Healing with Homoeopathie

Spinal canal stenosis occurs due to the compression of nerve roots in the spinal canal. Here, there is a combination of narrowing of the disc space, bulging of the disc into the spinal canal and degeneration of the facet joints. This occurs due to wear and tear. A certain degree of spinal canal stenosis is common in the elderly and may not be associated with any discomfort. A diagnosis of spinal canal stenosis is not adequate reason for surgery – surgery is only to be considered when symptoms are severe and disabling. Even then, conservative treatment is first recommended and homoeopathy often plays an important role in avoiding surgery and enabling the patient to live a more normal life.

The case described below is of an elderly gentleman who was diagnosed with Spinal Canal Stenosis and was offered surgery as a last resort to ameliorate his complaints.

This 68-year-old man who lives in Jalgaon, came to my clinic in October 2006. His son’s family lives in Mumbai and they brought him for consultation after recommendation from a neighbour.
The patient had an accident that had injured the spine in 1996. Since then, he used to suffer from pain on and off. The pain had increased in intensity and frequency in the last 2 years, becoming quite unbearable in the last one month.

When he came in for consultation, his symptoms were as follows:
Throbbing pain in the right hip and right sacral region. The pain increased terribly on walking and after walking about half a kilometer, he would have to sit down for a while. The pain was better while sitting, better by support, better by pressure and better by hot fomentation.
There was tingling numbness from the soles up the entire lower limbs that came on while walking, worse in the left lower limb.

He is a vegetarian and has a balanced life, eating all vegetarian foods with no particular cravings or aversions. He drank 8-10 glasses of water per day and bowel and bladder functions were normal. He slept at 8 at night, waking at 5 in the morning. His sleep was deep and he liked to sleep for 2 hours in the afternoons. No significant dreams were elicited. There was a past history of smoking that he’d given up many years ago.

There were no major illnesses in his past history or in his family. His mother was still alive at 90.

He had a helpful nature and was well-respected in his village. People would go to him for advice. He had no fears and had firm religious beliefs. He insisted that there had been nothing unusual in his life and he lived happily with his routines. His ‘routine’ consisted of farming his land.

Based on his presenting symptoms, he was prescribed Sepia 200, once a day, with instructions to reduce the dosing if improvement set in. He was to report after a week.

After a week, he was 75% better where his pain was concerned. He said he could walk longer too. At this point, it was decided that a remedy for long-term improvement has to be selected. Kali Carb 200 was chosen. He was to report after a fortnight. He continued to improve. At the end of 6 weeks, he had no pain on walking, but the tingling numbness would occur on walking about 1/2 a km. Rest, however, even for a minute, would ease the numbness.

6 weeks further down the line, improvement continued. Few more Kali Carb 200 doses were repeated over the next 6 months with a couple of Sulphur 200 doses being given as an intercurrent. Kali Carb 1M was later given and in November 2007, he was completely free of his complaints.

They have referred several people from their village for treatment. The last report I received from the son (in July 2010) stated that his father was doing very well with no complaints whatsoever.

Nowadays, it is becoming extremely common for patients to report ailments that arise because of prescription drugs. The problem is that people are not aware that these ailments are side-effects and consider them to be a new illness that they have developed. In the last couple of weeks, I experienced this a number of times and that’s what prompted this write-up.

One of my patients has been on Eptoin¹, an anti-convulsant medicine, for almost 1.5 years. He has been instructed by his allopathic physician to continue it for a minimum of 3 years.

In the beginning, he was on a regimen of Olimelt (Olanzapine – an antipsychotic), Mirnite (Mirtazapine – an antidepressant), Valparin (Valproic acid – an anticonvulsant) along with Eptoin. When on these drugs, there was a drastic change in his personality and behaviour – he started behaving like a robot, he wouldn’t smile, etc. His mother was very concerned and it was brought to the notice of his physician who stopped Valparin and started him on Epsolin (Phenytoin). Then began slurring of speech, difficulty in finding the right words (word hunting), he would not recognise roads he knew well earlier, his ability to spell words correctly reduced dramatically, he could not concentrate and his studies suffered badly. His sleep was restless and he began talking in his sleep.

