Homeopathy
This book is an excellent resource for the adventure traveller. It begins with the basics of homeopathic prescribing (dosages, potencies, where to purchase remedies). There is a good discussion of immunization and prevention, helping the reader/traveler to weigh the risks of immunization against the prevalence and possible complications of various tropical diseases.
I like that the book contains a ‘Gazeteer’ of world health risks, helping the traveler to identify the degree of risk for various diseases where they are going to be visiting.
The rest of the book is divided into chapters on common travel ailments (ie. traveler’s diarrhea, parasites, malaria) with suggested remedies. This book can be used when traveling to remote areas where this is no conventional treatment available, or in conjunction with conventional treatment. There is a good description of how to determine when professional treatment is required.
If you are an adventure traveler or are planning your first trip to a tropical country, this book is for you. It contains lots of information and detail, enough to make sure you refer to it again and again.
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Happy Birthday to Samuel Hahnemann
Today marks the 156th year since Samuel Hahnemann was born. To celebrate his birthday on April 10th, members of the Canadian Society of Homeopaths are spreading the word about 10 good reasons for using Homeopathy!
10 GOOD REASONS TO USE HOMEOPATHY. . .
1. NATURAL ACTION
Homeopathy works by stimulating the body’s own natural defence mechanism to promote health and to resist infection and susceptibility to disease. Although gentle, the results can be powerful and long lasting.
2. HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Homeopathy improves health generally, rather than merely alleviating localized symptoms. It treats the whole individual, acting on the mental and emotional levels as well as the physical level, providing a balance in overall health and an increased sense of well-being and quality of life.
3. EFFECTIVE MEDICINE
When used correctly, homeopathy can be an extremely effective system of medicine, providing long-lasting relief from many acute and chronic conditions and illnesses.
4. NO HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS
Homeopathic treatment offers a gentle and non-invasive approach to health, producing no toxic side effects, no dependency or addiction, and no withdrawal.
5. COST EFFECTIVE
Homeopathic medicines are surprisingly inexpensive to purchase, especially when compared to over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
6. FAST-ACTING FIRST-AID RELIEF
Homeopathy can be safely used at home or on the road to provide rapid relief for minor problems such as bruises, simple burns, sprains, insect bites, gastric upsets, etc. However more serious or long-lasting complaints should be treated by a qualified homeopath.
7. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS
Homeopathic medicines are tested only on healthy humans in order to determine the range of action of each remedy.
8. COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
Homeopathic medicines can be used independently or along with conventional drugs and other therapies (with the full knowledge of your other healthcare providers). It can often alleviate unpleasant side effects of conventional treatments (e.g., chemotherapy).
9. ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY
Homeopathy has no adverse impact on the environment. There is not waste of energy or natural resources in the manufacturing process and no pollution of the water supply, oceans, or dump sites when used. In fact, homeopathy is the ultimate Green Medicine!
10. MEDICINE OF THE FUTURE
Homeopathy is the second most widely-used system of medicine in the world. It is available in most countries and is gaining in popularity as an alternative to conventional medicine.
During the month of April, Canadian Society of Homeopaths and our members sponsor Homeopathy Awareness Month across Canada. If you would like more information or handouts about CSoH activities, contact our office at homeopathy@csoh.ca or 604-803-9242. www.csoh.ca
First Aid Treatment with Homeopathic Remedies
If someone in your family has an accident or injury, your first responsibility is to apply the proper first-aid measures and to get medical help if necessary. However, homeopathic treatment can complement the standard first aid measures and help to reduce pain and speed healing. Even for injuries which require medical care, homeopathic remedies can be used once an injured person’s condition is stable.
Some important notes about potency and dosage
Homeopathic remedies come in various strengths (called potencies), from 6C to 50M and higher. Unless you are an experienced prescriber, I suggest you use a potency no higher than 30C.
The number of doses of a remedy given depend on the potency you have chosen and the degree of seriousness of the injury. Note – one dose is considered to be one pellet dissolved under the tongue. It is not necessary to take more than one pellet per dose. For babies and small children (or anyone who might inhale the pellet), you can dissolve the pellet in water and put 1 tsp. in the infant’s mouth.
