid. Dr.Hahnemann then further developed this idea, proved hundreds of new medicines, developed methods of preparation and administration of medicines and also gave many guidelines regarding health and disease, thus giving birth to a complete and new system of medicine. This was a strong foundation and a lot of work has gone into further development of Homeopathy in the past 200 years. The work and growth of Homeopathy is still going on and at a very rapid pace. And as the physical basis of this science is becoming clear, its acceptance is growing in all ranks of society. It won't be wrong to say - 'The Future Belongs to Homeopathy.
Homeopathy treats illness by stimulating your body's own natural healing powers. Your homeopath builds up a complete picture of you and prescribes treatment for you as an individual, not simply for your complaint.

2. How does it work?
Homeopaths see symptoms as a sign that you body is attacking an illness and use remedies which encourage this response and help the healing process. When you have symptoms of illness, your homeopath will give you a remedy which would produce similar symptoms if taken when you were healthy. Sometimes referred to as treating- like with like. But this remedy is given in minute quantities so that it triggers your body's self-healing response without any other ill effect.

3. Homoeopathy medicine is slow to act?
Not really. Homoeopathy is fast acting in acute conditions such as infections, fever, diarrhea, etc. The chronic and old disease such as psoriasis take a long time to treat hence homoeopathy has been labeled as slow acting. One may say that homoeopathy may be slower than the effect of pain-killers, anti-inflammatory medicines and steroids. One must know that homoeopathy is faster in the treatment of conditions such as allergy, asthma, eczema, migraine, arthritis.
Homoeopathy is like a tortoise in the well-known story of tortoise and rabbi

4. What ailment can be treated by Homeopathy?
Almost all ailments are amenable to homeopathic treatment. But Homeopathy is best known for its ability to treat chronic ailments. The reason for this is that Homeopathy is the only system of medicine which offers curative treatment (not palliative) in many chronic ailments which have been declared 'incurable' by other schools of medicine. Be it skin disease, chronic gastric and intestinal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, asthma, allergic disorders, menstrual complaints, other hormonal disorders, arthritis, psychological disorders etc. All these and many more chronic ailments have been affected curatively by Homeopathy. The only major limiting factors are 1. Gross structural and pathological changes. 2. Very low vitality of the patient. 3. Unavoidable presence of certain causative or maintaining factors.
Then Homeopathy is also known to make surgery unnecessary on many occasions. Many tonsils, adenoids, appendices etc have been saved with Homeopathy. Benign tumors and renal stones also respond well to homeopathic treatment.
Even in cases where curative treatment is not possible, like advanced cases of arthritis, malignancies etc, management and palliation with homeopathic medicines is very effective and improves the quality of life of such patients without making them suffer the side effects of the modern wonder -drugs ( ! ).
Homeopathy is also very effective in acute ailments. And the action of a rightly selected medicine is usually faster than any other medicines. Not only under proper homeopathic treatment the tendency to frequent recurrence of acute and their tendency to become chronic is aborted.
One last thing! In Homeopathy it is said that Homeopathy never fails, it's the Homeopath that fails. And although Homeopathy has its limitations, most 'curable' cases that do not respond to Homeopathy are due to improper selection of medicine or potency and case management. So if you don't get benefit from Homeopathy at first, don't dump Homeopathy; dump the Homeopath.

5. Are homeopathic medicines safe?
Absolutely! Homeopathic medicines are given in sub-physiological doses. They do not have any chemicals or added colors in them. Usually they do not have any side effects and they cannot cause any structural damage in general. They are safe for infants and pregnant women too. But homeopathic medicines often have very profound action on human economy, so they should not be taken without consultation with a qualified homeopath.

6. How do homeopathic medicines work?
Homeopathic medicines act by stimulating body's own defense mechanism to correct the process which has lead to the disease condition. According to our current understanding, the medicines act as a electromagnetic signal, which is picked up by nerves and relayed to higher centers of the brain, which in turn stimulates our bodies healing powers to take specific corrective measures. Medicines tell the body 'What to do?' - the actual work is done by the body itself

7. Homoeopathy is useful only for the chronic conditions and has no role for acute ailments
Homoeopathy is a great alternative medicine for acute diseases. In fact, almost 50% of our practice consists of acute ailments varying form cough-cold-fever to otitis media, pneumonia, tonsillitis, hepatitis, sinusitis, etc.

Homoeopathy is a real alternative medicine.

8. When it comes to handling infections, nothing can beat antibiotics.
This misbelief is an example of mass ignorance in the hi- tech era that we are living in. Over an again, thousands of practitioners world over, have repeatedly and regularly observed that infections of all kind including the bacterial infections, respond beautifully to homoeopathy and no antibiotics are required for most of such conditions. It is in rare cases when the infection is very massive and the body has lost the vitality to recover, probably antibiotics are required in addition to homoeopathy.