With homoeopathy, he was able to concentrate better and his sleep pattern improved. His concentration improved further after Olimelt was stopped completely. Mirnite was gradually withdrawn a few months later.

Since then, he has been only on Eptoin. His mother informed me a month ago that he vomits almost every day and this has her worried. He used to laugh it off but, a few days ago, he came alone and told me that he was quite worried about his vomiting as it had increased to a minimum of two episodes a day – especially after eating or even drinking a large quantity of water. It happened easily, without any effort.

In recent times, I have realised that it is essential to check whether any symptom a patient has could be due to side effects of conventional medicines. So I looked for side-effects of Eptoin —

Headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, trouble sleeping, or nervousness. Swelling and bleeding of the gums.

Serious side effects like: unusual eye movements, loss of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, muscle twitching, double or blurred vision, tingling of the hands/feet, facial changes (e.g., swollen lips, butterfly-shaped rash around the nose/cheeks), excessive hair growth, increased thirst or urination, unusual tiredness, bone or joint pain, easily broken bones. Mood or behavior changes, such as anxiety, agitation, hostility, pressured/rapid speech, or thoughts of suicide.

Very serious side effects like: uncontrolled muscle movements, swollen glands (lymph nodes), stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, easy bruising/bleeding, signs of infection (e.g., persistent sore throat or fever).

Serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, however, symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include: rash, high fever, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

I realised that the vomiting my patient had was probably because of the ongoing Eptoin intake. Besides the vomiting, he had also suffered from a fracture of the ankle a few months ago. His mood swings and easy irritability, that were not a part of his basic nature, were also explained by the list of side-effects. Once I discussed this with him, he was relieved to realise that there was nothing wrong with HIM, but all these issues were explainable.

Maybe it’s time to ask the question whether we are helping matters or complicating matters further by the use of strong chemical drugs.

Footnotes:

1. Eptoin (Phenytoin sodium) contains the active ingredient Phenytoin, commonly sold in the US under the brand name Dilantin.

For references and further reading:

1. http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/drug_details.asp?title=Phenytoin&page=1001578&ad=true

2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682022.html

3. http://www.mims.com/Page.aspx?menuid=mng&name=phenytoin

4. http://www.drugs.com/phenytoin.html

Once again, someone respected in the field of science and research has come up with evidence that water could retain the memory of substances it has been in contact with – thereby confirming what homoeopaths have known all along.

French virologist Luc Montagnier, at an international conference recently, presented a new method for detecting viral infections that bore close parallels to the basic tenets of homeopathy.

This acceptance of homoeopaths’ claims comes at a time when homoeopathy is being maligned and opposed in the UK, mainly by groups with conflicting interests like pharmaceutical companies who perceive homoeopathy’s growing popularity as a threat.

For more details, visit
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/nobel-laureate-gives-homeopathy-a-boost/story-e6frg8y6-1225887772305

About Luc Montagnier
http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/61/Luc-Montagnier.html

Back problems have become extremely common and are no longer restricted to the older age group. Teenagers and young people in their 20s are also often affected. Most people will experience back pain at some time or other during their life. With good posture and by maintaining strong and healthy back muscles, it is possible to avoid back trouble but very few of us actually put our back muscles to their proper use – that of supporting the spine.

With present day job situations where people spend long periods of time sitting at desks, the risk is increased. Even people who are physically active get at risk if they do not learn correct and safe lifting techniques. When heavy and awkward objects are lifted and carried with a bent back and straight legs, there is great strain on the vertebrae and the cartilage discs between them.

Back pain can arise in any of the structures in or around the spine. Also, the pain arising from inflammation in one area can be transmitted along a nerve to a totally different area; this can be misleading about the actual location from where the pain arises.

85% of all back pain is due to injury, inflammation or arthritis in the various structures that make up the spine. A further 10% are due to true ‘slipped disc’ or prolapsed intervertebral disc which is due to damage to the cartilaginous disc between the vertebrae. The centre of the disc is pushed backwards against the spinal cord itself or against the nerves emerging from it, thus causing pain. This is usually caused by a bad lifting technique or a sudden awkward movement. A small proportion of back pain is caused by serious disease elsewhere in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis and cancer spreading from other sites can erode vertebral bone and cause severe, boring pain in the back area. Occasionally, back pain may be due to gynaecological or kidney problems.