For a very serious injury (such as a head injury, second or third-degree burns), you might give one dose every 5 to 30 minutes initially.
Stop on improvement – repeat as needed
If the person’s condition begins to improve, do not give any further doses of the remedy. Start giving the remedy again only if the symptoms begin to relapse or there is no further improvement. If you have given several doses of the remedy (between 3 and 6 doses) and there is no improvement on any level, stop giving the remedy. It is probably not the correct remedy and you need to re-evaluate or seek help from your homeopath.
Your homeopathic First Aid Kit
As injuries and accidents don’t always happen during store hours, it is advisable to keep a basic first aid kit of homeopathic remedies on hand. I would recommend having the following remedies to begin with (you can always add to this base as you become more experienced): Arnica, Hypericum (pellets and tincture), Ledum, Rhus tox, Ruta, Apis, Belladonna
Arnica - use first in all injury, for shock, pain, bleeding, etc. Symptoms include soreness and bruised feeling, shock (person may insist they are fine when they are obviously not), soreness from over-exertion, bruising. In early sprains, to promote healing.
Hypericum - used for injuries to nerve endings – crushed fingertips, tailbone injuries. Severe blows to head, spine or coccyx. To clean animal or human bites, or open burns (in tincture). Characteristic symptoms include shooting pains, worse from touch, cold, dampness, fog. Better from bending head back.
Ledum - use for puncture wounds, bruising (after Arnica), insect or animal bites, for fracture (after Arnica), black eye from a blow. The injured area can be cold and numb, relieved by cold. Worse at night, from warm applications and from the heat of bed.
Rhus tox - use for joint sprains (or Ruta), old sprains, poison ivy, poison oak. Characteristic symptoms include pain on first movement, better after continued motion, better from heat. Thirsty, restless, injured area is hot and swollen. Worse from cold, damp weather.
Ruta - use for injuries to tendons, wrist sprain, wrist ganglion, joint sprains (or Rhus tox), bruised bone, shin splints. Often is used if Rhus tox has not acted. Worse from cold, lying down, wet weather, rest.
Apis - use for bee stings, hives, jelly fish stings, stinging nettle rash. Symptoms include swelling, itching, redness, pains stinging and burning. Puffy swelling. Thirstlessness. Better from cold application, open air. Worse heat, touch, pressure.
Belladonna - use for heatstroke. The patient is hot, very red. Symptoms include throbbing, confusion. Better leaning the head back. (Versus Glonoine, which is better holding the head forward, better by cold application and cold air, can’t lie down because the pillow is beating.)
Recommended books:
When should I consult a professional homeopath? If you have tried a few different remedies and the injury is worsening or not responding, or if you have recurring injuries (such as repeated strains or sprains), you might want to consult a professional homeopath. With recurring injuries, there may be an underlying susceptibility which can best be treated professionally.
There is a wonderful thing happening in the world of homeopathy. Recently people have been posting videos on YouTube and speaking about how homeopathy has worked for them. I have shared several on my FaceBook page Meryl Cook Homeopathy & Bowen. If you would like to see more, just google Homeopathy Works for Me and Youtube. It is very exciting to see videos made by homeopathy patients all over the world and in many languages.
If any of you have a story about how homeopathy has worked for you, please post it on YouTube. The following are the guidelines for this grassroots project. Be sure to let me know if you post a video!
Warmly,
Meryl
Guidelines:
“Homeopathy Works for Me” Project
• Launch Date: Sunday, March 20th, 2011
• Project runs from March 1-March 31, 2011
• Begin Sharing the Document as of March 1, 2011
Dear Friend,
As part of the global homeopathic community, you are invited to take part in a special project, one that we hope can take the message of homeopathy to the whole world:
• If your life has been changed by homeopathy, if you have undergone a healing, or if a loved one has been healed through the use of homeopathic remedies, then we ask that you take a few minutes and make a digital video on the subject and post it to the internet. It is our hope that literally millions of people around the world will take part by putting their own letter in a bottle and setting it adrift in the ocean of the internet, with the hope that it washes up onto many a foreign soil. We ask that people of all nations take part, speaking their own languages, telling their own stories.