One, day homoeopathy will be recognized as a latest generation antibiotic measure.

9. Homoeopathy is more placebo effect and faith healing...
Scientific double blind studies have indicated that homoeopathy far above the placebo effect. The effect of homoeopathy medicine has been observed millions of time, which cannot be labeled as placebo effect. New born babies, infants, and animals such as lions, dogs, etc. have shown healing effects of homoeopathy, which goes against the placebo effect. Saying that homoeopathy is placebo, in the light of above facts, is not just a misbelief but a prejudice.

10. Homoeopathy can only help functional problems such as pain, weakness, where there are no structural changes in the body.
Homoeopathy has proved its efficacy for the treatment of structural pathology. Numerous documented cases where the reversal of the structural pathology has taken place indicating the depth of homoeopathy action.

The skeptics should keep the eyes open to evaluate the documented cases.

11. Why should I try homeopathy?
Homeopathic remedies are mainly made from natural materials and have almost no side-effects. They are particularly appealing to people who prefer natural products to conventional drugs, those with chronic conditions, and to parents and others responsible for the care of children. Some illnesses can be treated entirely with homeopathy which offers a much more gentle way to health.

12. What does treatment involve?
To discover how best to help, 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 that 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 at the right strength. Choice of remedy is therefore based on you and your condition, not just on your symptoms.

13. How often do I have to take the remedy?
This will vary, depending on the severity or nature of the problem. It can be as frequent as one tablet every half hour or as infrequently as one tablet monthly or per annum. Remedies which have acted only need to be repeated when the symptoms recur.

14. How should I take the remedy?
Avoid putting anything in your mouth for half-an-hour before or after taking your remedy. Some homeopaths advise completely avoiding strong substances like coffee and mint while taking remedies.

15. How should I store the remedies?
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.

16. Can I use homeopathy and aromatherapy at the same time?
You should not store your homeopathic remedies in the same place as your aromatherapy oils and you should not take a homeopathic remedy at exactly the same time as you apply aromatherapy oil, but you can undergo both treatments for your illness after consultation with your homoeopath.

17. How should I handle the remedies?
As little as possible. It is best to tip one pillule into the lid of their container and then tip the medicine into your mouth. Try to touch the remedy with your fingers only if you really have to, and as little as you can. Handling remedies too much can inactivate them.

18. Should I stop my other medication?
No. Homeopathic remedies can be safely taken along with other medicines. It can be very dangerous to stop a medicine which you have been using for some time. The remedies will not interfere with your other drugs. You will be able to reduce your other drugs if you begin to improve under the influence of the homeopathic ones.

19. Why have I heard that some homeopaths tell their patients to stop their other drugs?
It is very unusual for a qualified health care professional to give such an instruction. Some non-medically qualified homeopaths have been known to give such advice and it stems from their distrust of mainstream medicine. The reason they will give is that some drugs can inhibit the effects of the homeopathic remedies. It is true that some drugs can produce such an inhibitory effect, particularly steroids and other drugs which suppress the immune system. However, experienced homeopathic practitioners will tell you that it is still possible to see the remedies produce good effects in the face of these drugs. Drugs should only be stopped when it is deemed they are no longer clinically necessary.

20. Can homeopathy provide an alternative to vaccination?
There is no evidence to show that homeopathic medicines can be used instead of vaccination. The Faculty of Homeopathy recommends that immunization is carried out in the usual way, unless there are strong medical contraindications.

21. What are the sources of homoeopathic medicines?
The homoeopathic medicines are prepared from a wide range of natural sources. Over 75% of the medicines origin from the vegetable kingdom. i.e. flowers, roots, leaves and the juice.

Certain chemicals and minerals are also used to prepare certain medicines. For instance, sulfuric acid, nitric acid. Most of the minerals and metals are used as a source of medicine, such as gold, silver, zinc, tin, iron and so on.

Some microbes, bacteria, virus are also used to prepare a special group of medicines (called Nosode), for instance, influenza virus, bacteria which produce tuberculosis, etc. Some body secretion such as the hormones (thyroid hormone, for instance) also find place in the wide source- place.

Animal kingdom has a special place in the homoeopathy pharmacy and homoeopathy medicines are prepared from the animal sources almost in a nonviolent technique. Some insects such as Spanish fly (Apis Mellifica) and certain animal products such as the venom of Cobra snake (Naja) are used in unique manner.

