10 Myths OF Homeopathy That Most People Do Not Know

Homeopathy is the second most popular medicine in the world. However, most people really do not know too much about Homeopathy. This article will help clear up some misconceptions associated with homeopathic medicine.

1) Homeopathic medicines are nothing more than sugar pill that contain no measurable substance.

Certain homeopathic medicines have no measurable substance. However, many remedies do have measurable substances. In medicine that is 24X or 12C has no measurable substance. However, some medicine potency such as 6X, 6C, 12X will have a measurable substance.

2) Homeopathy has never been successful in large scale well designed trials. Trials have only worked when homeopaths were doing the trials or poorly designed trials with quite a bit of author's bias.

Trials in Homeopathy is a very mixed bag. Sometimes people are looking at the wrong information source. Many skeptics will take successful trials and point out that when looking at larger trials in the study, homeopathy does not seem to work. Although, the conclusions of the authors were that homeopathy seems to works better than a placebo.

However, some trials that were successful were fairly large. Oscillococcinum trials were quite large and well designed but still yielded a positive result in shortening the flu duration. Similar studies with Osccillococcinum were replicated as well. The idea that homeopathic remedies have never been successful in a large scale well designed trial is not true.

3) Homeopathy should not be used to treat life threatening diseases.

Homeopathy can treat life threatening diseases with the help of a well trained homeopathic physician. Also, the general medical doctor and other specialists involved in treating the disease should be included on the treatment plan. Medical doctors should always be seen if you have a life threatening illness. Homeopathy can not cure all life threatening diseases.

Many people with life threatening diseases have fared well with Homeopathy. Homeopathy malaria trials show that in trials that homeopathic medicine worked as well as conventional medicine in treating people with malaria.

4) Homeopathy and modern medicine can not work together

Homeopathy can be quite complementary to modern medicine.Many patients under going chemotherapy have seen their side effects reduced when taking homeopathic remedies. Trials with reduction of cancer treatments provided encouraging results.

5) Homeopathy, Herbal, and Ayurvedic medicine are similar.

Homeopathy, Herbal and Ayurvedic are forms of alternative medicine but these forms of medicine are not similar in any other way. Homeopathy use diluted substances to treat patients. Every medicine has been diluted in water or alcohol.

Herbal medicine is medicine based on the use of plants. Ayurvedic is an ancient system of medicine started in India that operates with the theory that all materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value.

Ayurvedic use these materials to treat patients. Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines are used quite a bit in India so that creates some confusion in people thinking they are the same thing.

6) Homeopathy is slow to work

Acute conditions such as flu, colds, motion sickness and pain relief can be treated quickly using homeopathic medicines. Chronic conditions are slow to work because they are complicated to treat. Chronic conditions would be acne, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions will take longer to treat.

7) Homeopathy is only for human use.

Actually, petmeds is one of the fastest growing use of homeopathic products. Homeopathy offers a safe and inexpensive way to treat your pet of acute conditions such as allergies, anxiety and joint stress relief.

8) You can get a book on Homeopathy and treat yourself.

This may be the case in acute conditions such as cold and flu. However, more complicated and chronic cases will require you to see a homeopathic doctor. Chronic cases involve generally taking quite a few remedies in the course of a treatment. A book can not tell you which homeopathic remedies to take and how much to take when your condition starts to improve or worsen.

9) Homeopathic remedies are not widely available.

This may have been true a few years ago. However, many remedies can be found pretty much all over the US. Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, Target and larger retailers carry combination homeopathic remedies for acute conditions such as cold and flu and insomnia.

Single remedies which homeopaths claim to work the best are not as readily available. These remedies can be found in health food stores, natural pharmacies or on the Internet. They are more specialized and generally most people taking single remedies have some homeopathic knowledge or a doctor has prescribed that medicine.

10) All homeopathic remedies work the same on all people.

Homeopathy works different on different people. Classical homeopathy treats different individuals with different remedies according to their personality type. One person may use one remedy to treat a illness, while another person would use a different remedy to treat the same illness.

Homeopathy assumes everyone is different so using the same remedy to treat everyone will not work according to Classical Homeopathy principals. Modern medicine generally gives everyone the same medicine for general conditions.



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Tips for Preparing for Flu Season

Autumn is here, and hopefully you are out enjoying yourself in the crisp air and taking part in all of the seasonal festivities. In order to keep having fun all fall and winter long, it is important to remember that this wonderful autumn air also means that flu season is just around the corner. Taking certain simple precautions to protect yourself and your family can make all of the difference in keeping yourself well this year. Here are some important steps that you can take to prepare for flu season and stay healthy.
Eat and Drink for Health
One of the simplest steps we can take to ward off the flu is a practice everyone should ideally adhere to all year round: choose a healthy diet that will help your body to maintain a strong immune system. This does not really require any special or complicated diet. The basics are to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and to eat a diet that is healthy and balanced. Food choices that may be particularly beneficial will include lots of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants carry many benefits, and are becoming more and more known to the public. One of these wonderful benefits is they can work as immune boosters, helping you and your family to have a healthier life overall.

Avoid Germs
There are many steps you can take to limit your contact with germs. Some of these may be more obvious than others, but if you begin a mindful routine of keeping yourself and the objects you come into contact with sanitized now, you will likely have formed good habits by the time flu season is in full swing. Proper hand washing is a hugely important practice. Many people know that they should wash their hands, but are not necessarily washing properly. To really benefit you should wash in warm, soapy water for between 30 to 60 seconds. It may help you to keep track of the time if you get into the habit of singing a song like the ABC's as you wash, and this will definitely help young children with washing their hands. In public places, try to wipe off surfaces like doorknobs with sanitizing wipes, if possible, as the flu virus can live up to 48 hours on hard surfaces. A good alternative is to use a hand sanitizer after touching these surfaces, but remember not to eat or touch food immediately afterwards. Wait a few minutes first so the sanitizer has time to kill the flu germs.

Get a Flu Shot
Though you should definitely follow every step to keep yourself healthy, the method of protection that is by far the most effective is getting a flu vaccination. The flu shot is recommended for almost anyone over six months of age, with a few exceptions, including people with severe allergies to chicken eggs or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. If you do decide to get a seasonal flu shot, be sure to get it as early in the season as you possibly can, because its effectiveness only really kicks in by developing the right antibodies in your body about two weeks after the shot is administered.

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5 Foods To Eat When Sick

Protection from Autumn's Viruses

    Autumn couldn't come at a better time. With the beginning of the fall season comes cooler temperatures and a welcome change from summer's heat waves.

However, these changing temperatures also bring germs that cause allergies, colds and the flu. Do you ever wonder how doctors and teachers stay healthy when they're in constant contact with sick patients and children? They have to make a conscious effort to keep themselves healthy even though they are surrounded by germs in their classrooms and offices. The same goes for massage therapists, who are also at an increased risk of catching airborne germs due to the nature of their business. There's no sure-fire way to prevent catching a cold, but taking a few extra precautions will help ward off germs heading in your direction.

A healthy immune system will help stave off an impending illness. Obviously, a healthy, nutritious diet and plenty of sleep will protect your body from becoming stressed and worn down, making you more susceptible to catching a cold. Other behaviors can also affect how likely you are to get sick, such as drinking and smoking. Regular exercise, something as simple as walking a few times per week, has been proven to help strengthen the immune system. In addition to eating healthy foods, consider supplementing your diet with vitamins. Another important step is to make sure you allot yourself enough time for sleep and other fun activities, because when you're happy and well rested, your body will be healthier. Making these simple changes to your everyday lifestyle will help bolster your immunity.


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