• If you are a professional homeopath or medical professional, we ask that you assist us by spreading the word about the project to your clients, and by copying this list of guidelines for them to follow. For this project, we want to stress the stories of people whose lives have been changed—the patients—and not the practitioners who make their living through providing treatment or teaching homeopathy. However, if you have yourself undergone a dramatic healing through homeopathy, you could make a video speaking to that.
To get the job done, we have to all work together and follow the same simple set of rules:
1. Each video must start the same way, with the person speaking introducing themselves by name and then saying “And homeopathy works for me.” Then they can take a few seconds to a few minutes to tell a specific story of why they say that homeopathy works for them. Then they close the video by repeating their name and “homeopathy works for me.” Stories should be told as truthfully, meaningfully and openly as possible. And, should you not want to give your full name on the Internet, just giving your first name is fine. Do what feels comfortable for you.
2. Note: One video has already been posted. While it is early, it acts as a pattern that the rest can follow. It is a clean, simple video by a mother whose child was helped. If you want to see this video, follow the link here:
When you create your own video, you need not mention specific remedies, only that homeopathy worked. In my own case, it worked when nothing else I tried would. So I will stress that in my own video. But you must tell your own story as clearly and movingly as possible. Note that stories about children or pets are great, especially if you can show the child or the dog or cat. Also, stories can be about chronic or acute ailments. Stories can be funny or sad, but don’t be afraid of a little emotion. But there is no wrong way to do it. All stories are welcome.
3. The video should be posted to YouTube on Sunday, March 20th, 2011 at noon in your part of the world, or as close to noon as possible.
If you do not know how to post to YouTube, it is quite simple. Here is a link that will take you to a video that tells you how:
4. It’s important to know that, if you are a member of YouTube already, you need only sign in to upload your video. If you are not a member, you will have to create an account. That is simply done. Just go to YouTube (Google it if you need to) and then click on the Account button at the top right of the page.
5. Also very important, there are three steps you need to follow in uploading a video:
• 1st , you will need to give the video a title. EVERYONE should title their video “Homeopathy Works for Me,” followed by their name or another form of defining the video (“a case of psoriasis cured,” for example).
• 2nd , after you enter the title you will be asked for a description. You may describe your video any way you want to, but make sure to start out with “Homeopathy Works for Me.” Your description might include whether the condition was acute or chronic and what the disease diagnosis of the condition was, for example, or any other information you want to give on the contents of the video.
• 3rd , you will be asked to enter TAGS. Now, tags are ways in which YouTube can sort videos so that people can find what they are looking for. So be sure to enter the words “Homeopathy,” “Homeopathic Remedies,” “Homeopathic Treatments,” and “Homeopathic Medicines” to you list of tags. You may also want to add such things as “holistic” and “healing.” You can never have too many tags, as the more tags you use the more often your video will be called up. And while it seems that using just the word “homeopathy” should work, all variations will help get your video seen.
6. On March 20th, as the videos are being posted, we move into the next phase of the project. And that is that those in the global homeopathic community who have blogs, web sites, Twitter accounts or who belong to Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social site or who are part of homeopathic forums must all begin to post links to various videos. It does not matter which ones you choose. Go to YouTube and enter “Homeopathy Works for Me” in the subject line and do a search. Watch some videos and post about them. Give specific links. Write about it in blogs. Discuss them on forums. Email your list of contacts. REMEMBER, we are attempting to make it look as spontaneous and joyful as possible. So NO GLOATING and NO BAITING the Skeptics.