Visualising the normal curvature of the spine can be an important diagnostic tool. When you stand sideways in front of a mirror, you should be able to see the four basic curves of the spine. In the neck region, the spine should curve inwards, towards the throat – a similar curve should be seen in the small of the back. Between the shoulder blades and the back of the pelvis, the spine should curve outwards, away from the body. In certain conditions, this curvature gets altered. For eg., in a prolapsed disc with accompanying muscle spasm in the small of the back, there is loss of the forward curvature in this area and the spine looks flat and rigid. In osteoporosis or ankylosing spondylitis, there is marked forward curvature of the spine between the shoulder blades with hunching of the back and a stoop. Shortening and forward bending of the spine is also seen in osteoporosis.

X-Rays are rarely useful, as soft-tissue injuries are not shown up on X-Rays. MRIs are more useful than X-Rays for diagnosing back-related problems.

Sudden acute back pain brought on by lifting a heavy object or by twisting awkwardly is generally due to trauma to the structures in or around the spine itself. Muscles may be torn or strained, a disc may have prolapsed and may be pressing on nerves, or the nerve may be stretched over a bony outgrowth which is the result of wear-and-tear arthritis. Weakness of the bones due to osteoporosis or metastatic cancer can also cause problems due to sudden movement.

Sharp stabbing pain brought on by movement is probably due to one of the nerves being entrapped – this pain serves as a reminder to the patient that he should be resting. (Very often, instead of taking the time off for healing, patients indiscriminately take pain killers and continue to do their daily tasks, thereby worsening the damage). The pain should settle down within 3 days or so, since most trivial muscle strains and spasms settle on their own by this time. If prolonged, consulting a doctor is necessary. Pain on coughing or sneezing also suggests movement of a freshly prolapsed disc pressing on a nerve – it again needs rest. A slipped disc may create weakness or numbness in the legs, this can have potentially serious consequences for mobility and muscle strength in the legs in future. A severe slipped disc in the lowest part of the spine can bring on difficulty in controlling the bladder or bowels.

Most back pain is long-standing. Muscles heal fairly rapidly but ligaments and inflamed joints take several weeks or months to settle down since they have relatively poor blood supply. Inflammation and arthritis of the joints tends to be chronic and emphasis should also be laid on preventing further deterioration.

Previous back injury like bruised or fractured vertebrae can later on lead to the development of arthritis with resulting stiffness and pain.

Fever, weight loss and fatigue can represent problems affecting other areas of the body as well as the spine. Rheumatoid arthritis could produce all these symptoms, as well as pain, stiffness and swelling in other joints.

If the backache is much worse during a woman’s menstrual period, it could be due to a retroverted uterus. An internal examination by the gynaecologist could confirm that. Prolapse of the uterus can also cause backache. This happens when the muscles of the pelvic floor that support the uterus become weak. It may occur in overweight women or in women who have not toned up their muscles after delivery of children. Associated symptoms are a constant discharge, alteration of bladder and bowel function with possible constipation and even stress incontinence (leakage of urine on coughing, sneezing or straining). There will be a feeling of bearing down esp. when standing or exercising with a dragging feeling in the abdomen. Backache and general tiredness with fatigue is a usual accompaniment. Certain other gynaecological disorders can also produce back pain.

Kidney infections and kidney stones are capable of producing pain in the back because of the location being so close to the spine.

Generalised weight loss with a chronic boring pain in the back could indicate a serious disorder within the body – chronic infections, tuberculosis, blood disorders like leukemia and multiple myeloma and cancer spreading from elsewhere. A full investigation is essential.

In rare cases, a rupturing aortic aneurysm can cause intense back pain. This pain will be felt in the back as well as the abdomen. This is a medical emergency and urgent referral to a hospital is necessary.

TREATMENT:

Injuries are best treated with initial application of ice, followed by heat later; bed rest is necessary depending on the extent of injury. Homoeopathic remedies are very useful in helping the hurt tissue heal faster. The patient’s symptoms of pain will guide the physician to the correct remedy.