22. How are the homoeopathic medicines prepared?
Remedies are derived from a variety of natural materials including plants and minerals and are prepared in licensed laboratories under strict quality control. They are given in tablet, granule or powder form and are available in different, but extremely dilute strengths which are identified by a potency number. Choosing the right remedy at the appropriate strength is very important.
Over-the-counter remedies are usually strength 6C. This means that the substance has undergone 6 steps in a series of dilutions, where each step involves taking 1 part of the remedy and diluting it in 99 parts of alcohol.
A fascinating but as yet unexplained characteristic of homeopathic remedies is that the more dilute a remedy, the more effective it is. For example, a remedy diluted 30 times by a factor of 100 (strength 30C) is much more potent than a 6C remedy, even though it contains less of the original substance.

23. Homoeopathy is practiced by some quacks and those who have no scientific back-ground...
Well, homoeopathy in most parts of the world is practiced by the qualified allopath, the practitioners of the modern medicine. The founder of homoeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, MD was a German scientist. And most of the masters and the pioneers in the past were enlightened allopaths.

Those who think we are quacks, we just smile...

24. Homoeopathy is a miracle medicine and it cures every disease under the sun.
Homoeopathy is no panacea. It has its own set of limitations. We do fail in many cases, and keep learning to heal the suffering humanity.

Homoeopathy is not an ultimate medicine, for nothing is ultimate in this universe

25. What dietary measures and life-style changes are required under homeopathic treatment?
This varies from physician to physician. Some restrict too many things like coffee, tobacco, spices etc, while others do not put any restrictions. In general, if a food-substance is playing a causative, maintaining, or aggravating factor, only then it should be avoided. Some substances like camphor are considered a general antidote to many homeopathic medicines and should therefore be avoided or taken into account. Life-style changes are also required only if life-style is contributing to disease condition. Homeopathic medicines act on a very deep plane; so they are usually not affected by routine dietary articles and the routine stress of our lives.

26. Where can I find more information?
If you want to know more about Homeopathy on internet or of you have any specific question you can ask us. Feed back

27. Do Homoeopathy medicines contain steroids?
There is lot of misconception among laypersons and some of medical and paramedical persons about the use of cortisone, a steroid in homoeopathy medicine. Homoeopathic approach to the patient’s care is individualized and treats the patient as the whole person, the need to use steroid does not arise.
When the steroids are used for long term, following effects are observed.
Cortisone shows side effects like fluid retention (Moon face), excessive body hair, osteoporosis, diabetes etc.
Sudden withdrawal of cortisone causes reappearance of disease or symptoms in a severe form, if disease has been taking its due course inside the body (masking). Sense of well-being is felt temporary.
Cortisone causes severe gastritis, if taken empty stomach. Homoeopathic medicines are administered empty stomach.
High milligram of steroids for long term use, normally counteract the effects of Homoeopathic medicines.
If steroid is so dangerous, why is it freely available? Modern medicine uses as lifesaving drug in certain conditions. Any medicine for that matter if not used judiciously can be harmful. More over steroid is not a cure for all the ills of the world.
The test for cortisone or steroid can be carried out in case of doubt at a reliable laboratory by second method as described below.
The first test is “colorimetric method using tetrazolium blue salts”. In this test, the reaction depends upon the reduction of tetrazolium blue salts to give a highly coloured compound known as Farmazan. Under controlled conditions the amount of Farmazan developed in proportional to the quality of steroid or any reducing sugar present in the material being tested. Homoeopathic base (vehicle) is cane sugar or lactose; it will impart a strong color with tetrazolium blue salts, which will give a false impression of presence of steroid. Secondly, if the alcohol used in the method, which is not completely free from aldehyde, it will interfere with the reaction and impart some characteristic color, which may give a false positive reaction for steroid.
So this method is not advisable to determine the presence of steroids in the drug. All Homoeopaths use lactose as a base for holding the pills, containing the homoeopathic remedy, together in the powder. The pills are made of cane sugar, a reducing sugar. So when pills, powder (lactose) and alcohol used as a diluting agent, it is likely the test to be positive for steroids, if this method is used.
The second method to test steroids is Liberman Buchard test, thin layer chromatography method and UV absorption method.
Almost all steroids show UV absorption between 235 and 240 NM in dehydrated alcohol or methanol in a clear solution. A complete spectrum of this solution is taken between 400 NM – 220 NM on a suitable Spectrophotometer. If any steroid is present, it will show maxima at 240 NM.
When Homoeopathic remedies were tested, they did not show maxima between 230 and 250 NM indicating an absence of steroids. When steroid (Clobetasone – 17 butyrate) was added, the test shows maxima at 235 NM, which is positive for steroids.
The method and procedure needs to be properly checked before allegating to the concerned Homoeopathic Physician for claiming the tested medicine for Steroids.
Homoeopaths of ethical values, integrity and commitment to their profession do not use steroids, and in fact have no need to.