7. The will only work if we keep it all a SECRET before March 20th and then make as big a noise about it as we can from the 20th onward for the next week or so. So please no more early videos. Keep them on your computer desktop until March 20th. Then launch and announce. Hopefully, as the news of the videos gets out, more and more will be made and we will attract the attention of different forms of media throughout the world. That is the whole point, to bring attention to homeopathy and to bring it in such a way that the focus is on the many millions of people whose lives have been changed for the better by homeopathy. Our goal in doing this is not to enter into debate or argument, either inside the global homeopathic community or with those who are actively working against homeopathy. So stay positive, both in your videos and in your comments and discussions following the posting of the videos. Remember the topic: “Homeopathy Works for Me.”
8. Finally, the whole purpose of this is to show that millions of individual voices will create one very loud voice. If we are to show the world that homeopathy matters to us, we have to first circulate this document across the whole world, keeping it safe and secret as we see to it that every person who loves homeopathy is invited to be part. And then we have to all actually make and post videos and not simply stand back and think it is a nice idea. Finally, we have to make as much noise as possible once the videos are posted and tell the world how much we care about homeopathy.
That’s the project. As the technology is available to pretty much all of us, and as a YouTube video can literally reach the whole world, it seems that a great deal of impact for a modicum of effort is really quite possible. Secrecy is important, as it cooperation. Aside from that, it is just a matter of getting to work.
Homeopathy has a lot to offer in the treatment of seasonal allergies. There are many over the counter medications available to treat allergic symptoms, but they commonly have side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. Homeopathic remedies are safe and non-toxic and easy to use.
With homeopathy, there are two approaches used to treat seasonal allergies. First, there are remedies which focus mainly on a person’s individual allergic symptoms (for example, bland discharge, excoriating discharge …). These are called acute remedies, and with a bit of information can be easily chosen by the allergy sufferer.
The second approach to seasonal allergies involves treatment by a professional homeopath, who will choose a remedy which covers all of your symptoms, including your seasonal allergies. This is called constitutional treatment. Homeopaths understand that the body has a wisdom, in that it is always trying to protect and to restore balance. Allergies are viewed as a sign of a sensitivity. The body produces a reaction to try to cope with an imbalance in the system as a whole by over-reacting to substances in the environment such as pollens, dust, pet dander and common foods such as eggs, milk and wheat. The aim of constitutional treatment is to help your body to repair and heal so that it no longer over-reacts to everyday substances. It is best to begin constitutional homeopathic treatment several months in advance of your usual seasonal allergic symptoms.
Homeopathy can be used to treat sensitivities to food, seasonal allergies and contact allergies. The focus of this article is on seasonal allergies. The source of seasonal allergies varies with the season. In the spring, symptoms are usually due to tree pollen, in the summer grass pollen and in the fall weed pollen. Remedies are selected by looking at your individual symptoms and matching them with a remedy which best covers your symptoms.
Homeopathic remedies that can help symptoms of hay fever and rhinitis:
Allium cepa – Nasal discharge burning, can be one-sided, profuse, watery, eye discharge bland. Worse in a stuffy room and in the evening, better for fresh air.
Arsenicum album – Similar to Allium cepa and Euphrasia, but both the nasal and eye discharges are burning, frequent sneezing that does not bring relief. Worse outdoors and at night (midnight), better from warm applications.
Arundo - The eyes, nose, roof of the mouth and the insides of the ears are itchy. A feeling of burning heat and itching. There can be loss of smell, and sneezing, which is brought on by itching of the nostrils (not in repeated bouts like Sabadilla).
Euphrasia – Nasal discharge bland, burning discharge from the eyes (opposite to Allium cepa), if sore, the throat will burn. Eyes sensitive to light, eyelids burning, red,swollen. Worse indoors and in the evening, also worse in the wind and for warm applications..
Pulsatilla – Nasal discharge is dirty, yellow, green, bland, thick, smelly (unlike Sulphur where the discharge is dirty, smelly but irritating), the discharge can alternate between dry and profuse, and can become watery in the fresh air. Sense of smell and taste absent. Better for fresh air, worse in a stuffy room.
Sabadilla – Repeated bouts of sneezing, sore throat (can be left sided), hurts to swallow, profuse, watery discharge from nose and eyes. There can be a sensation of a lump in the throat with a constant urge to swallow.
