Busting the myths and irrational notions and accepting the evidence-based facts is a reflection of a progressive thinking. In today’s scientific era, nothing but the logic survives. Homeopathy as a conventional form of medicine has been the subject of many naysayers and skeptics. Like many myths surrounding ancient cultures, traditions, gods, homeopathy has also widely but false belief’s or ideas.
1.Myth: Homeopathy is an unproven science
Fact: Homeopathy has constantly been going through many experimental, pharmacological and clinical researches. In fact, the very discovery of Homeopathy was based on scientific observation, logical reasoning and intelligent correlation Homeopathic medicines have been extensively studied for their efficacy in a variety of medical indications. Homoeopathy has been found to be of use, not only for human beings, but also for animals and plants.
2.Myth: Homeopathy is slow acting
Fact: In today’s fast-paced world, no one wants to remain ill for long, or that their disease follows a slow recovery path. The wrong notion that Homeopathy is slow acting stops some people from seeing a homoeopath for day to day illnesses. But the fact remains, most acute health problems are made to disappear with Homeopathy just as quickly as they appear! If you are suffering from an acute attack of common cold, just a dose or two of the rightly chosen homeopathic medicine will make you feel fit enough to go to your work, while the subsequent doses will leave you fully cured from the problem. In fact, after a course of antibiotics or other similar treatment, one generally finds himself to be lacking in general strength and energy, once the problem is over. Contrarily, you just might feel energetic after a course of homoeopathic treatment, because the medicine given to you by a homoeopath does not only target at treatment of your acute illness, but also on boosting your immunity, which is your body’s defensive power to fight diseases, thus making you feel energetic and, therefore, more focused to carry on with your work!
3.Myth: Homeopathy will first aggravate your problems, and then start providing relief
Fact: Well, this is untrue in most cases. However, after taking homeopathic medicines, the patient’s complaint sometimes aggravates in certain rare conditions. If the patient has a medical history of taking non-homeopathic medicines, then it is possible that those medicines might have suppressed the ailments. After the use of right homeopathic medicines, some of those suppressed complaints might reappear. These are taken care of by the medicine, or your physician might also consider giving you another medicine to relieve you of those complaints. However, there are some cases in which a rightly chosen medicine is employed by the physician in a incrementally higher potency than required. This may be followed by a transient intensification of the existing symptoms of the patient; this is called homoeopathic aggravation. But this aggravated condition is mild and does not persist for a long time. Rather, it is generally followed by cure.
4. Myth: Tea, onion, garlic, coffee, tobacco, smoking etc. are prohibited during the homeopathic treatment
Fact: You might already be raising your eyebrows on this being called a ‘myth’, because you have yourself been given this particular instruction by your homeopathic physician every now and then. Well, the fact is that this instruction is relative and depends largely on the medicine that is being prescribed to you. Tea, coffee, Onion, garlic, paan, alcohol, tobacco, perfumes etc. do not negate the effects of all homeopathic medicines. Some or all of these substances might interfere with the action of a few homeopathic medicines. For example, tea and raw onion diminish the action of a homeopathic drug, Thuja occ. and use of camphor is contra-indicated while using most of the homeopathic medicines, and so your physician advises to restrain from them during the treatment. However, it is an established fact that the homeopathic medicines act better in persons who are not addicted to habits like smoking, drinking or tobacco-chewing. Other point to keep in mind is that the homepathic medicines should preferably be taken on clean tongue and any strong-smelling substance should not be taken for within 30 minutes, both before and after the medicine.
5. Myth: Same ‘white homeopathic pills’ are given to all patients
Fact: This is as wrong as saying that one dress will fit the people of all sizes and shapes. In fact, the beauty of Homeopathy lies in ‘individualisation‘, or separating one individual from another, on the basis of his or her integral features or characteristics. The white pills are only the ‘vehicle’ or medium for dispensing the medicine to the patient. The ‘liquid’ that is put on the pills, which, in turn, is absorbed by the pills, is the ‘medicine’. It is quite likely that two people suffering from same health problem will be given different medicines, depending on their individual features and the different medicines are given through the same medicines or vehicle, i.e. pills. On the other hand, the patients provided the symptoms of the patients and the medicines are similar. That is why, Homoeopathy is so unique!
6. Myth: Homeopathic medicines cannot be taken along with the allopathic or other medicines
Fact: Although nothing of medicinal nature is permissible while taking homeopathic medicines, in many cases, it is observed that certain patients, after continuing allopathic medicines for a long time, become dependent on those medicines. When they give up those medicines abruptly and resort to homeopathic medicines alone, there are chances of adverse reactions. This usually happens in the patients suffering from Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension, Bronchial asthma, Epilepsy, etc. So in such cases instead of withdrawing the allopathic medicines suddenly, the doses of allopathic or any other medicine can be gradually reduced, along with appropriate administration of homeopathic medicines. In doing so, the treatment of the patient may eventually be limited to homoeopathic medicines alone ultimately. Also, if a patient on homeopathic treatment requires emergency condition, which needs immediate attention, and is not controllable by the homoeopathic medicines, then he can take allopathic medicines.
7. Myth: Homeopathic doctors are neither well qualified, nor do they believe much in the medical investigations
Fact: Homeopathic doctors today are well qualified and study medicine for 5 1/2 years, including one year of rigorous internship training. This makes their acumen at par with the MBBS graduates. M.D and Ph.D in Homoeopathy are also available now and many doctors are going for these higher studies too. Since the homeopaths are so well educated nowadays, there is no reason why they would not want to diagnose a case depending upon the latest laboratory investigations and tests. In fact, you would now see homoeopathic physicians themselves advising you to go for the latest tests to get an in-depth grasp of your case. However, it is true that the homoeopathic prescription that will follow will not solely be based on what your lab reports say. It will depend on many other factors like the cause of your illness, relevant history and presenting complaints your personal characteristics, duration of your illness, etc. So, this is actually a step ahead of other schools prescriptions, which is simply based on the diagnosis and no amount of individual characteristics is taken into account.
Note: Online homeopathic treatment is as effective as you going to the clinic in person. A homeopath is rigorously trained to identify and treat your health condition based on the information you provide (detailed questionnaire, diagnostic reports if any) along with personal interaction online.
8. Myth: Diabetics can’t take homeopathic pills, as they contain sugar
Fact: The amount of sugar in the homeopathic pills is negligible, which makes it permissible for the diabetics as well. However, in severely affected cases of diabetes, or for a long homoeopathic treatment of diabetics, the homoeopathic medicines can be given in water also.
Had Homeopathy been merely a faith cure, or ‘placebo’ (pleasing) therapy, its acceptance wouldn’t have widened by leaps and bounds the world over! Are you ready to join the brigade of Homeopathy followers, and welcome with open arms this science of 21st century? If yes… welcome aboard!
If the remedy is properly selected , it is not a placebo.. If not professionally selected, that will be of no use, but there would not not be side-effects though.