Healing with Homoeopathie

Many of us have had a wart or two at some time or another. Warts are very common and although they may be a nuisance, they are unlikely to cause serious problems. They are benign growths caused by a virus in the outer skin layer involving the skin anywhere, but are most likely on the fingers, hands, arms and the neck region. Warts are not cancerous. They can be contagious from person to person and from one area to another on the same person. They are commonly seen in children and young adults between the ages of 1 and 30, but may occur at any age. By adulthood, 90% of all people have antibodies to the virus, indicating a history of at least one wart infection.

It is often seen that some people are prone to developing warts while others are not; this is due to an underlying susceptibility that plays a significant role in whether someone develops warts or not.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS — A wart is a small, raised bump on the skin with the following characteristics:
· Warts begin very small (1mm to 3mm) and grow larger.
· Warts have a rough surface and clearly defined borders.
· They are usually the same colour as the skin, but sometimes darker.
· Warts often appear in clusters around a “mother wart.”
· Warts are usually painless and don’t itch. They may be painful if they are located on the sole of the foot or on any area where there is repeated pressure.

CAUSES — Invasion of the outer skin layer (epidermis) by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus stimulates some cells to grow more rapidly than normal.

HOW TO PREVENT–To keep warts from spreading to other parts, don’t scratch them. Avoid nail biting and pulling off the skin around the nails, as a tiny cut or scratch makes the skin in the area more susceptible to developing warts.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS —
· Spread to other body parts.
· Secondary infection of a wart.

MEDICATION—In modern medicine, the doctor may prescribe chemicals, such as mild salicylic acid, to destroy warts. Some other procedures followed include cryotherapy (freezing cells to destroy them) and electrosurgery (which uses heat to destroy cells). Cryotherapy is an out-patient procedure that doesn’t require anaesthesia or cause bleeding. Freezing stings or hurts slightly during application, and pain may increase a bit after thawing. 3 to 5 weekly treatments are usually necessary to destroy the wart. Electrosurgery procedures can usually be completed in one office visit, but healing takes longer, and secondary bacterial infections and scarring are more common. Laser treatment is becoming commoner in treating warts.

From the HOMOEOPATHIC point of view, a predisposition to develop warts is passed down the family line and is often activated in an individual after numerous vaccinations. Homoeopathy is well-known for the treatment of warts without any invasive procedure, getting rid of the warts gently and fairly rapidly with almost no recurrence. Treatment for warts along Homoeopathic lines would include a detailed case taking, with selection of a constitutional remedy for the affected individual. A course of such a remedy, in different potencies, over a period of time, works deeply to remove constitutional tendencies and reduce familial susceptibilities. Along with the constitutional remedy, the Homoeopathic physician may choose to give remedies which directly act on the warts. These may be oral medicines as well as local applications on the warts for faster removal; as the body starts to reject the warts, the warts tend to crumble off from underlying healthy skin. However, it should be remembered that unless this is followed by constitutional treatment to remove the predisposition, warts are likely to recur.

This was a very satisfying case, especially from the point of view of the speed of action of the Homoeopathic remedy. It took me by surprise!!

This young man came to me in the month of June 2007 with a complaint of warts which he had initially developed since about June 2006. Multiple warts had initially come up on the neck; later a couple of them arose on the scalp, followed by more warts on both upper eyelids and arms. They were approximately 50 in number. 6 months prior to coming for Homoeopathic treatment, he had all of them cauterized by a dermatologist. Within 2-3 months of the cauterization, they began to recur on the neck and by the time he came for Homoeopathic treatment, most of them had returned. They were asymptomatic but bothered him due to their appearance. There had been no history of any chemical exposure and there was no family history of warts either. Another problem for which he wanted treatment was generalised hair fall and flaky dandruff which made his scalp itch. He easily caught a cold from getting wet.

He enjoys meat and fish, loves sweet things including ice cream. He doesn’t feel thirsty. He sleeps on his back with his arms over his head.

He is the youngest sibling with two brothers and a sister. He had an arranged marriage 1 and 1/2 years back and has no problems. He loves nature – all animals, birds and plants. He has a pet dog. He used to be hot-tempered with violent anger but now thinks before reacting. He played professional cricket earlier; cricket was his passion. He believes in ‘karma’, destiny, spirituality. He’s not a materialist and is content with his life. He is helpful by nature, does some honorary work as well. He trusts easily and takes people at face value.

During the analysis and repertorization process, many other remedies covered his symptoms prominently, however, due to the main complaint of warts and the previous suppression by cauterization, I chose Medorrhinum as the remedy with which to start the case. I called him after 15 days so that I could take a photograph of his warts.

15 days later, at the follow-up, the warts on his scalp had already fallen off and those on his neck had started to itch. The photograph was taken and he was asked to report again after another fortnight.

He returned more than a month later with his neck looking smooth and wart-free. Most of them fell off during the night after the last follow-up. I had been just in time to click the first photographs!

This quick result surprised me as well and I decided to give him no further treatment for his hairfall and dandruff which remained to be cured. Fresh photographs were taken and are posted on this page. The scar marks seen on the 2nd photograph are remnants from the cauterization; the Homoeopathic treatment of the warts has left no scars.

I expect that the dose of Medorrhinum will continue to work in his system for a longer period and his hairfall and dandruff will reduce. He has been asked to report after 2 months. This post will be updated soon!

Not all cases of warts respond this quickly. Time to cure depends also on how deep-rooted different illnesses in the family are; more complex the illnesses, more the time the people in the family line take to respond even to the right remedy. Sometimes locating the right remedy takes time as well and remedies may need to be changed over a period of 2-4 months before the right remedy is prescribed. This case was more a case of serendipity for me as I had just finished reading ‘The Chronic Miasms’ by J. Henry Allen. This book lays emphasis on the treatment and eradication of deep-rooted miasms which are genetic taints of illness that get passed down the family line. It is a must-read book for every Homoeopath who wishes to attempt the cure of chronic diseases.