Exercise is very important for patients with osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise and walking are particularly beneficial. Homoeopathic treatment will include detailed constitutional treatment along with homoeopathic mineral supplements which have the advantage of better absorption within the body.

Rest and homoeopathy do wonders for people with slipped discs. Later on, homoeopathy and exercise are essential to strengthen the back muscles to prevent recurrence.

Even long-standing back pain can find considerable relief through good holistic therapy, physiotherapy, exercise and correct posture.

The other medical conditions that do cause back pain can also be well treated with homoeopathic remedies. The focus is on curing the underlying condition and not jut giving pain relief by suppression of the pain. Constitutional homoeopathic treatment is necessary – this involves detailed case taking followed by good case management.

“Swine Flu” has become a much dreaded illness in Mumbai, Pune and neighbouring areas ever since the first swine flu death occurred in India a couple of weeks ago. Widespread fear and a state of panic are setting in, esp. due to an initial fanning of the flames by the media and lack of awareness about this illness among the general public.

In this article, we shall try and understand the basics about what exactly swine flu is, how it gets transmitted, risks and dangers involved, how one can protect oneself from contracting this illness and medical prevention and treatment options available.

So far, the media has only highlighted treatment options available in Allopathy/conventional medicine. After days of their drug Tamiflu being raved about and made to appear as a saviour drug and the only available perceived treatment option, recent reports are abuzz with the side-effects of Tamiflu. The pharmaceutical companies are in a race to make a vaccine against swine flu available at the earliest and reports suggest that such a vaccine is going to be introduced this autumn in western countries, to combat the expected second wave of swine flu. It remains to be seen whether this new vaccine will, in any way, be more effective than the earlier Influenza vaccines given every year. Newer variants of influenza vaccines are made available with clockwork regularity as the influenza virus mutates rapidly and makes the previous year’s vaccine ineffective.

To combat the panic all around us, let us also get some perspective on this Swine Flu epidemic. Every year, about 36000 – 40000 people die in the US from regular seasonal flu. As compared to seasonal flu, this Swine Flu virus has not proved to be more virulent or contagious. After the initial panic in the US and Mexico, where this Swine Flu apparently originated, researchers have agreed that the Swine Flu virus was not as dangerous as they initially thought.

Yes, over a thousand people have been infected now in India, but that is still about 0.001% of the Indian population; far from being anywhere near pandemic proportions. Of all those that have been infected, a vast majority recovered without any complications. There will also be a lot more numbers of people infected with the virus than what the media reports – this is because not all of them will fall sick and not all of those who do fall sick will get tested. Many will not fall sick because their body’s immunity will tackle the virus without a problem. Out of those who do fall ill, a majority will not undergo ‘testing’ but will recover by themselves or with the help of local treatment by family doctors.

So now, keeping this in mind, let us now talk about the Swine Flu virus and the ailment it can cause.

The virus causing Swine Flu is the H1N1 virus and spreads from person to person in the same way that a regular flu virus spreads – through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Occasionally people may also get infected by touching something that has been contaminated with flu viruses by patients suffering from the flu, eg., door knobs, working surfaces, etc., and then touching their mouth or nose.

People infected with the virus can then spread it and infect others anywhere between 1 day before falling sick themselves to 5-7 days after falling sick.

The illness this virus causes ranges from mild (in majority of cases) to severe (in a few). The symptoms produced are a running nose, cough, sore throat, fever, body-ache, headache, chilliness and exhaustion. Several people affected by it have also suffered from loose motions and vomiting. While most people suffering from it have recovered without requiring medical treatment, there have been a few cases where respiratory complications have occurred resulting in death of the individual. Children younger than 5 years, people older than 65, pregnant women and anyone with pre-existing chronic medical conditions (like heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, diabetes) are at greater risk of developing complications- just as in seasonal flu. From the Homoeopathic point of view, anyone who has recently had a course of antibiotics are also more at risk due to the lowering of the immune response that antibiotic use creates.

