Homeopathy

A detailed explanation of homeopathy. This is maybe helpful for medical students.

1. HOMEOPATHY By Princi thapak b.Pharm 6 th sem

2. Path for the presentation Introduction Dilutions Pills and active ingredients Vehicles used In homeopathic medicine Conditions which homeopathy can treat Important homeopathic drugs with uses Diagnosis and treatment Benefits Side effects Overview

3. Introduction Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered homeopathy in the year 1796. He was an eminent German physician and chemist. Homeopathy achieved its great popularity in the 19 th century. The term homeopathy is derived from two words- “Homeo” means similar and “pathos” means suffering. He introduced a principle- “like cures like”

4. How can we define homeopathy? Homeopathic medicine is a natural pharmaceutical science that uses various plants, minerals or animals in very small dose to stimulate the sick person’s natural defenses. 

5. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann Founder of Homeopathy

6. Q) It seems illogical to give doses of substances that cause symptoms to those the sick person has in order to cure them? Q) Homeopaths use such small doses that they couldn’t possibly have any physiological effect. how can you respond to this? Q) If the medicines are so effective, why isn’t homeopathy more popular today?

7. “Like Cures Like” A substance that causes symptoms of a disease in healthy people would cure similar symptoms in sick people; this doctrine is called "like cures like” For example- Coffee reduces the sleep so it can be used to treat insomnia in the patients.  Homeopathic preparations are termed remedies and are made, using a process called homeopathic dilution. Hahnemann found that undiluted doses caused reactions, sometimes dangerous ones, so specified that preparations be given at the lowest possible dose.

8. Dilutions “More dilute is more potent” They are commonly made by crushing a plant, animal, or mineral substance then putting it into a solvent such as grain alcohol. The process is repeated many times to achieve a therapeutic dilution. This process involves repeatedly diluting a chosen substance, typically until nothing that is not a single molecule of the original substance is likely to remain in the product.  Homeopaths made to shake the diluents violently .This is called succussion.

9. And claim that it makes the diluents remember the original substance after its removal. Hahnemann created the "centesimal" or "C scale", diluting a substance by a factor of 100 at each stage. A 2C dilution requires a substance to be diluted to one part in 100, and then some of that diluted solution diluted by a further factor of 100. This works out to one part of the original substance in 10,000 parts of the solution. A 6C dilution repeats this process six times, 

10. Homeopathic pills are made from an inert substance (often sugars, typically lactose), upon which a drop of liquid homeopathic preparation is placed and allowed to evaporate. The process of homeopathic dilution results in no objectively detectable active ingredient in most cases, but some preparations (e.g. calendula and arnica) do contain pharmacologically active doses.  Pills & Active Ingredients

11. These low dose  arnica  tablets have been studied for muscle pain, diabetic eye damage, and swelling and pain after surgery Arnica

12. Calendula cream is the great wound healing remedy in homeopathy It can be applied on the open cuts. No germs can attack on the wound in the presence of calendula. Calendula

13. Dosage form Vehicles used Solid Lactose globules or pellets, Semisolids Vaseline, lanolin Liquids Alcohol, glycerin, olive oil Vehicles used in homeopathic medicines

14. Homeopathy is good for babies and children Homeopathy is good for health issues of women. Homeopathy is good for elderly patients. Homeopathy can even treat the animals. Who can homeopathy help?

15. Anxiety Arthritis Asthma Depression Fever Migraine Gastrointestinal problems Insomnia Sexually transmitted diseases Epilepsy Pneumonia Meningitis Dermatitis Ringworm Diarrhea Ear infection and pain Body ache Injuries Menopausal symptoms Conditions which homeopathy can treat are:

16. Drugs Used to treat Apis Allergies and hay fever Arnica Aches, Pain Calendula Antiseptic Borax Ulcers Atropa Belladona Fever, headache Rauwolfia hypertension Tuberculinum Tuberculosis Urtica Burn treatment Important homeopathic drugs and their uses

17. Diagnosis & Treatment The person is asked to describe his medical history and current symptoms. The detailed information is gathered about the patient’s mood and behavior, likes and dislikes responses to stress conditions, reactions to food and personality. Two patients with identical diagnosis may receive different medicines. If the patient is doing quite well then the medications could be discontinued and the progress is further monitored. In the case if the disease reoccur then the treatment may be repeated with same or the higher potency.

18. Easy to administer. Every age group can take it. It has minimal or no side effects. Effective as it triggers natural healing process of the body. economical as compared to other medicines. Benefits

19. Minimal to zero side effects. This is because homeopathic medicines are ultrahigh diluted. Some homeopathic preparations involve poisons such as Belladonna and arsenic which are highly diluted in the homeopathic preparation. These may also cause allergies into the body. Side Effects

20. Homeopathy is a controversial area because number of its key concepts are not consistent with the established law of science. Critics think that how a drug with minimum amount of a active compound can give effect. Homeopathy works. It should not be rejected just because science could not explain it. Overview