Sulphur – Nasal discharge is smelly, dirty, yellow with frequent sneezing. The person may smell unpleasant smells. Eyes are burning, gritty, sensitive to light, watering, which is worse for washing eyes. Eyes water easily in the fresh air. Eyelids itch in daytime only.
Wyethia – Itching in the back of the nose and throat, dryness of nose and throat. Burning, copious flow of mucous, constant swallowing. There can be a dry, itchy cough, which keeps the patient awake at night.
How to take homeopathic remedies
The potency (the strength of the remedy) I recommend for home prescribing is 30C. Take one pellet, dissolved under the tongue, at least 10 minutes away from eating or drinking. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you can take one dose every 2 to 4 hours. Stop on improvement of symptoms, repeat only on relapse. If symptoms have not improved after 4 to 6 doses, it is probably not the correct remedy, so try another remedy.
References:
Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook.
Vermeulen, Frans. Concordant Materia Medica.
Today I am celebrating the launching of my new website design and blog. The following article is about me and two of my passions – homeopathy and rug hooking. It has previously been published in two rug hooking newsletters (Ontario Hooking Craft Guild Issue 3, Fall 2010 and The Loop, Rug Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia) and Pillars of Health newsletter. I hope you enjoy it!
I recently discovered the passion of rug hooking. After watching my mother craft beautiful rugs for the past forty years, this summer at the urging of my sister I took up rug hooking. The joy I experience in choosing a pattern, selecting fabric and then hooking a rug is similar to the joy I find in the discovery of a remedy that fits my patient perfectly, or studying a remedy and then seeing those same symptoms in a patient that needs that remedy.
With rug hooking, every rug hooker has his/her own style of how high they pull the loops, the tension in their hooking, and so on. Even when the same pattern is chosen, no two rugs will be the same. So it is with homeopathy, where several people may have the same illness or diagnosis, but all may need different remedies to move them in a healing direction.
Both homeopathy and rug hooking require persistence and sometimes fresh eyes. In my rug hooking I am learning by trying and doing. Sometimes the project I am working on is not progressing the way I had envisioned it and I have to put it aside and work on another project for a day or so. In my work as a homeopath, sometimes the remedies I have selected for a patient may not be giving the desired results, so it requires me and the patient to explore the symptoms from other angles and to think outside the box.
Homeopathy has a 200 year old tradition as a system of medicine. We have a solid foundation of provings, material medica and clinical experience that build the basis of our information. We also have innovation in terms of new substances being proven continuously, and brilliant homeopaths devising new ways to take cases or to study and understand the material medica. I am discovering in rug hooking that there are basic foundations of how to hook rugs in the traditional way and there are also some very exciting, new, fresh patterns and methods of rug hooking. The possibilities seem endless.
Rug hooking has brought both passion and balance to my life, and has improved my work as a homeopath by stretching my creativity and encouraging my heart to be light and open to possibilities. I think that a well chosen homeopathic remedy can do this as well, as it moves a person more towards balance and healing.
To summarize, I guess the qualities that a rug hooker and/or a homeopath bring to their work include joy, curiosity, artistry, making connections, persistence, passion and an appreciation for the foundations laid by others.
Homeopathic remedies are useful to take along with you when traveling. A common symptom when traveling, particularly to warmer climates is gastro-intestinal distress, such as diarrhea. Persistent, severe or bloody diarrhea should be evaluated immediately by a physician. Left untreated, severe dehydration and electrolyte loss can develop rapidly.
Potency
I recommend remedies be taken in a 30C potency. Take a dose every hour or two (depending on severity of symptoms) for up to 4 doses. If there is no response during this time (4 to 6 hours), a new remedy may be selected. If the symptoms are improving, stop the remedy and repeat only on relapse.
Aloe - Aloe may be used for diarrhea that is accompanied by gas. There may be gurgling and rumbling in the abdomen before bowel movements. The person may have involuntary stools while passing gas.