Some basic preventive measures can be very useful:

• The most important thing is to not let STRESS and ANXIETY take over. These negative fearful emotions can lower the body’s immunity making you more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
• Cover your mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing. Dispose used tissues and wash handkerchiefs frequently.
• Spread awareness about maintaining hygiene.
• Do not share napkins, towels and handkerchiefs.
• Wash hands and face frequently with soap and water, esp. after returning home from outdoors. Gargle daily with warm salt water.
• Avoid touching your mouth and nose unnecessarily.
• Avoid very close contact with sick people.
• Drinking tea with ginger and mint is beneficial to boost one’s immunity against viruses.
• Have a good intake of citrus fruits.
• Intake of garlic is also a good anti-viral and anti-bacterial measure.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

At this point in time people are aware that ‘Tamiflu’ is a drug used to treat Swine Flu and people are trying to procure it by any means and are dosing themselves with it in the hope of it preventing the occurrence of Swine Flu. This is incorrect use of the drug and will result in the virus mutating more rapidly and making Tamiflu ineffective faster. Also, as Tamiflu is available only by prescription, there is further panic among the general population as fears abound about the drug going out of stock.

People should also be aware that Tamiflu has its limitations and side effects, some of which are nausea and vomiting. Other adverse reactions include sleeplessness, vertigo, abdominal pain, cough, bronchitis and fatigue. Recent reports also talk of Tamiflu being unsuitable for use in children since dehydration, nightmares and psychiatric disturbances may occur. Some children under 17 displayed bizarre psychiatric behaviour shortly after taking the drug. These side effects included panic attacks, delusions, delirium, convulsions, depression, loss of consciousness, and in some cases, suicide.

Homoeopathy has proven its worth in previous influenza epidemics, perhaps one of the most recent and serious ones has been the Influenza epidemic of 1918. It was documented during that epidemic that while allopathically treated patients had a mortality rate of 28.2%, those treated homoeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05%.

In the last couple of days, we Homoeopaths have received plenty of queries about the contents of a text message doing the rounds, giving the name of a Homoeopathic remedy for Swine Flu prevention. Whilst the remedy Influenzinum 200 is appropriate, the dosage recommended in certain text messages is not.

Influenzinum is a deep acting remedy and a few doses should be more than enough to be preventive. Taking many more doses could be counter-productive. One dose of Influenzinum 200 (3-4 pills) a day for 3 days should be sufficient. Any further doses should only be taken under the advice and supervision of a qualified Homoeopathic physician.

Apart from Influenzinum, there are some other remedies that will be useful in the prevention and treatment of Swine Flu. Some of these are Oscillococcinum, Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Arsenicum Album, Ipecacuanha, Baptisia, Gelsemium, Bryonia, etc. Homoeopathy requires strict individualisation, however, in situations like an epidemic where an illness is prevalent at a certain period in time, the individual’s personal symptoms often fade to the background and a common group of symptoms presents in most people suffering from that illness. Based on these symptoms, homoeopaths can then determine the ‘genus epidemicus’ or the remedy most likely to be of use at that time for that illness.

In general, anyone taking homoeopathic preventive remedies will be protected from contracting the illness, but in rare cases, someone could develop the flu. In such cases, it is advised to contact your homoeopath at the earliest, so that treatment can be initiated as soon as possible. Treatment can cut short the course and severity of the illness and the homoeopath does not need to wait for a full blown infection to occur.

It is better to reiterate once again that Homoeopathy as a medical science requires strict individualisation, hence the patient’s symptoms will determine which remedy will really be suitable for cure. It is strongly recommended that patients not self-medicate but consult a qualified homoeopath for a prescription.

For the first time in the history of modern medicine, homeopathy has been invited to express its views in a World Neurology Conference.
Prof. George Vithoulkas was invited as an honorary guest to express Homeopathy’s views, in an opening speech at the “2nd World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy)”
There is a ‘must-watch’ video on the site:
http://www.vithoulkas.com/content/view/1977/lang,en/

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.

Bad breath, medically called ‘halitosis’, is an embarrassing problem that affects a significant percent of our population and indirectly bothers close non-sufferers too. Our sense of smell has the ability to adjust to odour, hence most sufferers are often not aware of their own bad breath.