Arsenicum Album - Burning diarrhea accompanied by extreme tiredness, anxiety, restless, and nausea and vomiting suggest this remedy. Arsenicum album is the main homeopathic remedy for diarrhea caused by spoiled or tainted food and traveler’s diarrhea, which also called “Montezuma’s Revenge.” The person may be thirsty for small sips of water and feel better with hot packs to the abdomen. The person may also have cramping abdominal pain and feel worse with cold drinks or food. The stools are watery.
Colocynthisis - Characterized by severe, griping pains, the stools are green and pasty. Worse after eating fruit and after eating.
Ipecacuanha - A homeopath may recommend Ipecacuanha for severe diarrhea accompanied by nausea or vomiting. There may also be sharp pains and frequent bowel movements with stools that may look slimy, frothy or green.
Phosphorus - This homeopathic remedy is often recommended for someone with diarrhea that leaves the person exhausted, but is usually not accompanied by pain. The rectum has a loose sensation. There is usually thirst and a marked weak and empty feeling in the abdomen. The person may feel better with sleep and cold drinks or food.
Podophyllum - Watery, urgent, profuse and explosive diarrhea accompanied by much gas. The person feels worse with heat, movement and after drinking and eating. After having a bowel movement, the severe cramping and rumbling may be relieved but the person is left feeling faint, weak, and empty until the next urging.
Sulfur - There is marked urgency that is usually worse in the morning. The person often has rectal burning, itchiness or soreness and passes stools that feel hot and may have a very offensive smell.
Note: This information was adapted from an article by Cathy Wong forAltmedicine.About.com .
Sources: Castro M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1990.Gibson DM. First Aid Homeopathy. The British Homeopathic Association. London, England. 1997. Kruzel T. The Homeopathic Emergency Guide. North Atlantic Books and Homeopathic Educational Services. Berkeley, CA 1992. Lessell CB. The World Travellers’ Manual of Homeopathy. C.W. Daniel Company Limited. Essex, England. 1993. Lininger S, Gaby A, Austin S, Brown DJ, Wright JV, Duncan A. The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Edition. Prima Health and Healthnotes, Inc., 1999. Morrison R. Desktop Companion
Flu, or influenza is a viral illness that is more intense than a common cold, and can include fever, muscle aching, headache and fatigue. Homeopathic remedies can help to lessen the severity of a flu and aid in your recovery. Homeopathic remedies are selected by looking at your particular symptoms and matching them to the symptoms characteristic of that remedy.
For flu prevention I recommend the homeopathic remedy Influenzinum 200C. It can be taken one dose per month during flu season. If you are being constantly exposed to the flu (in your workplace or in your family for example), during outbreaks you can take one dose per week. Also helpful to have on hand during flu season is the remedy Oscillococcinum, which I carry, also available at health food stores and in the health section of Sobeys and Superstore. You can begin taking Oscillococcinum at the first sign of the flu, and take 2 or 3 doses 4 to 8 hours apart.
Recently I reviewed two of the most common flu remedies, Gelsemium and Eupatorium Perfolatum (see blog posted on ). A person needing Bryonia for the flu would experience a slow onset, would be worse from the least movement and could have a very hot and dry fever. They might be intermittently thirsty for large quantities of cold water. The big clue to Bryonia is however, the worse from any movement. The person wants to remain absolutely still and be left alone.
Nux vomica would be indicated for a flu with the chills and shivering (especially after drinking), lots of aching, often with gastric symptoms. The person feels worse from the least movement and from anything cold, and better from warmth (including a thirst for hot drinks). A strong symptom of a Nux vomica flu is extreme irritability.
Post flu recovery
Homeopathic remedies can also help with symptoms that linger after a flu has passed. China is indicated for physical weakness and sweating after a flu. For mild depression after the flu, Kali phosphoricum can be indicated. Gelsemium can be indicated for weakness and heaviness that lingers after a flu (China has more weakness and sweating). Take a dose of the indicated remedy in the 30C potency every 4 to 8 hours for up to 3 doses.