Bad breath can result from poor oral health care habits or can also be a sign of health problems elsewhere. Our lifestyle and what we eat can modify it either way. However, the only odour that comes from the stomach is when we burp. Garlic, onions and spicy foods, when eaten and absorbed into the body, can release odour through the lungs when we breathe. Such food odours are transitory and should not be mistaken for bad breath.

Research shows that most bad breath originates from the mouth. If we don’t brush our teeth regularly and correctly, food particles tend to remain lodged in the tiny spaces between our teeth. This increases the chance of bacterial growth between the teeth, around the gums and on the tongue. This can cause bad breath. Smoking and chewing of tobacco and gutka can also cause bad breath. Disease of the gums due to build up of plaque on the teeth, ill-fitting dentures, dental decay, fungal infections of the mouth, dry mouth due to various causes, mouth breathing, chronic infections of the sinuses, throat or tonsils, post-nasal drip, chronic acid reflux, diabetes, liver or kidney problems and even some medicines can all lead to bad breath.

To prevent or reduce bad breath which is primarily oral, it is advisable to follow some general measures:

• Brush your teeth regularly at least twice a day and ideally even after meals. It is important to brush teeth in the correct manner. Replace your toothbrush every 2-3 months and earlier if it gets worn out.
• Visit your dentist twice a year for early detection of problems and cleaning that may be required.
• Quit smoking and chewing tobacco or gutka.
• Drink at least 2 litres of water a day to keep the mouth moist and flush out toxins from your system.
• Cinnamon has bacteria fighting properties, in this way it helps to fight bad breath.
• Anything that makes you salivate will help to keep away bad breath.

Maintaining oral hygiene is a must even if you choose to take treatment for bad breath. Homoeopathic treatment will involve a detailed assessment which should ascertain the probable cause of the problem. If the cause is connected to deeper health issues rather than just oral hygiene, the Homoeopath will take a detailed case history, inquiring into physical, emotional and mental aspects of the patient’s complete personality along with family history and past medical history. This is important to enable the Homoeopath to choose a constitutional remedy for the patient which will work to improve the body’s own immunity and defence mechanisms. Apart from constitutional treatment, the Homoeopath may also target the relevant cause with remedies which have an affinity for the local problem, in this way shortening the time for cure.

Alcoholism is not just bodily dependence on alcohol but also a mental dependence. It results in chronic disease and disruption of interpersonal, family and work relationships. Over a period of time, alcoholism affects the brain, central nervous system, liver and heart. Alcoholism may develop at any age, and occurs 4 times more often in men than women.

Factors which lead to the development of alcoholism may include a genetic predisposition, emotional factors like depression, dependency, anger, etc., crisis situations like bereavement, unemployment, family influences such as alcoholic or divorced parents, social and cultural pressures to drink and possibly body chemistry disturbances.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
Early stages:
· Low tolerance for anxiety.
· Need for alcohol at the beginning of the day, or at times of stress.
· Insomnia; nightmares.
· Habitual Monday-morning hangovers, and frequent absences from work.
· Preoccupation with obtaining alcohol and hiding the drinking habit from family and friends.
· Guilt or irritability when others suggest drinking is excessive.

Late stages:
· Frequent blackouts; memory loss.
· Delirium tremens (tremors, hallucinations, confusion, sweating, rapid heartbeat). These occur most often with alcohol withdrawal.
· Liver disease (jaundice, internal bleeding, bloating).
· Neurological impairment (numbness and tingling in hands and feet, declining sexual interest and potency, confusion, coma).
· Congestive heart failure (shortness of breath, swelling of feet).

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
· Chronic liver disease.
· Gastric erosion with bleeding; stomach inflammation.
· Neuritis (inflammation of the nerves), tremors, seizures and brain impairment.
· Inflammation of the pancreas.
· Inflammation of the heart.
· Mental and physical damage to the foetus if a woman drinks during pregnancy.
· Family members of alcoholics may develop psychological symptoms requiring treatment and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
It is important to provide children with a loving stable family environment. Alcohol, if used, should be used in moderation to provide healthy role models. It has often been seen that parents or relatives give a young child a taste of alcohol from their own glasses. This should not be done as children can wrongly get encouraged into drinking alcohol at a very early age. Besides the danger of developing a habit, alcohol at a young age puts a strain on their livers and can cause liver damage.

The first and most difficult step of treatment is to admit that the problem exists. Psychotherapy and counselling would also be important along with medical treatment. Having a normal well balanced diet is essential, vitamin supplements such as thiamine and folic acid may often be necessary. Thiamine is present in cereal grains, rice bran, outer layer of rice, dry beans, peas, soya beans, peanuts, nuts, liver, heart, kidney, egg yolk, milk, green leafy vegetables. Folic acid is present in good amounts in broccoli, chick peas, peas, brown rice, bananas and oranges.

HOMOEOPATHY – Homoeopathy treats alcoholism at depth like it does other illnesses. Persistence with treatment is essential. A Homoeopathic physician will take into account the alcoholic individual’s life situation, and prescribe based on the patient’s individual stresses and weaknesses, thereby offering a support system along with treatment to reduce the body’s craving for alcohol, and deal with the adverse effects of alcohol on the body. In this way, Homoeopathy is a safe, gentle and effective means of getting an individual out of alcohol’s trap.

We live in an age where life has become too fast for most of us. Stress is a common part of our daily lives and people are turning to meditation, yoga, aromatherapy and other natural forms of relaxation and treatment. The use of flower remedies is a similar form of treatment which works deeply and without side effects. This form of therapy was introduced by Dr. Edward Bach, a qualified Allopathic doctor, who later studied and practiced Homoeopathy. Dr. Bach spent six long years roaming about in jungles and ravines, collecting information about various plants and their flowers and then produced 38 medicines, each of which is directed at a particular characteristic or emotional state. These medicines are called Bach Flower Remedies.

There is an intimate relation between the physical body and mind. The mind is the mirror which reflects the physical state of the person. Hence, ailments in the different parts of the body have a cumulative effect on the mind and mood of the person. It is this change of mood – the mental state – of the patient which the Flower Remedies intend to change and rectify, thereby nullifying the cumulative result of all physical ailments. In treatment with Bach Flower Remedies, physical symptoms are usually not considered, only mental symptoms are taken into account. The suitable remedy, based on mental symptoms, is selected from the 38 remedies. When we say that treatment by Bach Flower Remedies is based on only mental symptoms, it does not mean that this treatment is confined to mental cases only. It simply means that the patient is cured both physically and mentally by the remedy which is prescribed based on mental symptoms.

Some advantages of the Bach Flower Remedies are:

• Selection of the remedy is easy as there are only 38 medicines to choose from.
• More than one remedy can be taken individually or in combination at the same time.
• There are no side effects.
• These remedies can be taken with medicines from other systems without interfering in their action.

The ultimate purpose of Bach Flower Remedies is to correct emotional imbalances so that negative traits get converted into positive strengths. After taking the medicine if there is a change in the mood of the patient, the medicine may be changed accordingly. There is no fixed rule by which it can be determined how long it would be necessary to continue giving Flower Remedies. If it is a temporary sensation, it may clear up even with one single dose of the remedy, but if it is intended to change the very temperament of the person or to remove a chronic ailment, it may require many months to do it. Deep changes can be brought about in a person with the correct remedy. To offer some examples, Bach Flower Remedies can be used for people who are unable to get rid of hatred and jealousy from their minds, unable to move on from an unpleasant past; people who are unable to break away from the influence of a dominating person in their lives; remedies can be used to treat dominating people themselves. They can treat deep fears, despair and hopelessness, etc.

Apart from the 38 Bach Flower Remedies, there is a combination remedy called Rescue Remedy which has been found to be very useful in sudden traumatic situations such as stress, emergencies, bad news, before an interview or exam, etc. It has also been found to be useful for travel sickness. This remedy helps us get back our normal balance so we can calmly deal with the situation. It helps to relax, remain focused and calm.

All these remedies are usually available at most Homoeopathic Pharmacies and the remedies can be had in liquid or globule form. It is best, however, not to self-medicate, but to take the remedies under the supervision of a practitioner.