Rather than reaching for that bottle of Tylenol, consider taking a homeopathic remedy to relieve symptoms of an occasional headache. As homeopathic remedies are selected based on the characteristic symptoms of the complaint (rather than based only on the name of the complaint – ie headache), you will want to pay attention to a few details about your headache, such as ; What makes your headache feel better? Worse? What brought on the headache (causation)? Did it come on suddenly or gradually? How would you describe the pain?
The following are a few remedies commonly used to relieve headache. If your headache doesn’t seem to fit, consider purchasing a homeopathy book aimed at acute and home prescribing such as “The Complete Homeopathy Handbook” by Miranda Castro.
Sulphur – Head feels constricted, hot, the pain can be bursting, burning, hammering, pressing, throbbing. It can be accompanied by nausea. It might be better for cold, cold compresses. A Sulphur headache might be worse for bending down, blowing the nose, after eating, in the morning, sneezing, for walking and for the warmth of the bed. A Sulphur headache might be brought on by exposure to cold, damp weather or by having excited conversation.
Belladonna – Rapid onset, can start and stop suddenly, strong symptoms. A Belladonna headache may be bursting, hammering, pulsating behind the eyes and the forehead, at the temples. Better for lying in a darkened room, for pressure, for resting the head. Worse for bending down, for heat, for light, during the menses, after exposure to the sun (also Glonium), for tying the hair back. It might be brought on by exposure to cold air, getting hair wet (as after a haircut).
Gelsemium – A person with a Gelsemium headache will be easy to spot. They will look exhausted, with droopy eyes that are difficult to keep open. They often support their head with their hands or a pillow, because it feels so heavy. Better after urinating, and the urine is copious and colourless. Pain is aching, sore, bruised and spread from the back of the head to the forehead. Pupils can be dilated, vision can be blurred. They can have cold feet. Worse moving the head.
If one of these descriptions seems to fit your headache, try taking one pellet in the 30C potency (the strength of the remedy) every 2 to 4 hours for up to 4 doses. If you take a remedy for 4 to 6 doses and it is not working, stop this remedy and try another. Homeopathic remedies should be taken on a clean mouth, 10 minutes away from eating or drinking. Dissolve the pellet under your tongue.
If your headaches are severe or are occurring more often, this is a time to consider having an assessment by a professional homeopath. Your homeopath will try to find a constitutional remedy for you (ie a remedy that matches all of you, not just your headache) that will address the underlying imbalance which is leading to your symptom of headaches.
Are you planning a southern vacation?
Many people experience a rash from the sun, especially those of us from northern climates when we travel to southern destinations for holiday. This is typically red, bumpy and itchy and can make a person feel quite unwell. It is known as ‘hives’ or ‘urticaria’.
The main homeopathic remedies used to treat hives acutely are Apis, Dulcamara, Rhus-toxicondren and Urtica Urens. Hives that are recurrent or long-lasting can be a sign of more serious problems, and require treatment by an experienced homeopath. As well, hives that are associated with difficulty breathing or swelling of the mouth or airway should also be evaluated by a medical physician.
Potency
I recommend the 30C potency for acute prescribing. Take a dose of the indicated remedy every hour or two (depending on the severity of the condition) for up to 4 to 6 doses. If the condition has not improved after this time, try a different remedy. If the condition improves, stop giving the remedy and repeat only on relapse of the symptoms.
Apis - Worse at night, from warmth and from perspiration. The hives are intensely itchy and may be accompanied by swelling around the eyes. There can also be fever. For Apis, think hot, swollen, red and shiny (just like a bee sting).
Dulcamara - The hives of Dulcamara are brought on by getting cold. The rash burns after scratching and is worse for warmth. It is described as lumpy.
Rhus tox - The hives of Rhus tox are worse for cold and after scratching. They can come on after getting wet or chilled, from cold air and during a fever. They can be accompanied by joint pain which is better for continued movement.
Urtica Urens - Made from stinging nettle, the hives are worse from warmth and vigorous exercise. May be worse by bathing and better by lying down. Hives may be accompanied by joint pain. Constant desire to rub the rash.
Have a great vacation!
Sources: Castro M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1990.
Cummings S., Ullman D. Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines, The Putnam Publishing Group, New York, 1991.